<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></head><body ><div>Forwarded;</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div style="font-size:75%;color:#575757">From my Android phone on T-Mobile. The first nationwide 4G network.</div></div> <br><br><br>-------- Original message --------<br>From: Judy <judy_boli@ecunet.org> <br>Date: <br>To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic@ecunet.org> <br>Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Epiphany 3C <br> <br><br>Dear Friends,<br><br>This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Jesus’ First Sermon” or “Jubilee”<br>and deals with the epistle (1st Corinthians 12: 1-11) and the gospel<br>(Luke 4: 14-21). Here it is:<br><br>I remember the first sermon I ever preached here at St. Paul’s. It<br>was some 30 years ago, and it started: “Today is Theological Education<br>Sunday here at St. Paul’s.” I don’t need to tell you that a few more<br>sentences into the sermon, most of the congregation was looking out of<br>the window or gazing at me with sleepy, half-closed eyes- not a great<br>start as a preacher! Well, we just heard Jesus first sermon, and it<br>almost got him thrown off a cliff! He read from the prophet Isaiah,<br>and basically said- “Jubilee is starting NOW in your hearing!” Why<br>didn’t those ancient people want Jubilee to start? Because they had<br>too much to lose. Near the beginning of their walk with God as his<br>chosen people, God told the Israelites that every 50th year was to be<br>a Jubilee year to remind them that everything on this planet belongs<br>to him, not us. Therefore, in the Jubilee year- slaves would be freed<br>and all property would be returned to the original owner, thus<br>establishing a second chance for everyone who had messed up to fix up-<br>all over the land. Now we hear Jesus saying that he came to proclaim<br>the great news that prisoners could claim their freedom (do you know<br>anyone enslaved to anything?), the blind could finally open their eyes<br>and see (do you know anyone who is blinded by something?), those who<br>suffer have healing offered to them (know any sufferers?), and those<br>who need a second chance- here it is. If you wonder about this, go<br>back and read Leviticus 25 and Isaiah 42.<br><br>What are the implications of this for us, if we are going to be true<br>to our Lord? When Jesus ascended back to heaven, he left us with the<br>responsibility of completing his mission- bringing all people to him<br>for salvation and a fresh, new start at real life through him. That’s<br>not just US, that’s specifically YOU! I can imagine you thinking-<br>“Not me- I don’t have any talents!” If you’re even beginning to think<br>this, remember the basic teaching of the epistle (1st Corinthians<br>12:12-27): we are all part of the Body of Christ, and every single one<br>of us has needed talents to share with the church to bring people to<br>wholeness and new life in Jesus. If you find yourself thinking- “She<br>can’t mean me! I’m too sinful,” check out our Old Testament lesson<br>(Nehemiah 8: 1-10). Its basic teaching is- NO ONE is too sinful to be<br>used by God. It’s not where you’ve been that’s important; it’s where<br>you’re going that counts. We truly are the Body of Christ. Our<br>hands, feet, mouths, bodies, lives do the Jesus ministry. It is<br>entrusted to us. If we don’t do it, it simply won’t get done.<br><br>What are we to do? The letters in the holy name of Jesus remind us of<br>some of the basics:<br><br>“J” reminds us we are to continue Jesus’ work of establishing Jubilee-<br>in other words: justice, peace, and a second chance for all God’s<br>people.<br><br>“E” reminds us to evangelize- spread the Word, baptize, and teach.<br>Remember, in Matthew 28 Jesus reminded us to go to all nations<br>baptizing and teaching.<br><br>“S” is for “strength”- the power, courage, and endurance Jesus offers<br>through daily reading of His Word, prayer, fellowship, and weekly Holy<br>Communion.<br><br>“US” reminds us that God expects us to be in this together as a team.<br>The disciples knew Jesus expected them to stick together, which is why<br>they were all back in that upper room at Pentecost. One person can’t<br>be the “Body of Christ.” Read 1st Corinthians 12, and you’ll se we’re<br>all expected to be the “Body of Christ” together. I’m going to close<br>with a story illustrating why we must stick together. Do you remember<br>the story about the mouse and the other animals? Well- the mouse<br>overheard the farmer tell his wife that he was installing a brand new,<br>foolproof mousetrap. The mouse was so upset that he went running to<br>the barnyard to get help from the other animals. When he told the<br>hen, he got no sympathy whatsoever! “Don’t bother me, mouse- that’s<br>your problem; not mine” was the reply. So he told the pig and got the<br>same reply- “Don’t bother me- not my problem.” He even told the cow;<br>again with the same reply- “Don’t bother me- not my problem.” That<br>night as the mouse was sleeping, he heard the mousetrap snap. A<br>poisonous snake had gotten his tail caught in the trap. When the<br>farmer’s wife went to see what had happened, the snake drew back and<br>bit her. Instantly, she started to feel very sick, so she called her<br>husband. Now the husband didn’t know anything about medicine, but he<br>knew that chicken soup cures anything; so he went to the barn, killed<br>the chicken (remember- it wasn’t her problem), and made some chicken<br>soup. Problem- his wife got sicker. He called the doctor who said he<br>would come if he could be paid in bacon, so he butchered the pig<br>(remember- it wasn’t his problem) and paid the doctor in bacon.<br>Finally, his wife died. He needed food for the many people who<br>visited to comfort him, so he killed the cow (remember- it wasn’t her<br>problem) and started up the grill so everyone could have steak. The<br>moral of this story- we’re all in this together.May God bless us all<br>as we work together to become the Body of Christ here on this corner<br>and establish Jubilee in every sphere of our lives.<br><br>For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American<br>wisdom statements either is or will be posted on our parish web site.<br>The address is: http://www.stpaulsepisag.com .<br><br>Blessed preaching,<br>Judy Boli<br>St. Paul's Episcopal Church<br>Saginaw, Michigan<br></body>