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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.topic <propertalk.topic@ecunet.org><br>
Sent: Sat, Jun 14, 2014 4:19 pm<br>
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Trinity Sunda<br>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Dear Friends,</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000">This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Get Your Hands Off My Dirt!” and
deals with the Old Testament lesson (Genesis 1:1- 2:4a).</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Here it is:</font></font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000">Today
is Trinity Sunday, the day in the church year when we honor God- Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Since we heard the
story of creation from Genesis (1:1- 2:4a) as our Old Testament lesson, we’re
going to do that this morning by focusing on the mind-blowing creation that our
God has created and our responsibility in caring for it.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">So- you know I’m a retired schoolteacher-
test time: how are you doing in accepting that responsibility and caring for
God’s creation?</font></font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000">FIRST THE FACTS: did you notice when God created
humans, he gave us authority over the whole planet, especially the living
things?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Now, some people assume that
authority means we can do whatever we want with God’s beautiful creation.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">You can easily identify these kinds of
people- they throw litter out of their car windows, drop candy or gum wrappers
as they unwrap the goodies, spread pesticide over their yards without checking
the directions on the container.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">If they
own a factory, they pollute the air and increase the incidence of asthma, lung
cancer, and God-only knows what else.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">That’s not how God intends for us to exercise authority over his
Earth.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Think how God expects us to
exercise authority over the children he has loaned us.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">We are to exercise authority over the Earth
exactly as we exercise authority over our children.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">With our children- we love and nurture them,
keep them clean, watch over them, and provide for their every need.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">God expects us to care for his Earth, nurture
it, keep it clean, watch over it, and provide for its needs so it will be
healthy, fruitful, and beautiful for our children and grandchildren.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">How do we do this?</font></font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000">NOW TO DERIVE THE WISDOM FROM THE FACTS: Do you
know where to start to test yourself?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">Look at your yard.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Does it look
like you care about it, or is it full of junk, litter, overgrown grass, and
bare spots where flowers or grass should be growing?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">I can just hear you now- “It’s not my
lawn!</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">It’s not my back yard!</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">I rent, and I’m not doing anything for that
cheap landlord!”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Or- if you own your own
home, it’s easy to say- “This land is mine.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">I can do with it as I choose!”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">Wait a minute.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Did your landlord
create that front yard?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">If you own your
own home, did you create your back yard?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">I think not.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Your landlord
doesn’t own that land; you don’t own that land; God owns that land and we’re
the managers taking care of it for God.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">Can people look at your front yard, your back yard, the roads you
travel- and tell you love God by how carefully you care for his art work?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">If not, you’re flunking one of your spiritual
tests- so far.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">What to do?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">When you get home, take a hard look at where
you live, especially the outside area.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">What’s ugly?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Fix it.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Put some grass and flower seeds down, pick up
the junk, teach our children to care for God’s earth- starting with their own
yard.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">And for those of us who still have
a good back and a little bit of time- look around at your neighbors’
property.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Are any of your neighbors too
old or sickly to keep up with the yard work?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">Help them.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Do you see junk on the
sidewalk or in the parking lot?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Pick it
up.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">I know you didn’t throw it down, I
know people will look at you as if you’re crazy- but love God enough to take
care of his stuff, his creation.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span></font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000">Do you recall the story of the scientists who
challenged God to a person-making contest?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">One day a group of scientists got together and decided that human beings
had come a long way and no longer needed God. They picked one scientist to go
and tell God that they were done with Him. The scientist walked up to God and
said, “God, we've decided that we no longer need you. We're to the point that
we can clone people and do many miraculous things, so why don't you just go on
and get lost.” God listened patiently and kindly to the man and after the
scientist was done talking, God said, “Very well! How about this? Let's have a
man-making contest.”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">To which the man
replied, “OK, great!”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">But God added,
“Now we're going to do this just like I did back in the old days with Adam.”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">The scientist said, “Sure, no problem,” and
bent down and grabbed himself a handful of dirt.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">God just looked at him and said, “No, no, no!
Get your hands off my dirt!” It’s not your back yard; it’s not my front yard;
this beautiful planet doesn’t belong to us.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">It’s God’s world on loan to us.</font></font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000">ONCE AGAIN, FIRST THE FACTS: I’d like to call your
attention to one more way we flunk our spiritual test.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Look at the first lesson again, Genesis 1:
29-30 (p.4).</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">What did God give us to eat
when we were first created?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">(Take
answers.)</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Sure- plants- fruits, grain,
greens.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">At that time, did God give humans
permission to eat animals?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">No.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">After the fall, God expected Adam and Eve to
kill animals to cover their nakedness. Humankind was expected to sacrifice a
lamb or other animal so its blood could cover their sins. However, it was only
after the flood that we were given permission to take animal life for our own
food.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Relax- I’m not trying to turn us
all into vegetarians.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">If we want to, we
can all go home after church today and have our Fathers’ Day picnic and eat our
barbecue!</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">After all- we constantly heard
of Jesus eating fish and performing miracles with them; and many of his
disciples were fisherman.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">But there is a
message, a principle for us in this.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">The
Israelites respected all forms of life.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">Their practices were very much like those of the American Indians.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Any animal life they killed, especially
domesticated animals, was considered a sacrifice.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">The blood was drained (like orthodox Jews do
today and then mark the meat as “kosher”), and what they considered the best
part- the fat- was offered to God at the altar.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">That’s why we read in the Bible of a “sweet-smelling sacrifice”- a smell
like the outside of McDonalds or Kentucky Fried Chicken wafting up to God.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Only the rich gorged themselves day after day
on huge amounts of animal meat- and the prophets scorned them in God’s name as
being wasteful.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">The common people ate
meat sparingly- a little meat and a lot of fruits, vegetables, and grains.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">What amazes me is this- doctors have
discovered that is the healthiest way to eat- it’s the way our digestive tract
must have been designed by our Master Creator.</font></font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000">ONCE AGAIN, NOW TO DERIVE THE WISDOM FROM THE
FACTS: What about you?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Do you respect
all animal life like God taught the Israelites?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">Do you buy more meat than you can possible use and then let it spoil, or
do you give away what you cannot use?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Do
you gorge yourself day after day on meat?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">When your meal includes meat or fish, do you remember to thank God for
the animal life that was sacrificed so you can have health and energy
yourself?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">If you hunt or fish, do you
kill as quickly and painlessly as possible and then only kill what you can
eat?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Have you ever seen someone
purposely aim their car to hit a squirrel, a cat, or another of God’s
creatures?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">If so, do you speak up- even
if it costs you a friend or makes you look stupid in someone’s eyes?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Do you speak up against cruelty in all its
forms?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">If you own a pet, do you care for
it well even if doing so is inconvenient?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">Do you let your dog run wild to run in traffic and possibly attack children
or animals?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Do you speak up against dog
and rooster fights?</font></font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><font color="#000000">I
know you’re about to say- Rev. Judy, you’re expecting a lot.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">No, I’m not- GOD is expecting a lot.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Did you notice the thought for the week on
the back page of the bulletin…</font></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000">“People may
doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do” (Anonymous).</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">So don’t just talk about loving and honoring
God. Start today to grow a little more spiritually by obeying God.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Check out your yard.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Plant some flowers.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Pick up some paper.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Take care of all of God’s creatures.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">May God- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit bless
us all as we nourish and care for God’s beautiful planet Earth.</font></span></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; tab-stops: .25in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated
African-American wisdom statements are posted on our parish’s NEW WEB SITE
under “Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: </font><a target="_blank" href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org/"><u><font color="#0000ff" face="Times New Roman">http://www.stpaulsepisag.org</font></u></a><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> .</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Blessed preaching,</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Judy Boli</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">St. Paul's Episcopal Church</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Saginaw, Michigan</font></span></div>
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