<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></head><body><div>Forwarded Part 2: </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: 2/18/17 7:55 PM (GMT-05:00) </div><div>To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic@ecunet.org> </div><div>Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Epiphany 7A </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 “Jesus and Divorce”
or “WWJD?” and deals with last Sunday’s gospel (Matthew 5:21-37).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last Sunday we read the Bp. Todd Ousley’s
pastoral letter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here it is: (Part 2)</font></span></p><ol style="list-style-type: decimal; direction: ltr;"><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><p 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 .5in; punctuation-wrap: simple; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><br></p></li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><p 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 .5in; punctuation-wrap: simple; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><br></p></li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><p 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 .5in; punctuation-wrap: simple; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><br></p></li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><p 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 .5in; punctuation-wrap: simple; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;">It was easy for a man to divorce his wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In some periods of history, all he had to do
was say three times- “I divorce you” and that was it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By Jesus’ time, a written statement that you
are not my wife and I am not your husband was all that was required.</p></li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><p 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 .5in; punctuation-wrap: simple; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;">There was no welfare system- no safety net- in Jesus’
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Divorce was extremely cruel to
women and children, as is pointed out in the Old Testament book of Malachi (2:13-16)
God said, “You cry noisily and flood the LORD'S altar with your tears, because
he isn't pleased with your offerings and refuses to accept them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And why isn't God pleased?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's because he knows that each of you men
has been unfaithful to the wife you married when you were young. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You promised that she would be your partner,
but now you have broken that promise....The LORD God All-Powerful of Israel
hates anyone who is cruel enough to divorce his wife. So take care never to be
unfaithful!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How was divorce cruel?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A woman had to be under the care of a man all
her life or she and her children had no means of support.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When a husband divorced his wife, she had five
choices: she could try to get her father, brother, or other male relative to
take her and her children into their home; she could prostitute herself; she
could steal; she could sell herself and her children into slavery; or they
could starve to death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No wonder Jesus
prohibited divorce!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would too!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a justice issue!</p><p 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;"> </p><p 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;">What about today?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An internet pastor-friend wrote to say that a
member of his congregation came to him in tears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had endured an extremely abusive marriage
for years, but now her husband had started to abuse their small son as
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking for a friendly shoulder to
cry on, she confided in her sister that she was planning on divorcing him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Oh!” said her sister in horror.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“You can’t do that- you’ll go to hell!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My friends, my question to you is not what
did Jesus say in those ancient circumstances when women were just about
owned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My question to you is what WOULD
Jesus say to do in today’s circumstances?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I cannot believe he would expect women and children to stay in abusive
situations, because women can now care for their children- alone if
necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not the best way, but
better than being continually mistreated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Don’t get me wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no
such thing as a good divorce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Divorce
causes pain, disunity, confused children, economic hardship all around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when hardness of heart causes the death
of a relationship with the accompanying back-biting, sharp tongues, disloyalty,
and potential violence; divorce is often the best of a bunch of bad
choices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it what God intends for our
marriages?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it often the result of living is a
sin-sick world?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is there life in Jesus after divorce?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most certainly.</p><p 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;"> </p><p 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;">May God bless us all as
we continue to allow his Spirit to turn our hearts of stone into the heart of
his beloved Son; and may we live our lives asking, “What WOULD Jesus do this
time?”</p><p 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;"> </span></p><p 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 href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org/"><u><font color="#0000ff">http://www.stpaulsepisag.org</font></u></a> .</span></p><p 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></p><p 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></p><p 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></p><p 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;">St. Paul's Episcopal Church</span></p><p 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;">Saginaw, Michigan</span></p></li></ol><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
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