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<div style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff; MARGIN: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; COLOR: #000; FONT-SIZE: 12px" id=AOLMsgPart_0_7b18e4eb-8161-4dea-bdb2-87f30c9c4a35><PRE style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt"><TT><FONT size=4>Forwarded:</FONT></TT></PRE><PRE style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt"><TT><FONT size=4></FONT></TT> </PRE><PRE style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt"><TT>Dear Friends,
I haven’t posted in the last few weeks because I was in the hospital
with pneumonia in both lungs. Now that I am on the road to recovery,
here is Sunday’s sermon. It is entitled “Be Ready” or “Exactly What
Has God Promised?” and deals with the gospel (Luke 21: 5-19). Here it
is:
We just heard Jesus warn his disciples about terrible things that were
about to take place- false messiahs, wars, riots, earthquakes and
other natural disasters, starvation, disease, people being arrested
and put in jail for following him, being betrayed by loved ones- why
would he say things like this? Because the disciples were going to
have to face them and remain faithful if the Gospel was going to be
spread, if the church was going to survive. He was just telling them
the truth. Even if it’s hard, knowing what you’re going to have to
face at least prepares you for the struggle. He was simply getting
them ready for hard times. He could have told Christians in Iraq,
Iran, and Pakistan the same thing- false messiahs, wars, riots,
natural disasters, starvation, disease, people being arrested and put
in jail for their faith, being betrayed by loved ones- many Christians
throughout the world live their lives every day facing these threats.
He tells them the same thing- be ready. We never know what we are
going to face in our lives. Do you remember airplanes crashing into
the World Trade Center nine years ago and all those people killed,
some choosing to jump to their death to avoid the flames? He tells us
the same thing- be ready. I want to talk to you this morning about
being ready.
Do you remember some years ago when I used to make our own pictures
for the bulletin cover? Do you remember the picture of the blowfish
(or puffer) I used to use on the bulletin covers? That species of fish
reminds us of the world’s way. They face stress like some of us do.
They blow themselves up so they look big and tough so no one will mess
with them. (Don’t we know people like that?) They have very sharp
teeth and are poisonous. (How many people are sharp-tongued and spew
poison if you tread on their territory?) Yet, in spite of their
attempts to look fierce, they really don’t handle stress well; in fact
they sicken and frequently die under stressful conditions.
Did you hear the story about the teacher asking the students about
George Washington? “TEACHER: “George Washington not only chopped down
his father's cherry tree, but also admitted doing it. Now do you know
why his father didn't punish him?” JOHNNY: “Because George still had
the axe in his hand.” It’s not just George Washington who had the axe
in his hand, it seems the world does too, and it aims that axe at us
sometimes. If the world’s way doesn’t work when facing trouble, what
will work? The thought for the week, “Tough times never last. Though
people do.” (Robert Schuller) points out a better way- God’s way.
1. DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Be faithful to God.- don’t just come to church
when you feel like it. Receive your Holy Communion every week. Read
your Bible. Listen to sermons and read your Forward-Day-by-Day and
any other materials of a spiritual nature. Sing God songs. Put God
first in your life. I do not ever want to see someone I love from
this congregation in emotional agony because they misunderstand God or
his love for them as they go through trials. When we’re extremely
sick- it’s too late to understand. Illness, grief, pain, worry, etc.
limit our understanding.
2. DON’T BE SELFISH- SHARE JESUS WITH THOSE YOU LOVE AND ANYONE ELSE
YOU CAN. Don’t let someone else struggle through life without Jesus.
Life without Jesus is hard; dying without Jesus can be pure hell.
3. LIVE UNTIL YOU DIE- thank you, Thomas Hall (Ellen William’s son).
Don’t do what some of the Thessalonian Christians did and sit around
waiting for Jesus. Live your life, whether it’s one hour or 100
years. Every minute is a gift.
4. SPEAKING OF EVERY MINUTE BEING A GIFT, LIVE WITH A SPIRIT OF
GRATITUDE. Stop looking at what you don’t have- whether it’s time
left on this planet or the love of a special person or health or money
or whatever. God doesn’t owe us anything, but he can be counted on to
keep his promises and give us what we need.
6. LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST- DON’T HOLD BACK ON GOD. The old poem has
great wisdom: “Only one life- ‘twill soon be past. Only what’s done
for God will last.” The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther’s quotation of the old
hymn says it all: “If I can help somebody as I pass along;
If I can cheer somebody with a word or song;
If I can show somebody that they’re traveling wrong;
Then my living will not be in vain.
If I can do my duty as a Christian ought;
If I can bring salvation to a world once wrought;
If I can spread the message as the Master taught;
Then my living will not be in vain.
Do what God calls you to do and don’t be too easy on yourself. You
WILL have the courage or energy or whatever else you need at the time-
notice Jesus’ promise in the Gospel. Remember C.S. Lewis when he
taught that God doesn’t give us grace to handle what might happen in
the future. God gives us grace to handle what’s happening now.
6. TRUST GOD. He’s got the whole world in his hands, and you know
that means you. A friend gave me a poem some time ago, and it fits
here perfectly. The poem, by Annie Johnson Flint speaks to trusting
God and what we can expect from our Lord. Here it is:
God has not promised skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through;
God has not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.
But God has promised strength for today,
Rest for the labor, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.
For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American
wisdom statements are posted on our NEW PARISH WEB SITE. The address
is: <A href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.com/" target=_blank>http://www.stpaulsepisag.com</A> .
Blessed preaching.
Judy Boli
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Saginaw, Michigan
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