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<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Sermons for Proper 27 and Looking Ahead to Thanksgiving</span> </span></span></div>
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<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Matthew 25:1-13<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>–<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>“The Tragedy of the Unprepared Life”</strong></span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 –<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>“</strong><b>Odd Ducks in a Rubber-Ducky World<strong>”</strong></b></span></span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt"></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 18pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">For Thanksgiving - </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Luke 17:11-19 – <b>“Those Amazing Two Words”</b></span></span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Matthew 25</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">,</font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> the sermon title “The Tragedy of the Unprepared Life”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">There's a true story that comes from the sinking of the Titanic. A frightened woman found her place in a lifeboat that was about to be lowered into the raging North Atlantic. She suddenly thought of something she needed, so she asked permission to return to her stateroom before they cast off. She was granted three minutes or they would leave without her.<br>
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She ran across the deck that was already slanted at a dangerous angle. She raced through the gambling room with all the money that had rolled to one side, ankle deep. She came to her stateroom and quickly pushed a side her diamond rings and expensive bracelets and necklaces as she reached to the shelf above her bed and grabbed three small oranges. She quickly found her way back to the lifeboat and got in.<br>
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Now that seems incredible because thirty minutes earlier she would not have chosen a crate of oranges over the smallest diamond. But death had boarded the Titanic. One blast of its awful breath had transformed all values. Instantaneously, priceless things had become worthless. Worthless things had become priceless. And in that moment she preferred three small oranges to a crate of diamonds.<br>
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There are events in life, which have the power to transform the way we look at the world. Jesus' parable about the ten virgins offers one of these types of events, for the parable is about the Second Coming of Christ. But Jesus doesn't come right out and say this. Rather, he lets the story describe it for him. The woman on the sinking Titanic understood, in the light of her current circumstances, that she must make preparations for living on a lifeboat. Diamonds would not suffice, only the precious resources of an orange were good enough. Likewise, in this world where Christ may return at any moment, the parable warns, we must be ready…</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></div>
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<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The rest of this sermon can be obtained by joining Sermons.com at </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><a target="_blank" href="http://mail.churchmail.com/lists/lt.php?id=Kk8GBwMACgdSDgJJAQcDDE5QW1YECA%3D%3D"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">http://www.sermons.com/signup </span></span></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span></div>
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<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">___________________________</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div>
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<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">1 Thessalonians 4, the sermon titled “Odd Ducks in a Rubber-Ducky World” </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Every year the National Audubon Society sponsors several regional and national “bird count” days. The next big event is scheduled for December 14. It’s the famous “Christmas Bird Count.” On these “bird count” days both professional ornithologists and back yard bird watchers intentionally observe, count, and identify the birds they see in their locale. Though not strictly a “scientific” survey, these “what’s-in-my-back-yard” observations help scientists to get a general idea of what is happening with various bird populations. The shifts in population numbers, and the sightings of, or absence of, various species gives researchers an early “heads up” about the dynamics in bird populations and the possible environmental issues that might be
affecting their success or stressing their survival. </span></span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Bird-watchers, like “computer nerds,” used to be among the most maligned, the most targeted and teased, in the world of scientific research. Stereotyped as gawky social clods wearing ugly shorts, pith helmets, and peering through giant binoculars, serious bird watchers were the ultimate odd ones out. Until. </span></span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Until a bird watcher named Rachael Carson wrote an expose of an environmental disaster that was threatening our entire ecosystem. “Silent Spring,” published in 1962, revealed the extent to which the unregulated use of chemical pesticides was toxic to the ecosystem, decimating whole populations of wildlife, impacting air and water quality, and directly related to the rise in illnesses linked to chemical exposures in human populations. Since birds variously live in the air, water, and land, and their diets vary from eating insects, fruits, seeds, berries, worms and grubs, they were the perfect target populations to keep an eye on in order to keep track of these environmental threats…</span></span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"></span></div>
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<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The rest of this sermon can be obtained by joining Sermons.com at </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><a target="_blank" href="http://mail.churchmail.com/lists/lt.php?id=Kk8GBwMACgdSDgJJAQcDDE5QW1YECA%3D%3D"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">http://www.sermons.com/signup </span></span></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span></div>
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<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">___________________________</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div>
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<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Luke 17</span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">,</font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> the sermon titled “Those Amazing Two Words” </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Pastor Doug Henry tells about a television commercial from Citibank. The bank wanted to say “thank you” to their customers for using their credit cards, so they were starting a rewards program whereby you could earn cash back just for using their card. </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;font-family:"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">One of the commercials involved two ladies in a grocery store. One lady put her hand on the stomach of the other and asked her when her baby was due. The woman looks at her and says, “I’m not pregnant.” Oops! Not knowing what else to say, the woman replies, “Thank you.” </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;font-family:"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">With this simple reply, “Thank you,” the offended woman forgets the insulting words that were just uttered, and the two ladies embrace. Citibank then flashed their slogan across the screen that states, “It’s amazing what a simple thank you can do.” </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;font-family:"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Well, it is amazing what a simple thank you can do. And who isn’t disappointed when you do something for someone else, and they forget to speak those two words?</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;font-family:"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">It happened to Jesus at least once that we know of. He was on his way to </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;font-family:"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Jerusalem</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">. He was traveling along the border between </span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Samaria</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> and </span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Galilee</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">. As he was going into a village, ten men with leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">When he saw them, Jesus said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed from the leprosy. One of them, a Samaritan, seeing that he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to this grateful Samaritan, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;font-family:"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">“Where are the other nine?” That’s a question that has been asked by pastors and Sunday school teachers for 2,000 years…</span></span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Many additional illustrations, sermons, commentary, and worship aids for this Sunday, Thanksgiving, the Advent Season and for each week of the year can be accessed at <a href="http://www.Sermons.com" target="_blank">www.Sermons.com</a>. </span></span></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"></span></div>
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