<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></head><body ><div>Forwarded:</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div style="font-size:8px;color:#575757">From my Android phone on T-Mobile. The first nationwide 4G network.</div></div><br><br>-------- Original message --------<br>From: Judy <judy_boli@ecunet.org> <br>Date:11/14/2015 3:21 PM (GMT-05:00) <br>To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic@ecunet.org> <br>Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 28B <br><br><div dir="ltr"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Dear
Friends,</font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000" size="3">This
Sunday’s sermon is entitled “He’s an On Time God” (Dottie Peoples) or “Watch
Those Question Marks!” or “MYOB” and deals with all the lessons.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Here it is:</font></font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000" size="3">Did you hear the story
of the little three-year-old girl whose mother delivered her baby in the car on
the way to the hospital?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">The ambulance
arrived just in time for the birth, and the paramedic swatted the newborn on his
bottom to help get his breathing strong.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3">
</font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">When the excitement was over, the paramedic asked the wide-eyed little
girl what she thought about what she had just witnessed.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">“Mister, don’t worry about spanking him,” she
said.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">“My daddy won’t mind.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">He shouldn’t have crawled in there in the
first place!”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">In a much earlier time and
in another place- Israel- we heard about a woman who would have envied that lady
who had just given birth; and that woman’s name was Hannah.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">As you recall, Elkanah had two wives (as was
the custom in those ancient times)- Peninnah and Hannah.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Peninnah had many children, but Hannah was
childless.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">The people of Israel thought
being childless was a curse from God, so you can imagine how awful Hannah
felt.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">As we heard, Elkanah loved Hannah
more than Peninnah, so Peninnah teased Hannah about her childlessness every
chance she had.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Hannah prayed and cried
and waited and trusted God, but nothing.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3">
</font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">She even promised God that if she had a son, the boy would be dedicated
to the Lord.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Then one day in the temple,
Eli (the priest) told her that all would be well.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Nine months later, Samuel was born.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Why did God make her wait miserably for so
long?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Perhaps because she was specially
chosen to be the mother of the prophet who would be brave enough to anoint
David as king when there was already another king in place- Saul.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Perhaps because her longing would produce
enough gratitude so the child would be dedicated to God and thus could be God’s
prophet.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">When we wait for God, it’s easy
to begin to question ourselves, our goals, and sometimes even our Lord.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Never put a question mark where God put a
period, because our God is an on-time God.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3">
</font></span></font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000" size="3">In the gospel, we heard
the disciples struggling with another kind of puzzle.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">As they walked out of the Jewish temple, they
were struck by its beauty.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">No
surprise.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">The walls of that temple were
constructed of huge marble stones that were covered with gold.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">When the sun shone on the walls, the glare
would hurt your eyes.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">The perimeter of
the temple was one mile, so if you wanted to do your morning jog of one mile-
once around the temple would do it.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Here
was this gorgeous structure, and yet Jesus said it was going to be
destroyed.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">When they questioned him
further, he warned them that not only the temple was going to be destroyed, but
that they, their families and friends would be persecuted, there would be false
teachers, famine, earthquakes, wars, in other words desperate times.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Of course the disciples wanted to know when
these things were going to occur, but Jesus basically told them to MYOB (mind
your own business).</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">What was Jesus
doing?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">He was warning them of the
reality they were going to face soon after he died, rose, and ascended.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">You know how sometimes the hardest thing to
face is the unknown?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">He was just helping
his friends get ready.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">You see, Jesus
knew that soon after his death, Roman persecution would start and, in fact,
Peter and Paul would be martyred in 64 AD.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3">
</font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Can you imagine what it would be like if we faced torture and death
simply for being Christians?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">What if this
had gone on since 1776- the time of George Washington?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">This is what Jesus was getting them ready
for.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Why did God allow the church to be
persecuted like that, year after year, martyr after martyr?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">It’s how God got Christianity spread.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">When persecution broke out in one city,
Christians fled to the next- of course taking Jesus and the church with
them.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">300 years later when Christianity
finally became legal, the church had spread to the farthest reaches of the known
world.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Those early Christians must have
wondered if Christianity had a future.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3">
</font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">When we wait for God, it’s easy to begin to question ourselves, our
goals, and sometimes even our Lord.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3">
</font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Never put a question mark where God put a period, because our God is an
on-time God.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span></font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000" size="3">At our 11 AM service,
one of the communion hymns will be “He’s an On Time God.”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">In it, we sing of the Israelites at the Red
Sea, wondering where God was and why he had led them this far to let them
down.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">He hadn’t let them down- his timing
was perfect to complete the job of freeing his beloved people from Egypt and
destroying the Egyptian army so they wouldn’t be harassed any more.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">We also sing of the 5,000 people (plus the
uncounted women and children) Jesus fed.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3">
</font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">They must have wondered the same thing- why does God have him talking so
much that we’ll probably faint from hunger on the way home?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Jesus wasn’t talking too much.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">God’s timing was perfect.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Those 5,000+ got to see God’s mighty power at
work through his Son.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">He’s an on-time
God!</font></font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000" size="3">Now- what about
us?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">How do we handle living through
difficult times, wondering how (or even if) things can possibly work out.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">How do we handle the tension?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">The answer is in the Psalm (16:1, 8):
“Protect me Lord God!</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">I run to you for
safety....I will always look to you as you stand beside me and protect me from
fear.”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Our lesson from Hebrews reminds
us that Jesus is at God’s right hand.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Do
you know what he’s doing?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">He’s probably
leaning over whispering our names and special needs into our father God’s ear,
and God IS in control.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Remember the
story of the family whose home caught fire?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3">
</font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Everyone got out except the little boy, who was screaming to his father,
“Get me out!</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Get me out!”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">As he shouted, the family could see the
brilliant flames of fire getting closer and closer to him.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">“Jump!” shouted his father.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">“I’ll catch you!”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">“I can’t jump!” screamed the child.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">“I don’t know where you are!</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">I can’t see you!”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">“That’s all right!” shouted his father.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">“You don’t have to see me for me to catch
you, because I can see you!”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">That’s what
father God tells us.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">“You don’t have to
see me, because I can see you.” </font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">When we
wait for God, it’s easy to begin to question ourselves, our goals, and
sometimes even our Lord.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Never put a
question mark where God put a period, because our God is an on-time God.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span></font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes; 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 web site under
“Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: </font><a 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></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Blessed
preaching,</font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Judy
Boli</font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">St.
Paul's Episcopal Church</font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Saginaw,
Michigan</font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font></div>
<p></p>
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