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<div><FONT size=4>Here is a draft of our sermon for today, Valentine's Day:</FONT></div>
<div><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt">St. John's</SPAN></B></st1:place></st1:City><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"> Episcopal Church<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></div>
<H2 style="MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt"><FONT size=6><st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on"><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt">61 Broad Street</SPAN></st1:address></st1:Street></FONT></H2>
<H2 style="MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt"><FONT size=6><st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on"><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt"></SPAN></st1:address></st1:Street></FONT><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt">Elizabeth</SPAN></B></st1:City><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt">, <st1:State w:st="on">New Jersey</st1:State> <st1:PostalCode w:st="on">07201</st1:PostalCode></SPAN></B></st1:place><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></H2>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText3><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt"><STRONG><FONT size=6>The Last Sunday after Epiphany: (C) <o:p></o:p></FONT></STRONG></SPAN></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText3><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt"><STRONG><FONT size=6>February 14, 2010</FONT></STRONG></SPAN></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText3><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt"></SPAN><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><STRONG>DRAFT</STRONG></SPAN></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText3><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"></SPAN><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt">A Sermon by the Rev. <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Joe Parrish</st1:PersonName></SPAN></B></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText3><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><st1:PersonName w:st="on"></st1:PersonName></SPAN></B><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 24pt">The Holy Gospel according to<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></div>
<H2 style="MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt"><FONT size=6>Luke 9:28-36<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></H2>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>About eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--not knowing what he said.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my <st1:place w:st="on">Chosen</st1:place>; listen to him!"<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>May we hear your call of love to us, Dear Lord, as we love one another as you have loved us.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Amen.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Today is Valentine’s Day!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And we all have been transformed into someone some one else loves in particular.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We may send Valentine’s cards to our favorites as we learned to do when we were children.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In my elementary school, Valentine’s Day was always a special time when each child sent out a large number of small Valentine’s cards to their classmates.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They were a little bit sappy, or maybe quite a bit sappy!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But they were the way a child learned to say “I love you” before any other particular social skills were developed.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And having a girl friend or a boy friend was more or less the ‘done thing’ everywhere even in the fourth grade, although we did not discriminate between sending cards to either girls or boys.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I seem to recall we cut them out of big coloring books, and also we could buy them in bulk quantities so every one in our classroom would get one, or at least we tried to do that, about 30 or 40 per classroom in my time—big classes!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“Will you be my Valentine?” was the most popular phrase printed or written on them.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Then for our most special friends we would embellish the cards a bit.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And even to this day, our class mourns the death of every person in our class who passes away as though we have lost a dear friend, a love one, brother or sister, and we can’t imagine life without them.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We were really bonded together, for life by our love for one another.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Now take that leap that lets us hear God’s Valentine to God’s only Son, “This is my Son, my Chosen.”<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Pretty impressive stuff, no?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I don’t think any of our childhood Valentines could possibly compare with that, the overshadowing cloud and the big booming voice, I assume it was booming, like the movies and all.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>How could we not hear God’s declaration of God’s special love for God’s Son?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And we wonder why today is Valentine’s Day!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is actually God’s special Valentines Day for all of us, as God’s Son stood in our place and took it all on the cross, for our sake.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>How much love is that?!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is love more than this [wide open arms].<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And that’s how much God’s only Son loves us, each of us, today!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This much [wide open arms].<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We cannot escape God’s love, unless we try very, very hard.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>God’s love is freely given, overflowing, up to and over the top, incredibly abundant!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>God loves each of us this much [wide open arms].<o:p></o:p></SPAN></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I can remember one of my grandmothers, the one who lived in Alabama, who would always hold her arms wide open to her grandkids when we got out of the car to visit her after a long trip down to see her, and she would give us the biggest hug you could ever imagine.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We knew Grandmother loved and cared for us.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And that was usually followed by the most delicious warm cinnamon rolls you could ever sink your teeth into, always hot, and always waiting for us as we came into the house after getting our big hug.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>(I guess that’s why I love to walk past Cinnabon in the malls.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They remind me of my loving Grandmother.)<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>You just knew you were loved, this much [arms opened wide].<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>So I will share that love my Grandmother Parrish gave me today for you.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Everyone in the deep South always had a knack for hugging—it was just expected.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Somehow it didn’t get so accepted in the North, maybe something about a Civil War I guess, but in the South, hugging is a necessity!<o:p></o:p></SPAN></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Today we hear something quite extraordinary, God’s public declaration of his love for his precious Chosen Son, who would one day face a horrible death, but a death that would be fully redeemed since it was offered for all who believe in him, and a death that would not let him die for more than three days.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I think it is pretty rare for Transfiguration Sunday, the last Sunday of Epiphany, to fall exactly on Valentine’s Day.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I haven’t seen the calculations, but I think it is quite a unique combination, Valentines and Transfiguration on the same Sunday.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>So I will declare this a very,very special event, not only for us, but for all we will come into contact with today and this entire week.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It should be a week of love, big love, this big [holding arms out wide].<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>So give this much love to everyone you meet today and this week.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Tell them that the Pastor told you to do that, if you need permission!<o:p></o:p></SPAN></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I think a lot of people probably do not get enough love or affirmation nowadays.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We are all so intent on our 401K’s, or whatever.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We forget to love, we forget to live.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And that is not at all what God was declaring on that mountaintop to those disciples. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>God was declaring that God’s love is unboundless, without end, this big [holding our arms this wide].<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We cannot escape God’s big hug, unless we run away very, very fast.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>My most favorite television show is America’s Favorite Home Videos.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I search the stations every time I turn on the television for those shows, some of which are quite old now, but they always make us smile or laugh out loud.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>‘It’s good for the ratings,’ laughing is always a great way to get good audiences, the announcers say.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We laugh at the silliest things, oftentimes somethings that are seemingly self-destructive, someone sledding uncontrollable backwards down a snowy hill, and that sort of thing.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I can imagine the dreams I would have had after seeing Jesus transformed in front of my eyes up there on that mountaintop, glowing dazzlingly white.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He was a neon sign before there were neon signs!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>All eyes focused on him.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He was clearly the main attraction, the cat’s meow, the big dipper.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He had it all, and he has shared all of that with each of us as his own brothers and sisters, inheritors of the same great eternity that he has.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Such love!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Such caring!<o:p></o:p></SPAN></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>So today, if you can’t remember anything else, remember that God loves you, each particular one of you, this much [arms held open wide].<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is God’s special Valentine to you.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I think that if we can share enough love, the world would transform in an instant.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If we could twitter out, text out, phone out that love to all we know, the world would never be the same.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>So why don’t we try that, beginning today?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>God loves each of us this much [arms opened wide].<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We can change the world, the whole world, with love.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There would be no more fighting, no more conflict, no more disagreements, no more anything but love.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I know that is a tall order, but we Christians need to start somewhere, so why not start with love?!<o:p></o:p></SPAN></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Love is the secret best evangelistic tool.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Let a stranger know you love them, and you will make an instant positive impression.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>At first they may be hesitant, but we can win them over, I believe.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When someone is drawn into our church services, we need to acknowledge how great a miracle has occurred.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Last week it was amazing how many new faces appeared here in church, don’t you think?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Having a nice warm room was surely one ‘draw’, but it was the Holy Spirit’s doing.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is difficult for someone to walk past our walkway and not want to come on in, I think.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They have to intentionally want ‘not’ to come in.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I think we look at least friendly, we have big sappy signs out front, some bright colors, so even though the towering building is a bit off-putting, I think we somewhat soften or mollify that by at least looking accepting.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Maybe we need some big welcoming arms on a sign to help us; I’ll have to think about how that could happen.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We’ll need a graphic designer, I think, but we could get a new face with some big open arms, I believe.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But in the interim, we’ll have to open our own arms to others to bring them in.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We have made a good start.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We have southern Chinese cooking here most every other week, actually they tell me some of the cooks are from somewhere in northwestern China, believe it or not, and occasionally from Westfield or Cranford, but we have a delicious warm meal for anyone who walks through the door every Sunday afternoon.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And some come as early as 9:30 AM to get that meal, and they wait patiently until we eat at 3 PM.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We can at least give them a smile and make them feel welcome!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>You can’t get that much service anywhere else in town, I don’t think.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We love you, and we want you to feel at home here with us.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>How many people need to hear that here in Elizabeth?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>So many are from so far away.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>One lady has come here for years, she works at a very menial job, sends everything she earns to her children in Venezuela or Peru.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But we always love to see her, and give her a warm greeting.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Another is always concerned about her unemployed son in Poland, she speaks only Polish, but when pressed she speaks English, but she always has a cheery appearance.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I am sorry to say, someone just told me she recently passed away.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But St. John’s was her home away from home.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We don’t stand on formalities here, but we try to love everyone, even the unlovable, because we ourselves have received an infinite love we didn’t deserve.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>So we are in the business of giving love away, for free, actually. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We do have bounds, however, even though we sound a bit sappy. I guess our grandparents taught us that.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I rarely remember my grandmother admonishing me for anything, however.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And one of my grandfathers always would slip me a spoonful of coffee at breakfast, quite the sinful thing, I thought, as he always did it with a wink, so his wife, my other grandmother wouldn’t see him.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And I learned to love eating Cheerios, because he usually ate Cheerios for breakfast.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I seem to be in a very reminiscing mode today!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But when we are sharing love, we are likely doing that because someone loved us this much [opened wide arms].<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Maybe it was our grandparents, it was mine, maybe it was a favorite aunt or uncle, or parents, or neighbors, or friends parents.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But when we come into contact with others we have to summon all the love we have ever had and show that love to others.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>That will change the world, don’t you know?<o:p></o:p></SPAN></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>God knew that the world would be forever changed by his Chosen Son, not by miracles so much as by love.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Miracles would be the way God would heal our boo-boos.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Kiss them with a miracle, like our mothers or fathers did when we hurt ourselves.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>God would lean over with his Son’s hands and kiss someone’s boo-boo.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Then they would be well, completely well.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We are not so adept yet at doing the healing thing, but we can make up for it by spreading God’s love, don’ you think?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And God will heal all of us in time, eternally, forever, by the love God’s Son showed for us on Good Friday.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This week, come to one of our Ash Wednesday services, if you can, either at noon or 4:30 this Wednesday.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We will be practicing our love.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And this week, practice your love also to everyone you meet.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Tell them you got some of that love here from St. John’s.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></div>
<div style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 24pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Amen.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></div>
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