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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, Apr 2, 2016 5:32 pm<br>
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Easter 2C<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 “Doubting Thomas” or
“Jesus Died to Take Away Your Sins, Not Your Mind” and deals with the Gospel (John
20: 19- 31).<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; text-indent: 21pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000">Today we heard about one of my favorite saints-
Thomas, often called “Doubting Thomas.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></font><font color="#000000">We heard how he wouldn’t believe without the evidence.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">But let’s back up the story a bit.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Life was terrible for the disciples after the
crucifixion.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">They had all been disloyal,
cowardly, run away just when Jesus needed them the most.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">After the Good Friday tragedy, they were so
fearful that the Jewish authorities would come after them next for another
spectacle- execute them to remind the common people to toe the mark and forget
about that “Jesus person.”</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Not only
that, the women were circulating rumors that Jesus was not in the tomb
anymore.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">They had to wonder if someone
had stolen the body or if the unthinkable had really happened- he had raised
Lazarus, you know.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">But if he were alive,
it still wouldn’t be the same- he’d probably hate them for leaving him to die
alone, simply in the company of some women, John, two thieves, and Roman
soldiers.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Besides, when you’re dead,
you’re dead- aren’t you?!</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">When people
are in terrible times, they often prefer company, so it was their habit to meet
on the first day of the week perhaps in the same upper room in which Jesus had
instituted Holy Communion and washed their feet.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">This time, though, they met behind closed
doors- probably for three reasons:</font></font></span></div>
<font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><ol style="list-style-type: decimal; direction: ltr;"><li style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">
<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; tab-stops: list 39.0pt; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">To remember the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What a wonderful person he was, and such a great teacher- probably the
best the world has ever seen!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only
that- he was an amazing miracle-worker and healer! </span></div>
</li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10.5pt; 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; tab-stops: list 39.0pt; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">To grieve; </span></div>
</li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10.5pt; 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; tab-stops: list 39.0pt; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">To stick together as they began to try to figure out
what to do with their lives.</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: 10.5pt;">You know the story by heart- in walks Jesus through
the solid wall or the locked door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Before they can fear, he says “Shalom” i.e. “Peace be with you.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now Thomas wasn’t there, but you can be sure
that he heard about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He must have
thought basically what I would have thought if someone told me that they had
seen my deceased husband- “You’re kidding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was someone who looked like him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You’re overcome with grief and your mind is playing tricks on you.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you recall- Thomas told them: “Unless I
touch the scars in his hands and place my hand in the scar in his side, I will
never believe.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually- can you blame
Thomas?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other disciples were asking
him to believe something had happened that no human being had ever experienced
before?</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: 10.5pt;">Expecting people to believe
something they had never seen reminds me of a story I haven’t told for quite a
while and really fits this gospel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
about the young son of an Episcopal priest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When his mother called him in from play for dinner, he was filthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of washing, he came directly to the
table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His mother scolded him about this
and reminded him that he had germs all over his hands from playing with the
dog, digging in the soil, and whatever else he had touched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She told him to leave the table and wash his
hands as soon as the food was blessed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As he left the table, the whole family could hear him mutter, “Germs and
Jesus, germs and Jesus, all I hear about in this family is germs and Jesus- and
I haven’t seen either one.”</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: 10.5pt;">Maybe the child hadn’t seen
either, but Thomas was about to encounter the living, resurrected Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His amazed response still rings in our ears:
“My Lord and my God!”; thus Thomas became the first person to utter the first
creed of the early church: “Jesus the Christ is Lord.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This wasn’t the only time we heard of Thomas
questioning Jesus when he didn’t understand something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thomas’ other episode of questioning what he
did not understand came earlier when Jesus was trying to prepare his disciples
for the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He told them he was
going away to prepare a place for them, and that they knew where he was going,
and they knew the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You KNOW none of
the disciples had the foggiest idea what Jesus was talking about, but they
didn’t want to look stupid, so they said nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only Thomas had the guts to say, “Lord, we
don’t even know where you are going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How
can we know the way?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of Thomas,
we have the powerful statement of Jesus when he said, “I am the Way; I am
Truth; I am Life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one comes to the
Father except by me.”</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: 10.5pt;">What’s in this episode for
our lives?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three things:</span></div>
</li></ol><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><ol type="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" start="1"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><li style="line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">First: Be like Thomas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the characteristics I love about
our Wednesday noon Mass-Bible study and our Friday evening School of
Biblical Studies is- people will really ask questions!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one pretends to know something, if
they really don’t know it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
ask!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good habit!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you don’t understand something, speak
up!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s an old cliché, but it’s
true: there’s no such thing as a stupid question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, on second thought- there IS
such a thing as a stupid question- the one someone is afraid to ask. </span></li><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><li style="line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Just because you read something in the paper or
hear something some famous person (maybe preacher) said, don’t believe it
without thinking it through for yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Be a questioner, like Thomas.</span></li><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><li style="line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Make your faith your own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Episcopal Church is a thinking
person’s church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We use scripture,
tradition, and reason to sort things out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Three truths to remember:</span></li><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><ul type="square" 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-list: l1 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">“Your mother’s faith won’t save you.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think things through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Jesus taught us: “Ask and you will
receive, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for
you” (Luke 11:9).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Claim and live
your own faith.</span></li><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><li style="line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">“Jesus died to take away your sins, not your
mind.”</span></li><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><li style="line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">“There’s a huge difference between being
brainwashed and being baptized.”</span></li><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
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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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