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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 13, 2015 3:23 pm<br>
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 6B<br>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><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; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000">This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover” or “So When Did You Become God?” or “People judge others by what they look like, but God judges people by what is in their hearts.” and deals with The Old Testament lesson (1</font><sup><font color="#000000">st</font></sup><font color="#000000"> Samuel 15:34- 16:13) and the epistle (2</font><sup><font color="#000000">nd</font></sup><font color="#000000"> Corinthians 5:6-10, 14-7).</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: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000">This morning’s Old Testament Bible lesson is one of my all-time favorites- the one in which David is chosen by God to become king.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">You see, God was displeased with Israel’s first king- Saul and decided to replace him with David.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">God told the prophet Samuel that one of Jesse’s sons was going to be the new king- didn’t tell him which one, and therefore he should go to Jesse’s home-town of Bethlehem to anoint the new monarch.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">He was to do it under the guise of a sacrifice to the Lord.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Samuel told Jesse to have all of his sons at the celebration.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Samuel had each of Jesse’s sons pass in front of him so God could tell him which one to anoint.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">The oldest, Eliab, came first.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Holy Scripture says he was tall and handsome, so Samuel just knew God had chosen him, but Samuel’s guess was wrong.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">The Lord reminded Samuel of a truth we need to tattoo into our brain: “People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts” (1</font><sup><font color="#000000">st</font></sup><font color="#000000"> Samuel 16: 7b).</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Since Eliab wasn’t the one picked by God, Samuel had each of the other sons pass in front of him, but God did not choose any of them.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Samuel must have been frustrated, because he asked Jesse if perhaps he had any other sons.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">“Yes,” he admitted, but you wouldn’t be interested in him.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">He’s just a kid! He’s out watching the sheep.”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">“Bring him!” said Samuel.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Of course- this was David, God’s chosen.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">No one would have guessed, not even his father.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">We might have, because we know: “People judge others by what they look like, but God judges people by what is in their hearts.”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">St Paul reminds us of the same thing, but he carries it further.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">He says, “We are careful not to judge people by what they seem to be, though we once judged Christ in that way.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new” (2nd Corinthians 5: 16-17).</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><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">I see three lessons from these Bible selections: </font></span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">FIRST: God doesn’t care about your clothes, your style, your color, age, sexuality, size.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He cares about YOU, not the outward stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s how we must be as people come and go through our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The outward stuff absolutely doesn’t matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The inward center is what counts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">SECOND: So let’s look at the inward part: Ladies, it’s OK to get your nails done and go to the hairdresser.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gentlemen, it’s fine to tool around in a brand-new car if you can afford it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kids, go ahead and buy those fashionable sneakers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everybody- just don’t mistake quality on the outside for quality on the inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are your values Jesus ‘values or self-centered values?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>True beauty in God’s eyes centers around compassion- not judging, sharing- not being stingy, honesty- not sneakiness.</span></div>
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<li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">THIRD: Not only should we treat other people that way, we need to expect others to treat us that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never let someone destroy your God-given self-esteem because of the way you were created.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Let’s close with a lesson I learned the hard way about this Bible concept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quite some years ago, I was teaching 6<sup>th</sup> grade at Longstreet School (now closed, about four blocks away from church).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a really difficult class that year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that class was a young man who drove me crazy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His mother had died, his aunt was trying her best to raise him, and he was really difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In retrospect, he was suffering and let his anger out on his classmates, teacher, anyone around him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I worked with him and worked with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He ended up having a decent year, but I was pretty sure he didn’t have a chance at life, and that I’d be reading about him negatively in the newspaper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About twelve years passed, and someone in the office called me on the speaker to ask if I would see a visitor in my room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said, “Sure”- wondering who it would be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In walked this handsome man in his twenties wearing a navy officer’s uniform.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was my former student!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who would have guessed that he would have been a star diver on Saginaw High’s swim team, joined the navy, became a husband and father, and gotten his life together?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess I learned my lesson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If he could do it, anybody could do it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was the last student I pre-judged.</span></div>
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">So what do we want to remember for the week? “Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover” or “People judge others by what they look like, but God judges people by what is in their hearts” and so should we.</span></div>
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; mso-mirror-indents: yes; tab-stops: .25in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American wisdom statements are posted on our parish’s web site under “Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org/"><u><font color="#0000ff"></font></u></a><u><font color="#0000ff"><a href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org" target="_blank">http://www.stpaulsepisag.org</a></font></u> .</span></div>
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<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Blessed preaching,</span></div>
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Judy Boli</span></div>
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