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<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: 10pt; color: black;">-----Original Message-----<br>
From: Judy <judy_boli@ecunet.org><br>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic@ecunet.org><br>
Sent: Sat, Mar 26, 2011 8:33 pm<br>
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Lent 3A<br>
<br>
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<pre style="font-size: 9pt;"><tt>Dear Friends,<br>
Tomorrow’s sermon is entitled “Three Strikes and You’re Out!” or<br>
“Damaged Goods*” and deals with the Gospel (John 4:5-27, 39-42. Here<br>
it is:<br>
<br>
Do you see this can of soup? It looks really good, doesn’t it- that<br>
is if you like tomato soup. But what if we played a game of catch<br>
with it and dropped it? Or what if it got bumped and banged on the<br>
way from the factory to the store, or from the store to my cupboard?<br>
We’d consider it damaged goods, wouldn’t we? The supermarket would<br>
display cans like this on a special, separate table- perhaps even<br>
labeled “damaged goods.” In fact, when we get cans like this as we<br>
collect food to feed the hungry, the health department frowns upon us<br>
using them to serve our feeding ministry guests. They are really<br>
considered damaged goods. Why am I telling you about dented cans?<br>
Because we heard in our gospel this morning about another kind of<br>
damaged item- a damaged human being- the Samaritan woman. We heard<br>
the episode of how Jesus talked with her, got a drink of water from<br>
her, and told her that he was the Messiah.<br>
<br>
As you recall, Jesus and the disciples were traveling through Samaria<br>
on their way to Galilee. They stopped at Jacob’s well; then the<br>
disciples went into town to buy some food while Jesus rested at the<br>
well. Here it was- noon, the hottest time of the day, and a Samaritan<br>
woman came to draw water. We heard Jesus ask her for a drink of water<br>
and strike up a conversation with her. (Actually, this reminds me of<br>
my husband- he can strike up a conversation with ANYONE!) What was<br>
unusual about this? In the eyes of a Jewish male, this woman was<br>
damaged goods big-time- much more unacceptable than a dented can of<br>
soup or a box of cereal with a bumped corner. First of all, she was a<br>
Samaritan. Jews considered Samaritans that awful word- “half-breed!”-<br>
STRIKE ONE! Second, she was a woman. Jewish males, especially<br>
rabbis, did not speak to women in public- not even their wives,<br>
sisters, or daughters. Some Pharisees even closed their eyes in mixed<br>
company rather than look at a woman. (They were called the “bruised<br>
and bleeding Pharisees”- what happens when you walk around with your<br>
eyes closed and bump into things.) Remember, one of the first prayers<br>
every Jewish boy learned at his mother’s knee was to thank God that he<br>
wasn’t born a gentile (i.e. Samaritan) or a woman- STRIKE TWO! Not<br>
only was she a Samaritan and a woman, she was a “bad woman.” Jews<br>
allowed three divorces, but only men were allowed to divorce a<br>
spouse. She had been divorced five times and was living with a man<br>
not her husband- unthinkable in those times. Coming to draw water<br>
under the noonday sun was unusual. Perhaps she came then to avoid the<br>
stares of the other women who would have considered her a social<br>
outcast- STRIKE THREE! It’s bad enough to have a damaged can of food,<br>
but damaged goods in the form of a precious human being, a child of<br>
God, is unthinkable!<br>
<br>
How did Jesus treat her?<br>
7) With respect: he carried on a serious conversation with her- so<br>
much so that the disciples were amazed when they returned and saw<br>
them.<br>
8) With accountability: he didn’t let her con him. He told her about<br>
her unacceptable past.<br>
9) With forgiveness: he didn’t allow her past to interfere with<br>
acceptance in the present.<br>
10) As an equal- human-to-human: he let her serve him water and drank<br>
from the same dipper from which she drank.<br>
11) With friendship: their culture taught that giving or receiving a<br>
drink of water bound people as friends for one year.<br>
12) With appreciation for her unique intelligence and talents: she was<br>
the first person Jesus told that he was the Messiah.<br>
<br>
How did she respond? She blossomed- like a plant that has had water<br>
withheld and then the spring rains come (or the person remembers to<br>
water it!) She left her dipper at the well and told the entire town<br>
about Jesus, so many were brought to him.<br>
<br>
What’s it to us? There are probably two categories of people:<br>
3) THOSE TEMPTED TO CONSIDER THEMSELVES “DAMAGED GOODS”: perhaps you<br>
are someone who’s made some mistakes in your life. Perhaps you are<br>
the “ugly duckling” in your family. Perhaps you consider yourself to<br>
be “damaged goods.” NO WAY! God doesn’t make junk! Don’t put down<br>
your creator. Love your neighbor as much as you love YOURSELF, so<br>
start loving yourself. This doesn’t mean we all don’t have things we<br>
need to improve. Work on yourself, but also love yourself and thank<br>
your Creator for creating you beautiful. While we’re at it- don’t<br>
wait until you’re perfect to come to church. Come every Sunday and<br>
fellowship with your heavenly Father. Earthly parents love their<br>
children through their imperfections. So does our heavenly Father.<br>
4) THOSE TEMPTED TO CONSIDER OTHERS AS “DAMAGED GOODS”: perhaps we<br>
look around and see people who could do better, in our opinion.<br>
Remember- the worst sin is to judge your neighbor- that’s what the<br>
Pharisees did, which made them so unacceptable to Jesus. Every person<br>
we see is a child of God. If their behavior is wrecking their lives,<br>
pray for them. Invite them to church. Encourage them. Be there for<br>
them. Maybe tough love is necessary, but remember- tough love is<br>
still love.<br>
<br>
I’m going to close with a story. This story applies to all of us,<br>
regardless of whether the world considers us “damaged goods” or<br>
whether we’re tempted to consider others “damaged goods.” There was a<br>
good, Christian, church-going man who died and stood before St. Peter<br>
at the pearly gates. Peter tells the man that he needs 100 points to<br>
get in. The man starts in with – “I was on the vestry; I taught Sunday<br>
school; I went to church most Sundays.” Peter says – “That's one<br>
point.” The man begins to sweat – “I was faithful to my wife; I<br>
supported my family; I was successful in my business, but did not<br>
cheat anyone.” Peter says – “That's one more.” Now the man is really<br>
getting stressed – “I tithed; I worked at the food bank; I gave money<br>
to scholarship funds.” Peter says – “That's one more.” Finally in<br>
desperation the person says – “Yikes - it is only by the grace of God<br>
that I am going to get in!” “Did you say ‘the grace of God?’” St.<br>
Peter asked. “Wonderful! You’ve got it- the grace of God- those are<br>
the other 97 points. 1 + 1 + 1 + 97 = 100 points! Welcome home!”<br>
<br>
“All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. But God<br>
treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he<br>
freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins.” (Romans 3:23-24)<br>
“God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son,<br>
so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never<br>
really die. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its<br>
people. He sent him to save them!” (John 3: 16-17)<br>
<br>
(*The second title and many of the ideas from this sermon are from a<br>
sermon published by the Rev. Bass Mitchell.)<br>
<br>
For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American<br>
wisdom statements are posted on our parish web site. The address is:<br>
<a href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.com" target="_blank">http://www.stpaulsepisag.com</a> .<br>
<br>
Blessed preaching.<br>
Judy Boli<br>
St. Paul's Episcopal Church<br>
Saginaw, Michigan<br>
<br>
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