<html><body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><div><br>Forwarded:<br><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><b>From:</b> "N. Lane" <<a href="mailto:nlane2@stny.rr.com">nlane2@stny.rr.com</a>><br><b>Date:</b> March 31, 2011 2:57:25 PM EDT<br><b>To:</b> "Joseph Parrish" <<a href="mailto:joeparrish@compuserve.com">joeparrish@compuserve.com</a>><br><b>Cc:</b> <<a href="mailto:sermons@clergy.net">sermons@clergy.net</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>Re: [Propertalk] Fwd: Sermon for April 3</b><br><br></div></blockquote><div></div><blockquote type="cite"><div>
<div><font size="2">This is primarily for the person who wrote the sermon
below:</font></div>
<div><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2">First, my credentials for my comments. I was born
disabled, taught Religion and disability in several seminaries and grad
schools, developed and published theological articles on spirituality and
disability, was a diocesan staff officer who spoke and lead workshops world
wide, teaching clergy and laity how to be welcoming and inclusive. Including the
importance of discarding stereotypes and victimizing theology for an
Incarnational Theology.</font></div>
<div><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2">Blindness and disability are not tragedies. They can and
do cause suffering but most of us <strong>live with</strong>, rather than
suffer from (_____disability). Disability can be caused by many things which are
not our sins (from accidents, drunk driving, addicted mothers and
abusive fathers, wars,disease, to doctors who can't leave a golf game for an
inconvenient delivery). </font></div>
<div><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2">John's story is about a man with faith to see and believe
in God's power to heal and transform lives. The Pharisees and
disciples are stuck in their learned "ism's of prejudice and stereotype so can't
or won't see how God is working in the man.</font></div>
<div><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2">I was invited to advise a new student who was born blind
at a small college. The campus was hilly and had several bridges over ravines.
But Sue had learned to find her way around campus and was doing well as a
student.</font></div>
<div><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2">The prayer group in her dorm decided to pray for her healing,
without her requesting or approving a need to be 'healed.' After several months
sight had not been given to Sue so the group declared her evil and sinful.I
came in at this point. As the object of numerous prayer groups for close to
40 years I understood the problem at once.</font></div>
<div><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2">Sue had faith in God and used it to get on with life in the
face of many obstacles, exclusion, and hurtful prejudice.</font></div>
<div>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-AUTOSPACE: ideograph-numeric; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; punctuation-wrap: hanging; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; LETTER-SPACING: 0pt; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><font face="Arial">The prayer group lacked faith to see God Incarnate in her, to see
that she had learned to successfully negotiate the campus, the cafeteria, and
the village. She lived with their prejudice and their pronouncement of evil
and guilt briefly but her faith enabled her to believe God did not call her to
endure this abuse and she transferred.</font></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-AUTOSPACE: ideograph-numeric; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; punctuation-wrap: hanging; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; LETTER-SPACING: 0pt; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><font face="Arial"></font></span> </p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-AUTOSPACE: ideograph-numeric; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; punctuation-wrap: hanging; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; LETTER-SPACING: 0pt; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><font face="Arial">I highly recommend <em>The Healing Homiletic</em> by Kathy Black and
<em>The Disabled God</em> by Nancy Eiseland.</font></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-AUTOSPACE: ideograph-numeric; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; punctuation-wrap: hanging; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; LETTER-SPACING: 0pt; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><font face="Arial"></font></span> </p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-AUTOSPACE: ideograph-numeric; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; punctuation-wrap: hanging; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; LETTER-SPACING: 0pt; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><font face="Arial">In peace, Nancy Lane</font></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-AUTOSPACE: ideograph-numeric; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; punctuation-wrap: hanging; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; LETTER-SPACING: 0pt; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">The
Rev. Nancy Lane, Ph.D., Solitary<br><a href="http://ahealingministry.com"><a href="http://ahealingministry.com">http://ahealingministry.com</a></a></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-AUTOSPACE: ideograph-numeric; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; punctuation-wrap: hanging; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; LETTER-SPACING: 0pt; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">“You
never know what form love will take, but you can trust that it is there, and you
can trust your desire for it…Seek the presence of love everywhere. Let
there be no dark corners.” ~Gerald G. May in The Awakened Heart~</span></p>
<p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><o:p><font size="2"></font></o:p> </p></div>
<blockquote style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><b>From:</b>
<a title="joeparrish@compuserve.com" href="mailto:joeparrish@compuserve.com">Joseph Parrish</a> </div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>To:</b> <a title="propertalk@stsams.org" href="mailto:propertalk@stsams.org"><a href="mailto:propertalk@stsams.org">propertalk@stsams.org</a></a> </div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Cc:</b> <a title="propertalk.topic@ecunet.org" href="mailto:propertalk.topic@ecunet.org"><a href="mailto:propertalk.topic@ecunet.org">propertalk.topic@ecunet.org</a></a> ; <a title="y@imr-ma04.mx.aol.com" href="mailto:y@imr-ma04.mx.aol.com">y</a> </div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, March 31, 2011 12:43
PM</div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Subject:</b> [Propertalk] Fwd: Sermon for
April 3</div>
<div><font size="2"></font><font size="2"></font><font size="2"></font><font size="2"></font><br></div>
<div><font size="2"></font><font size="2"></font><font size="2"></font><font size="2"></font><br><br><br> Begin forwarded
message:<br><br></div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div><b>From:</b> "<a href="http://Sermons.com"><a href="http://Sermons.com">Sermons.com</a></a>" <<a href="mailto:sermons@clergy.net"><a href="mailto:sermons@clergy.net">sermons@clergy.net</a></a>><br><b>Date:</b>
March 31, 2011 12:56:19 AM EDT<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:JoeParrish@COMPUSERVE.COM"></a><a href="mailto:JoeParrish@COMPUSERVE.COM"><a href="mailto:JoeParrish@COMPUSERVE.COM">JoeParrish@COMPUSERVE.COM</a></a><br><b>Subject:</b>
<b>Sermon for April 3</b><br><br></div></blockquote>
<div></div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div>
<p><span style="COLOR: black">Sermon for the Lent 4:</span> </p>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> John 9:1-41<span style="COLOR: black"> – <strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">“</span></strong></span><b>Why Did God Allow
That to Happen</b><strong><span style="COLOR: black; FONT-WEIGHT: normal">”
</span></strong><b> </b></div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="COLOR: black"> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="COLOR: black"><span style="COLOR: rgb(127,127,127); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.179688); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.113281); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.113281)" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="COLOR: black">John 9:1-41 the
sermon titled "</span>Why Did God Allow That to Happen?<span style="COLOR: black">"] </span></span></span></div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Tragedy can strike so quickly and
capriciously. While going about our every day lives, in a moment, in the
blink of an eye, the world can be changed. Look at Japan just a few weeks
ago. Look at Haiti just last year. As a nation we have been living
with the awful reality since 9-11. Thousands killed for no reason by
complete strangers, who assumed, somehow in their mind, they were doing some
good for this world. Think about the recent spate of shootings and the
effects of these acts on families and communities. Then there are
natural disasters: tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, tornadoes...If you have
avoided tragedy at this point in your life thank God that you have been
spared, but consider yourself lucky as well. Recognize it is only a matter
of time.</div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">For we all ask this question at one time or
another in one form or another: why did god allow that to happen? Most
of us know that God does not CAUSE tragedy. The Bible states clearly that
God does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men (Lamentations
3:33) .The greater problem for most believers is this: Why does God ALLOW
such awful things to happen?</div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Jesus' disciples asked our Lord this thorny
question 2000 years ago. They met a man one day who had been born blind. In
the first century, most people believed that all suffering was the result of
sin. So the disciples asked Jesus, "Who sinned in this case, this blind man
or his parents?"</div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">There was even one school of thought that
believed that a person could sin prior to birth, while still in the mother's
womb. Imagine that! "Tell us, Jesus," they begged, "why was this man born
blind?" Jesus did not respond with a neat, simple answer to the problem
of human suffering. And I am not going to serve you a simplistic batch of
biblical stew that will cause you to declare, "Aha, finally I have solved
the mystery of evil and suffering in this world."</div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">I am suspicious of anyone who talks too
glibly about this age-old mystery. I recall a humbling episode from a
British movie entitled, "Whistle in the Wind." A group of kids had
experienced the death of their pet kitten. They had prayed fervently that
the cat would get well, but instead it died. They couldn't understand this.
So, they went in search of the local vicar or pastor. They found him in a
teashop, taking a morning break, enjoying his tea and newspaper. They asked
him, "Why did God let our cat die?" The good pastor was not delighted to be
interrupted with the matter of a deceased cat. But out of duty he laid aside
his paper and launched into a long, complex, theological response to this
question. The children stood and listened intently. When he finished he
wished them well and went back to his newspaper. The children walked away
somewhat bewildered. One little boy, holding his older sister's hand, looked
up at her and said, "He doesn't know, does he?" How perceptive children can
be. Never in this world will we understand all the mystery surrounding
suffering. But with God's help we can gain some helpful insights. That is my
purpose this morning.</div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">1. Notice first that Jesus does not answer
the first question: Why was this man born blind?</div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">2. Notice second that he answers this
question: What good can this tragedy produce?</div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="COLOR: black">The rest of this
sermon following the outline above can be obtained by joining <a href="http://www.sermons.com/"><font color="#800080">www.Sermons.com</font></a>. </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><br></font></div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> <img border="0" src="http://mail.churchmail.com/lists/ut.php?u=8f4f3375684d8bb259d3dfbab6d5ebc7&m=582" width="1" height="1"></div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </div><br><br>
<div class="emailfooter">--<br><br></div></div></blockquote>
<p>
</p><hr>
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