<font color='black' size='4' face='Times New Roman, Times, serif'>Forwarded:<br>
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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, Oct 11, 2014 6:35 pm<br>
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 23A<br>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Dear Friends,</font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><font color="#000000">This Sunday’s sermon is
entitled “The Lord Is My Shepherd” and deals with the Psalm (Psalm 23).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></font><font color="#000000" size="3">Here it is:</font></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">We
have one of my very favorite Psalms- the 23</font><sup><font size="2">rd</font></sup></font><font color="#000000" size="3"> Psalm, in our Bible
readings today, and I’d like to look at it.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3">
</font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">This one passage of scripture has brought comfort and strength to
countless Christians through-out the centuries.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3">
</font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">It’s a good one to memorize, so you can repeat it to yourself in
stressful times.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">My mother had a picture
of Jesus, the Good Shepherd in a frame in our kitchen.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Over the years, it got stained with grease
from cooking and dust from the Detroit factories, but I can still remember that
picture.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Since we’re city folk, it’s
easy to miss subtleties of Jesus, the Good Shepherd image, but that shepherd
carrying the lost lamb over his shoulders made an impressive statement about
God’s love and care for us.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Let’s
examine the Psalm, verse by verse.</font></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><font color="#000000"><b>“The
Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></font></font><font color="#000000" size="3">We can count on God to supply all our needs (not wants or desires-
needs).</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">This does not mean that God will
take away the consequences of our sins.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3">
</font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">In other words, if we gamble away our food money, we can’t expect God to
provide us with more money.</font></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font face="Times New Roman"><b><font size="3"><font color="#000000">“He
maketh me to lie down in green pastures.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></font></font></b><font color="#000000" size="3">Sheep usually graze from early morning (around sunrise) until late
morning.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">After that, they need to lie
down and rest while they digest their food.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3">
</font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Our Good Shepherd also provides rest time for us by commanding us to
remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. </font></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font face="Times New Roman"><b><font size="3"><font color="#000000">“He
leadeth me beside the still waters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></font><font color="#000000" size="3">He
restoreth my soul”.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span></b><font color="#000000" size="3">Sheep will not
drink from fast-moving streams.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Perhaps
the water going up their nostrils frightens them, since sheep frighten very
easily.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Fast-flowing streams also pose a
threat to sheep because if they lose their footing and fall in, their heavy
coats usually become saturated with water and they drown.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Often the shepherd will make a cup with his
hands so the sheep can drink from it.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3">
</font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Our Good Shepherd provides holy food and drink (his Body and Blood) to
give us the strength to continue.</font></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><font color="#000000"><b>“He
leadeth me in paths of righteousness for his Name’s sake.”</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></font><font color="#000000" size="3">Sheep know the voice of their shepherd and
they follow when he or she calls.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">One of
my Internet friends visited the Holy Land and told of her experience while in
Israel regarding sheep and shepherds.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3">
</font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Passing by a field with many sheep while touring, she noticed that many
of the sheep had different colored paint marks on their sides.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">She asked the tour guide what the colors
meant.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">“Oh, those sheep don't belong to
the shepherd.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">He's just a hired hand,”
responded the guide.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">“How can you tell?”
asked the tourist.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">“What do the colors
painted on have to do with that?” “A real shepherd (one who owns the sheep)
knows his sheep and they know him,” said the guide.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">“These sheep have paint markings because a
hired hand is watching several different flocks for the shepherds and the hired
hand never gets to know any of them.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">He
has to have the paint to tell them apart.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3">
</font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">A real shepherd just knows and calls.”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3">
</font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">In John (10:27-28), Jesus says: “My sheep know my voice, and I know
them. They follow me, and I give them eternal life, so that they will never be
lost.”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Sheep don’t get in trouble or
danger because they know the voice of their shepherd and follow him.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">What about us?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Do we know the voice of the Good Shepherd
because we pray and listen daily or do we just go with whoever speaks the
loudest or most convincingly?</font></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font face="Times New Roman"><b><font size="3"><font color="#000000">“Yea,
though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;
for thou art with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></font><font color="#000000" size="3">Thy rod and thy
staff, they comfort me.”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span></b><font color="#000000" size="3">There is an
actual valley of the shadow of death in the Holy Land.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">It has an extremely narrow path for the sheep
to use.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">In fact, in one spot the
shepherd makes the sheep jump across a gully that is about </font><font color="#000000" size="3">18 inches</font><font color="#000000" size="3"> wide.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Wild dogs and other wild predators often wait
for a sheep or lamb to fall into the gully.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3">
</font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">When this happens, the shepherd uses his rod to beat back the attack
while he uses his staff to hook the sheep or lamb and bring it up to
safety.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">God does the same for us.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">In those difficult times in our lives, in the
time of our death- we can count on God to protect us and reach out to bring us
safely to him. </font></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font face="Times New Roman"><b><font size="3"><font color="#000000">“Thou
preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></font></b><font color="#000000" size="3">Each morning before the shepherd lets the
sheep out to graze, he inspects the pasture.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3">
</font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">He clears it of poisonous weeds and snakes.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">He also fills in all the holes that might
catch a sheep’s leg and cause injury.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">In
the same way, our heavenly Shepherd looks over our coming day to be sure there
is nothing that we can’t handle in his Name.</font></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font face="Times New Roman"><b><font size="3"><font color="#000000">“Thou
anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></font></b><font color="#000000" size="3">When the sheep come into the pen for the
night, the shepherd inspects each one carefully for cuts and insects.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">He applies healing oil to cleanse and begin
the healing process for wounds.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">In the
same way- when we say our bedtime prayers, our Heavenly Shepherd cleanses our
souls and heals the wounds of the day.</font></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font face="Times New Roman"><b><font size="3"><font color="#000000">“Surely
goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in
the house of the Lord forever.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></font></b><font color="#000000" size="3">This
promise is a gift from the Lamb of God who redeemed us on Calvary.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">I’m going to repeat a story I’ve told
numerous times of how the blood of one lamb saves another, and how the Blood of
our Passover Lamb saves us.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">This true
story offers the best example I’ve ever heard of how Jesus, the Lamb of God,
saves us from our sins.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Remember how-
just before we receive Holy Communion- I bread the Holy Bread and say, “Christ,
our Passover, is sacrificed for us.”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3">
</font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Jesus has become the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Have you ever heard of Jeff Smith, also known
as the Frugal Gourmet?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">(He used to be on
TV years ago.)</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Anyway, in his book
called </font><i><font color="#000000" size="3">The Frugal Gourmet Keeps the Feast</font></i><font color="#000000" size="3">, he tells about a conversation
he had with a shepherd from the Middle East.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3">
</font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">He learned that very often during lambing season, the shepherd would awaken
to find a dead mother sheep with a live baby lamb and another live mother sheep
with a dead baby lamb.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">The mother sheep
whose lamb has died has milk ready to feed a hungry lamb, but no babies.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">The lamb whose mother sheep has died is
starving for lack of milk.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Easily
solved, you think.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Just let the orphan
lamb suckle from the childless mother sheep.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3">
</font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Great idea, but it won’t work; because the mother sheep knows the orphan
lamb doesn’t smell like her baby.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Do you
know how the shepherd solves the problem?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3">
</font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">He drains the blood from the body of the dead lamb and washes the live
orphan lamb with that blood.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Now the
orphan lamb smells like one of her own, and the mother sheep will adopt the
orphan and feed it.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">That’s what God did
with us- washed us in the Blood of his Lamb- Jesus, the Christ, so we could be
adopted as sons and daughters of God and freed from our sins.</font></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><font color="#000000">So,
where are you in all of this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></font><font color="#000000" size="3">Have you
accepted Jesus as your Good Shepherd?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">If
not, just invite him into your life right now and then seal it at the altar as
you come up for Communion?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Do you follow
him daily, or do you just expect him to rescue you every time you get yourself
in trouble?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Do you spend enough quiet
time with our Lord so you recognize his voice, or do you keep busy, busy, busy
with the radio blaring, the TV on, or the stereo blasting away?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Finally, is Jesus not only your Good
Shepherd, but your MODEL Shepherd?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Do
you just happily accept God’s blessings, keeping them to yourself; or do you
reach out and touch?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">May God bless us as
we follow our Good Shepherd.</font></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; tab-stops: .25in;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">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" size="3">http://www.stpaulsepisag.org</font></u></a><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
.</font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Blessed preaching,</font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Judy Boli</font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">St. Paul's Episcopal
Church</font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Saginaw, Michigan</font></div>
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