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<div style="font-family:arial,helvetica;font-size:10pt;color:black">-----Original Message-----<br>
From: Judith Boli <judy_boli@ecunet.org><br>
To: propertalk.topic <propertalk.topic@ecunet.org><br>
Sent: Sun, Nov 30, 2014 12:16 am<br>
Subject: Re: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Advent 1A<br>
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<div dir="ltr">Sorry friends- it's Advent 1B!!!</div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Sun, Nov 30, 2014 at 12:13 AM, Judy <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:judy_boli@ecunet.org">judy_boli@ecunet.org</a>></span> wrote:<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 “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like
ChristMass!” or “First Things- First” and deals with Advent.</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Here it is: </font></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">Happy New Year!</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Today is the first Sunday in the four week
season of Advent; and with it we begin a new church year.</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">You notice, the color is purple (blue is also
used) for contemplation.</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Advent
(“adventus” in Latin) means “coming,” and our focus for these four weeks is
getting ready for the coming of Jesus.</font><span><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">The focus of the first week is “peace,” the second week is “hope,” the
third week is “joy,” and the fourth week is “love.”</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">You will notice that some churches
interchange “peace” and “hope.” </font></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">Speaking of comings-
actually, there are two comings associated with our Lord- his first (in </font><font color="#000000">Bethlehem</font><font color="#000000"> many years ago
and in our own lives when we accept him as our Lord and Savior) and his second
(which we heard about in today’s gospel and also in our own lives when we die
and he comes for us personally).</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">We hear
a lot of TV sermons about the second coming, but Jesus himself said that the
details, especially the “when,” are none of our business.</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">In fact, as you recall from the sermon two
weeks ago, it’s as if God says to us: “MYOB.</font><span><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">Jesus is the way, truth, and life- so live your life to the fullest,
remembering that you may die at any time.</font><span><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">Your next minute may be on this planet or in eternity.”</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">With that in mind, let’s focus on the first
coming and how to get ready.</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">The prophet
Jeremiah (33:14-16) promised in God’s name that the Messiah was coming- a King
who would establish justice.</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">That
promise was fulfilled when Jesus was born in </font><font color="#000000">Bethlehem</font><font color="#000000">.</font><span><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">As you know, it’s his birthday we’re getting ready to celebrate on
December 25th, but if you wander through the mall or watch the TV commercials-
you’d never guess!</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Did you see the TV
news clips on the day after Thanksgiving? I saw people grabbing, pushing, and
stampeding to get the exact sale item they wanted as a gift- all in honor of
the Prince of Peace!</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Shoppers pepper-spray
other shoppers to get what they want, and then call it “competitive shopping!”
There are numerous parking lot robberies and people shot!</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">I can’t believe it!</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Did you hear about the little boy who went
shopping with his mother, ate, and was put to bed so his mother could wrap the
presents.</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">She heard noises in his
bedroom and thought she’d better check.</font><span><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">When she put her ear to the door, she heard him asking God in his prayers,
“Hey, God- is this what you had in mind when you invented ChristMass?”</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Good question!</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Along the same line- a little girl was barely
surviving the Christmas jitters.</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">She
knew Santa wrote down who was naughty and who was nice, and she was afraid she
was on the wrong list.</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">You see- she and
her mother had had a hard day!</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Her
mother made the mistake of taking her into a toy story to purchase a present
for her little sister, but everything she saw was a “gimme.”</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">The little girl ended screaming and kicking
on the floor of the store in a full-blown temper tantrum.</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Her mother picked her up, strapped her in her
car seat, drove her home, fed her as quickly as possible, and put her to bed.</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Out from the room came a sorry little voice-
“Mother, are you too mad at me to listen to my bedtime prayers tonight?”</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Back came the mother to hear her daughter
pray, “Forgive us our Christmases as we forgive those who Christmas against
us.”</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Been there- done that!</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">I remember Christmases past in which I was so
frantic to get ready that I forgot who I was getting ready for.</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">What about you?</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Money worries, shop-til-you-drop, run up the
credit card (or cards), cook, clean, yell at the kids (or grand-kids), cards,
parties, pig-outs, toys to assemble, decorate, put up the tree- the list seems
endless until you’re an exhausted nervous wreck on ChristMass Eve.</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">You force yourself to church (or skip it entirely-
telling yourself you’ll make it next year) and Jesus’ birthday is the last
thing on your mind.</font></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">Let’s do it differently
this year.</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Let’s use these four weeks of
Advent to center ourselves and really get ready for the one who is coming at
ChristMass- the one with the birthday.</font><span><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">But how?</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Put God in charge!</font></font></span></div>
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</font><li style="line-height:normal;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal"><b><span style="font-size:11pt">Remember, this is the birthday of the Prince of
Peace, therefore- put God in charge of your choices and attitudes.</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt"><span> </span>Let’s
honor him- not just with our lips and ChristMass carols, but in our lives
by our behavior.<span> </span>There’s no greater
gift we could give Jesus than to be his peacemaker in our little part of
the planet.<span> </span>Speaking of gifts- what
a terrible sacrilege it would be for us to buy violent videos or games or
music as gifts celebrating his birthday.</span></li><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><li style="line-height:normal;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal"><b><span style="font-size:11pt">Put God in charge of your money.</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt"><span> </span>God
doesn’t want you afraid to answer the telephone because creditors are
calling at all hours of the day and night.<span>
</span>Live within your means.<span>
</span>Don’t buy anything you can’t afford.<span> </span>Don’t buy anything on a credit card that
you won’t be able to pay for on the next billing.</span></li><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><li style="line-height:normal;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal"><b><span style="font-size:11pt">Put God in charge of the gifts you buy or make.</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt"><span> </span>Gifts
don’t have to be expensive or numerous.<span>
</span>Did you notice the thought for the week- “I’ve never seen a hearse
with a U-Haul behind it!” (Anonymous). A gift from the heart means much
more than an expensive gift bought at the last minute because you “had to
get something.”<span> </span>The best present I
ever got was a hand-made card from one of my children telling me how much they
loved and appreciated me.<span> </span>Don’t buy
cheap stuff from the street.<span> </span>Your
purchase encourages others to sin- remember “Thou shalt not steal.”<span> </span>(Yes- all the way back from the book of
Genesis- we are our brother’s and sister’s keepers.)</span></li><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><li style="line-height:normal;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal"><b><span style="font-size:11pt">Finally, put God in charge of your time.</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt"><span> </span>Do you recall
the episode when Jesus went to the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha?<span> </span>Remember how Mary sat at Jesus’ feet
learning from him while Martha worked away in the kitchen.<span> </span>Finally Martha couldn’t stand it any
longer and came storming out to Jesus.<span>
</span>“Master,” she said, “make my sister help me in the kitchen!”<span> </span>Jesus responded, “Martha, Martha- just
one dish was needed.<span> </span>Mary has
chosen the best thing and it won’t be taken from her.”<span> </span>Choose Jesus, not busyness.<span> </span>How?<span>
</span>Maintain your focus- whose birthday is it anyway?<span> </span>Don’t miss church one Sunday this
Advent.<span> </span>Don’t neglect your prayer
life.<span> </span>The busier you are, the more you
need to start your day with the Lord.<span>
</span>If you love to read and got one of our Advent devotional books,
read it daily.<span> </span>If you get too busy-
that’s a symptom your priorities need to be realigned.<span> </span>Get your ChristMass preparations focused
on Jesus before things get out of hand.<span>
</span>Start ChristMass preparations early and pace.<span> </span>If you’re running short of time-
prioritize and eliminate what isn’t absolutely needed.<span> </span>There’s a good chance no one will even
notice.<span> </span>In terms of cooking,
cleaning, and decorating- keep it simple.<span>
</span>Most of all- don’t miss the Christ Mass on ChristMass Eve, December
24th, at <u></u>8 PM-<u></u> that’s
what it’s all about.</span></li><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
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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">I’m going to close with a true
story from one of my internet friends who is a Roman Catholic priest.</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">I’ve told it every Advent since I read it.</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">He heard it on the radio and shared it with
his friends. </font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">There was a woman who was
out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at
row after row of toys and everything else imaginable and hearing both her
children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she and the kids
finally made it to the elevator.</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">She was
feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season- overwhelming
pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food
and treats, buy that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list,
making sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, etc.</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Finally the elevator doors opened and there
was already a crowd in the car. She pushed her way in and dragged her two kids
in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn't take
it anymore and stated, “Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be
found, strung up, and shot.”</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">From the
back of the car, everyone heard a quiet calm voice respond, “Don't worry lady,
we already crucified him.”</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">For the rest
of the trip down the elevator, it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.</font></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">So- what is Christmas for
you really- the gimmee, party, pig-out, decorating time or is it Jesus’
birthday?</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">The truth is not shown by what
you say, but what you do- your priorities. </font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">“First Things- First.”</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">I hope the Crucified Christ-child is really first
for you!</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">My prayer for us is that we not
crucify Jesus again with our choices this ChristMass.</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">May we not argue or complain.</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">May we not fight or say cruel things to
someone acting as if they’re our enemy.</font><span><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">May we not spend more than we can afford or encourage our children to be
greedy.</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">May we not get so frantically
worried or rushed that we don’t take time for Jesus.</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">My prayer for us is that we make our
preparations joyful and remember ChristMass is Jesus’ birthday and Jesus is the
reason for the season.</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Amen.</font><span><font color="#000000"> </font></span></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">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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