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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 <propertalk.topic@ecunet.org><br>
Sent: Sat, Mar 26, 2016 8:54 pm<br>
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Easter<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 “Easter- Claim Life!”
and deals with the Gospel (John 20: 1-18).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></font><font color="#000000">Here it is: </font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span></font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><font color="#000000">Happy Easter!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></font><font color="#000000" size="3">Did anyone get a
chocolate bunny yet today?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">A chocolate
egg?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">A chocolate ANYTHING?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">We’ve got very small Easter baskets for our
children, plus we’re doing a drawing for two normal-sized baskets- one for a boy
and one for a girl.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">That’s fun stuff,
and- yes, as you know, I love chocolate, but that’s not what Easter really
is.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Don’t settle for the play Easter-
the one with chocolate bunnies and cream eggs and jelly beans and baskets.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Enjoy that one, but claim the real thing, the
Easter with resurrection power!</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Let’s
look at what happened.</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">We are all aware of how atrociously painful Jesus’ last days were, but-
if you think about it, his friends had also lived in crisis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font><font color="#000000">The entire week had been unbelievably bad for
all of Jesus’ friends- actually going from terrible to worse.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">They’d watched everyone turn against him;
with even his disciples leaving him to face his worst times alone. They saw the
trial, the beatings, the mocking, the torture, his execution, and his
burial.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Worse yet, because the Sabbath
was approaching, they couldn’t even give Jesus a proper burial- his body had to
be just quickly placed in the grave and locked in with a huge stone.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Early Sunday morning, the women went to
anoint the body of Jesus.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">When they got
there, the stone was rolled away, the body was gone, and the risen Christ
appeared to the very first disciple- Mary Magdaline!</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">That’s what happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font><font color="#000000">What’s it
to you?</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Let me tell you what Easter
means to me.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">It’s not just the door to
the tomb that’s open- LIFE is open!</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">Check it out. From the word “OPEN: </font></font></span></div>
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</font><ul type="disc" style="margin-top: 0in;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><li style="line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">“O”- I have an open door to
heaven!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll see Fr. Bill
again!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you Jesus!</span></li><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><li style="line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">“P”- I have power for living and
loving and overcoming now!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank
you Jesus!</span></li><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><li style="line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">“E”- EVERYONE!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus’ overcoming death and offering
full, meaningful life is for everyone- just accept Him. Thank you Jesus!</span></li><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><li style="line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">“N”- Negatives can’t overwhelm me-
can’t keep me stuck!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the power
of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we CAN OVERCOME! </span></li><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font color="#000000">So, are you an Easter person yet?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font><font color="#000000">If not, why not become one!</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Wishing won’t do it.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Living in the past won’t do it.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Making a decision to live as Jesus’ Easter
people will.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000">Did you hear the story of the depressed man and his
friend who tried to cheer him up?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font><font color="#000000">The
man said to his friend: “Say, you look depressed. What are you thinking
about?”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">“My future,” was the quick
answer.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">“What makes it look so
hopeless?”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">“My past.” </font></span></font></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">There- did I get you thinking?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></font><font color="#000000">WE’RE NOT HOPELESS!</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">I’m going to
close with a story Easter, 2013.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">The
famous minister Norman Vincent Peale (who wrote </font><i><font color="#000000">The Power of Positive </font></i><font color="#000000">Thinking)
once traveled to </font><font color="#000000">Hong Kong</font><font color="#000000">. As he passed a
local tattoo shop, he noticed some of the designs people could have tattooed on
their bodies - a flag, a dagger, and various slogans. One slogan especially
caught his eye: “Born to Lose.” He was curious and went inside to ask about it.
“Do people really ask for that tattoo?” he asked. “Yes,” the owner
replied.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Someone that very day had just
asked for it, in fact. “Why in the world,” asked Dr. Peale, “would anyone want
to be branded with a saying like that?”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000">
</font></span><font color="#000000">The old man shrugged and said, “Before the tattoo is needled into the
body, that tattoo is already branded on the mind.”</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 face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000">One of our thoughts for the week said, “Life’s not the way it’s
supposed to be. It’s the way it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font><font color="#000000">The
way you cope with it is what makes the difference” (Anonymous).</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">My friends- don’t let your past determine
your future!</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Your past is the diving
board, God’s Easter power is the spring in the springboard to your future.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Easter power reminds us that the future
belongs to God and you.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Think BIG!</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">If you can conceive it, and God wants you to
do it, the sky’s the limit; and the Risen Christ can give you the power to
overcome!</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Jesus rose, so make Easter
choices and follow Him.</font></font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes; tab-stops: .25in;"><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 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"></font></u></a><u><font color="#0000ff" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org" target="_blank">http://www.stpaulsepisag.org</a></font></u><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> .</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 color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Blessed preaching,</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 color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Judy Boli</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 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; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Saginaw, Michigan</font></span></div>
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