[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Epiphany 8A

[Joe Parrish]

Forwarded:

Dear Friends,
Tomorrow’s sermon is entitled “What---Me WORRY?!!!” or “Worry Is Like
a Quarter and a Glass of Air” and deals with the gospel (Matthew 6:
24-34).  Here it is:

Our text for today is from the gospel (Matthew 6:34) in which Jesus
tells his followers: “Don't worry about tomorrow. It will take care of
itself. You have enough to worry about today.”  Isn’t that good
advice, but isn’t it hard to do!  This morning, I’d like us to think
about “worry” in light of Jesus’ teaching.

Today’s collect is a wonderful prayer to help us do what Jesus said
about “worry.”  In 1964, my husband and I met and fell in love when we
both worked in the civil rights movement in Mississippi.  At the end
of the summer, it looked like our life circumstances just wouldn’t
allow our relationship to continue.  Worry!  Worry! Worry!  He
suggested this prayer to help us both through the rough spots.  It’s
today’s collect and it says:

“Most loving Father, whose will it is for us to give thanks for all
things, to fear nothing but the loss of you, and to cast all our care
on you who care for us: Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly
anxieties, that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the
light of that love which is immortal, and which you have manifested to
us in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.”

Our fears were ungrounded- we married in 1966, but the prayer was
extremely helpful.

Do you remember the story I told in June, 2002, about the new pastor
who paid a visit on one of his shut-in members?  The little old lady
was talking on and on, and the pastor hadn’t eaten before visiting, so
his stomach was really growling.  He noticed a bowl of peanuts on the
table right next to him, so every time the lady looked away- he took a
handful.  He read the Bible to her, gave her Holy Communion, and
left.  As soon as he got to the car, he realized that he had just
about finished her peanuts- all without permission, and he was really
concerned she would figure out what he had done.  He worried about it
and worried about it, so he finally decided to call her and confess
it. “Oh, don’t worry,” said the lady.  “At my age, I can’t chew
peanuts anyway.  I just suck the chocolate off and put them there, so
I don’t care if you eat them.”  He had new worries!

One of the best ways to illustrate the problem of worry is with this
quarter.  Under ordinary circumstances, it just fits in the change
purse of my wallet and is part of whatever money I have or do not
have.  However, what if I take it out and look at it?  That small
quarter starts to block my vision- just a little.  Now, what if I move
it closer and closer until it’s just in front of my eye?  It blocks my
vision so all I can see is that quarter!  That’s how worry works.  We
start with a problem that causes us fear or apprehension or
frustration or some other negative emotion.  The more we focus on it-
just like the situation with the quarter- the less of anything else we
can see.  We finally get to the point that the problem is ALL we can
see- our vision is blocked!  How are we ever going to work to solve  a
problem under those circumstances?  Our fear, our dread, our worry
become like soul cancer, eating away at the joy of life.  No wonder
Jesus said: “Don't worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself.
You have enough to worry about today.”

All right, I’ve probably got you convinced to stop worrying about your
troubles.  The problem is- HOW?  How are you going to stop, when those
worrying thoughts keep coming into your mind.  Telling ourselves to
stop worrying just makes it worse- that just keeps our minds on our
trouble!  Here’s where the glass comes in.  Do you see this glass?
What’s in it?  Sure- air.  In this illustration, the air is like the
worry in our brains.  How do we get rid of the air from the glass?  I
could turn the glass upside-down.  Will that get rid of the air
(worry)?  No.  What if I try to blow the air out of the glass?  That
won’t help.  It will just put different air- actually hot air- into
the glass.  Well then, how can I get the hot air out of the glass?
How can we get our worries and anxieties about money, and kids, and
cars, and health, and jobs out of our minds?  Sure, by putting
something else in.  All I have to do is pour this water in the glass
and the air is out.  All you have to do to reduce the worry and
anxiety flooding your brain and driving you crazy is to flood your
brain with something else.  Here are some steps that might help:
6.	Pray the serenity prayer.  (“Lord, give me the serenity to accept
the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can;
and the wisdom to know the difference.”)
7.	Decide if your problem is something you probably cannot change.  If
this is the case, think through ways you and the Lord can handle it
and minimize its negative effect on your joy of living.  A trusted
friend might be helpful here.
8.	Decide if your problem is something you probably can change.  Think
it through, again maybe with a trusted friend.  Figure out how you
might handle it as a Christian.
9.	Remember Jesus promise- “Lo, I am with you always” (Matthew
28:20).  You are not alone.  Don’t neglect your Christian duties of
Sunday church with Holy Communion, daily Bible reading, and prayer.
10.	Remember the glass of air, and start filling it.  Get busy
thinking about and doing positive things!

May God bless us all as we continue to allow his Spirit to turn our
hearts of stone into the heart of his beloved Son; and may we live our
lives asking, “What WOULD Jesus do this time?”

For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American
wisdom statements are posted on our NEW 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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