[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Easter 2

[Joe Parrish]

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-----Original Message-----
From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sat, Apr 30, 2011 10:51 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Easter 2


Dear Friends,

Tomorrow’s sermon is entitled “The Eyes of Faith”  “Help Us Live What
We Believe” and deals with all the lessons. Here it is:

What a fascinating story about faith we heard in this gospel about
Thomas! Actually, all the Bible lessons are about faith one way or
another. And all of them are about having faith in difficult times.
Did you hear the story about the husband with foot-in-mouth disease?

A husband and wife are getting ready for bed. The wife is standing in
front of a full length mirror taking a hard look at herself. “You know
love,” she says, “I look in the mirror and I see an old woman. My face
is all wrinkled, my stomach is sticking out in front and my butt is
hanging out behind. I've got fat legs and my arms are all flabby.”
She turns to her husband and says, “Tell me something positive to make
me feel better about myself.”  He thinks about it for a bit and then
says in a soft voice, “Well...your   eyesight’s still pretty good!”
Noah (Old Testament reading), the church to whom Peter was writing
(epistle), and Thomas (gospel) would all have been able to understand
where that couple were coming from, because all of them knew about
hard times and how faith during these times will carry us through.

Let’s look at Noah’s situation first. Some years ago when I was into
embroidery, I stitched a picture of Noah and the ark.  The caption on
the stitchery read: “Plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the
ark.” Actually, that’s a huge understatement, because it wasn’t at all
likely it was ever going to seriously rain WHERE Noah built the ark-
because it was a desert (or at least a simi-desert) area. You know the
story. God told Noah to build an ark. He obeys and loads the animals
up just as he was told- to the jeering rude laughter of his neighbors.
When we pick up the story, we find the significance of Noah’s
obedience. He has saved every species from extinction. Even more
important, the rainbow in the sky signifies God’s bow (his weapon-
i.e. bow and arrow) hung on the wall- his weapon put away. When God
promises he will never again destroy life by water, since water is a
symbol for chaos, he is promising chaos will never wipe out life on
this planet. What a promise, and all possible because of Noah’s faith
and willingness to obey in hard times.

Then there was Peter and the church to whom he was writing. They were
under huge Roman persecution- probably the same persecution that later
caused the execution of Peter and Paul. The church was under intense
temptation to give up the faith. Family members were being tortured,
thrown to lions, burned at the stake, and God only knows what else
evil humanity could think up. They were also having to work out the
solutions to hideous questions. What should they do with church
members (or even family members) who had chickened out during torture
and betrayed family members, who were then executed? What about those
who had worshipped the emperor because of fear, while others died
refusing to bow the knee to anyone but Jesus, the Christ? To make
matters worse, many of these people wanted back in the fellowship.
Should they be forgiven? How could they ever stand to see them again?
Peter reminded them to stick with it. God will win and we shall
overcome.

Finally, we have Thomas. When Lazarus was so ill, Thomas was the one
who convinced the disciples to accompany Jesus to the Jerusalem area,
even though their lives were in danger the last time they went. Thomas
was also the one who had the courage to challenge Jesus when he said,
“I am going to prepare a place for you, you know where I am going, and
you know the way.” Remember- Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t even know
where you are going. How can we know the way?” It was this question
that gave Jesus the marvelous opportunity to make his earth-shaking
statement: “I am the Way; I am the Truth; and I am the Life. No one
comes to the father except through me.” After all this, Thomas was
missing on the evening of the resurrection when the other disciples
encountered the risen Lord. When they told him about Jesus’
resurrection, he wouldn’t believe unless he touched the scars. The
next Sunday, when they were all gathered again for Holy Communion-
there was Jesus confronting Thomas with what he said. Thomas went from
disbelief to supreme faith and stated the church’s first creedal
statement- “My Lord and my God!”

Where are you this morning? Maybe, like Noah, you’re struggling
against the pressures of the world- a world that says irresponsible
talk or casual sex, or wasteful use of time, or greedy use of money is
all right. Maybe all your friends are saying, “Just do it!” Well don’t
just do it. Think first. Like Noah, live what you believe.

Maybe this morning you are like the church to which Peter was writing,
when Peter told them to forgive- no matter what. Maybe it is the
behavior of other Christians that upsets you. Perhaps they’ve gossiped
about you or been rude to you.  You look at them and say, “How could
they?!!”  Yet, the truth is- nothing anyone else has done to you or
yours approaches the magnitude of the torture and execution of
countless family members experienced by Christians in Peter’s
congregations.  You want to stay whole and have a good life in
Christ?  Well then- do what Peter told his churches- forgive.

Then maybe you are like Thomas. Your heart breaks as you watch good
people suffer- people like Mr. Tommie Sanders or Ms. Julie Wright-
both of whom died after unpleasant illnesses, or Mrs. Susie Cummings-
suffering with a tracheotomy and a vent right now at Covenant
Hospital. Or you are wondering why God allows terrible tornadoes- like
those that hit the southern part of our country the last few days.
You watch Jews killing Palestinians and Palestinians killing Jews; the
war in Afghanistan is getting worse and worse; and violence is
escalating on our own streets.  You (like Thomas) look at the chaos
and say, “Chaos reigns.  God, where are you? Why do you allow such
terrible things to happen?” And God answers- “My precious, precious
child. You waste the amazing resources I give you. I send you children
who could grow up to be physicians who could find ways to prevent and
heal human afflictions and you don’t nurture them, don’t educate them,
and they end up in prison. I send you prophets and diplomats and
negotiators and yet you continue to glorify violence in your media and
make decisions from greed and arrogance. You asked me why I allow such
things- strange. I was going to ask you the same question.”

For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American
wisdom statements are posted on our parish web site. The address is:
http://www.stpaulsepisag.com .

Blessed preaching.
Judy Boli
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Saginaw, Michigan


 
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