<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><br></div><div id="composer_signature"><div style="font-size:85%;color:#575757" dir="auto">Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Device</div></div><div><br></div><div style="font-size:100%;color:#000000"><!-- originalMessage --><div>-------- Original message --------</div><div>From: Judy <judy_boli@ecunet.org> </div><div>Date: 1/14/17 9:34 PM (GMT-05:00) </div><div>To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic@ecunet.org> </div><div>Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Epiphany 2 </div><div><br></div></div><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;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Dear Friends,</font></span></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “The Rev. Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr.- Champion of Justice” or “Let There Be Peace on Earth” or “Put
Your Money Where Your Mouth Is!” and deals with The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s
birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here it is: </font></span></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">This morning, I’m going to repeat the sermon I’ve preached many times
when we celebrated The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s. birthday because it’s
even more relevant now then it was then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m repeating this sermon because WE HAVEN’T DONE IT YET!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. King was one of the greatest Jubilee saints
of the twentieth century.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his honor,
there’ll be speeches, special programs, remembrances of every kind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have my own special remembrances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember that hot August day in Vicksburg, Mississippi,
in 1964, when I was working in the civil rights movement doing voter
registration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember when Dr. King
came to Vicksburg
to preach in an old brick (I think) church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There were no seats left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
wasn’t even standing room left in the aisles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some friends and I balanced on the ledge of the stained glass window
through his whole long sermon, just so we could hear him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, because we were part of the local
freedom movement, we were introduced and got to shake his hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was this hand- I never should have washed
it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those were days when the Spirit of
God was moving over our land, and it was thrilling, exciting, and an honor to
be a part of it!</font></span></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Do you remember the parable that Jesus told about the two sons (Matthew
<st1:time w:st="on" minute="28" hour="21">21: 28</st1:time>-32)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their father came to them and told them to
work in the field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The older son said
the equivalent of, “Oh, no way Dad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve
got better things to do with my time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
not working in the field today.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
younger son more-or-less said, “Of course, dear Father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d be delighted to work in the fields for
you today!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You remember what happened
next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As soon as the father left, the
older son began to feel guilty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In spite
of what he said, he did what his father asked and went to work in the
fields.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The younger son however had no intention
of working that day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As soon as his
father left, he took off and did whatever it was he wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember, then Jesus asked, “Which son loved
his father the most?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, the
answer was the oldest son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He proved his
love by his obedience.</font></span></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman">I know you’re wondering why in the world I’m telling
you this parable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m telling it because
it holds true for parents and children; it holds true for God and us; and it
holds true for our honoring Dr. King.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The greatest honor we can give Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is to do what
he said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is especially important
for us, as Christians, because all his teachings came from the Jesus’ teachings
in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If ever we Christians were called to live Jesus’ teachings, it’s now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not just what we say, although we
certainly must tell that old, old story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our lives proclaim what we really believe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must LIVE it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></font></span></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">For the many years , we have been concerned about the
violence that plagues our streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
improving, but it still is very strong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many
think that the answer is more police and better programs for our youth and more
jobs and better education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My brothers
and sisters- all those things are truly necessary, and we should certainly work
for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However- I have come to the
unpleasant conclusion that all these things, as necessary as they are to
getting a handle on this problem, will not solve it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In too many cases, our hearts are wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All these things, as good as they are, are
like the flesh and skin of an apple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What happens if the core of the apple is rotten?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing’s going to save that apple, is
it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our culture is like that apple- a beautiful
outside but a rotten, violent core.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look
at the words of the music we sing, look at the content of the movies and videos
we watch, look at the action of many of the video games we play, look at the
violence in the sports we watch, look at our nation’s speed in using war as the
way to make peace and protect ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If we are ever going to experience a stop to all this violence, we
Christians are going to have to live what we believe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What does this mean?</font></span></p><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: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Spend not one penny for any game or toy or music
that promotes violence.</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: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">NO GUNS, unless they are to be used for sport!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They get stolen, used for revenge
killing, and don’t really protect those who legitimately buy them.</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: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Don’t let the devil pollute your mind!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t watch or listen to anything you
would be ashamed to let Jesus see or hear.</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: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Don’t deal in illegal or dishonest stuff- not
drugs, weapons, cheap hot items.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
supports the very people who are the devil’s agents in destroying our
youth, and it’s a sin.</span></li><li style="line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">To be continued...in Parr 2</span></li><li style="line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><></span></li></ol><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;"><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 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></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p 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></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p 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></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p 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></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p 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></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font></div>
<p></p>
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