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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, Aug 9, 2014 5:28 pm<br>
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 14A<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: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000">This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Peter Walks on Water” or “Any Storms
Out Your Way?” and deals with the Gospel (Matthew 14:22-33).</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; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><font color="#000000">The year I graduated from Wayne State
University (1959), I got a summer job teaching swimming at Interlochen Summer
Arts Camp.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">We stood in Lake Michigan
much of the day and taught.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">By the end
of each day, I was a cold, exhausted, mess.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">That must have been how the disciples felt during that storm we heard
about in today’s gospel,</font></span></font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000">Bringing us all up-to-date
on the episodes we’ve heard so far from the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus heard
of the execution (beheading) of his second cousin John the Baptist, he tried to
find a quiet place were he could grieve and pray.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Last week, we heard how people in the
surrounding area found him, so he had compassion on them, taught, and healed
the sick. When it was too late to send them home hungry, he fed 5,000 men plus
women and children with only five loaves and two fish, then collected twelve
baskets full of leftovers.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Today’s
gospel picks up as Jesus sends his disciples ahead of him across the </font><font color="#000000">Sea of Galilee</font><font color="#000000"> so he can finally get some quiet time with
God.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Now, the </font><font color="#000000">Sea
of Galilee</font><font color="#000000"> is only seven miles wide and fourteen miles long, but
it is 150 feet deep in some places and vicious storms come up often without
warning.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">That’s a lot of water to deal
with, especially in the middle of a storm, and that’s what happened.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">The disciples struggled all night against the
wind and waves just trying to keep their boat afloat, and in the early morning
(between three and six A.M.) they saw something.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">They saw Jesus walking on the water toward
them, but they thought it was a ghost.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">We
heard the rest of the story.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Jesus reassured
them as he walked toward them on the water that he was no ghost.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Peter responded, “Lord, if it’s really you,
tell me to come to you on the water.”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">Jesus replied, “Come on.”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Peter
was fine at first, but then he lost focus.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">As he experienced the strength of the wind and the ferocity of the
waves, he began to sink.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">“Lord, save
me!” Peter shouted.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Right away, Jesus
reached out his hand, grabbed Peter, and helped him into the boat.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">At once, the wind died down, the waves
quieted, and the disciples in the boat worshipped Jesus.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">That’s what happened.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Now, what’s it to you?</font></font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000">What’s true about the </font><font color="#000000">Sea of Galilee</font><font color="#000000"> is also true of our lives.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Ferocious storms come up, sometimes totally
unexpectedly; and just as wind and waves can swamp a small fishing boat- life’s
difficulties can swamp our lives.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">We
can’t control the storms, but we can control our response to them.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Today’s gospel has four thoughts for doing
just that.</font></font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Times New Roman"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><font color="#000000">Learn from Jesus.</font></span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Be prepared- even Jesus prayed
and spent time alone with God.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">If Jesus
needed to pray consistently, what about us?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">Martin Luther said that the busier his day, the more important that he
start it with prayer.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">The Rev. Dr. Tony
Evans (Urban Alternatives out of </font><font color="#000000">California</font><font color="#000000">)
reminds us, “When you consider the power of prayer, it is no wonder Satan works
overtime to keep us off our knees.”</font></span></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Times New Roman"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><font color="#000000">Learn from Peter.</font></span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Risk for the Lord.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Did you notice the thought for the week?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not
what ships are built for.” (John Shedd)</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Don’t
take the easy way.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Live God’s way.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Do the right thing.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Be a person of justice.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Speak up for the Lord.</font></span></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Times New Roman"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><font color="#000000">Learn from the disciples.</font></span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Know the
enemy.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">The disciples knew the sea, and
at this point in their lives, the sea was their enemy.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Actually, for thousands of years in many
cultures, the seas symbolized chaos, forces opposed to God.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Those same forces of chaos and evil aim to
destroy us.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">They are the devil’s
tools.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">An old fable tells us about
them.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Once upon a time, the devil decided
to go out of business.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">And he thought it
wise to offer all his tools for sale.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">So
he held an auction.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">At the auction, each
tool was described and then sold to the highest bidder.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">The tools which were sold that day were
malice, hatred, envy, jealousy, deceit, and so forth.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">The tool receiving the highest bid was “discouragement.”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">When asked why that went for the highest
price, the devil replied,” Discouragement is the most useful tool in the entire
world.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">If I can get a person in a
discouraged, defeatist mood, I can do anything with that person, for faith is
quickly lost.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">And without faith, courage
loses its focus and motivation.”</font></span></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Times New Roman"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><font color="#000000">Finally, once again, learn from Peter:</font></span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><font color="#000000"> No matter what, stay
focused on Jesus.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Remember, Peter was
doing fine until he lost his focus and started noticing the fierceness of the
storm.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">This principle is easiest to see
in sports.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">How many games have been lost
when good players lost their focus and got distracted?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Whatever storms we face, God is in
charge.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Jesus triumphs over chaos and
evil by walking all over it and proclaiming to the frightened disciples: “Don’t
worry.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">I AM Jesus.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Don’t be afraid”(Matthew </font><font color="#000000">14:27</font><font color="#000000">).</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">In the Bible, “I AM” is the name God calls himself.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">No matter what you’re going through, God is
in charge.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">We know a song about this- we
sang it last Sunday.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Let’s sing it again:
“Be not afraid, for God is in charge.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Be
not afraid, for God is in charge.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Be not
afraid, for God is in charge.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">I now
release, let go, and know that God is in charge.”</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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