<font color='black' size='4' face='Times New Roman, Times, serif'>Forwarded: <br>
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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 18, 2017 5:19 pm<br>
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Lent 3A<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 color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Three Strikes and
You’re Out!” or “Damaged Goods*” and deals with the Gospel (John 4:5-27, 39-42).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here it is: </font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Do you see this can of soup?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looks really good, doesn’t it- that is if
you like tomato soup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what if we
played a game of catch with it and dropped it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or what if it got bumped and banged on the way from the factory to the
store, or from the store to my cupboard?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We’d consider it damaged goods, wouldn’t we?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The supermarket would display cans like this
on a special, separate table- perhaps even labeled “damaged goods.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, when we get cans like this as we
collect food to feed the hungry, the health department frowns upon us using
them to serve our feeding ministry guests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They are really considered damaged goods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why am I telling you about dented cans?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because we heard in our gospel this morning
about another kind of damaged item- a damaged human being- the Samaritan
woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We heard the episode of how Jesus
talked with her, got a drink of water from her, and told her that he was the
Messiah.</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">As you recall, Jesus and the
disciples were traveling through Samaria
on their way to Galilee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They stopped at Jacob’s well; then the
disciples went into town to buy some food while Jesus rested at the well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here it was- noon, the hottest time of the day, and a Samaritan woman
came to draw water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We heard Jesus ask
her for a drink of water and strike up a conversation with her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Actually, this reminds me of my husband- he
can strike up a conversation with ANYONE!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What was unusual about this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
the eyes of a Jewish male, this woman was damaged goods big-time- much more
unacceptable than a dented can of soup or a box of cereal with a bumped
corner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First of all, she was a
Samaritan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jews considered Samaritans
that awful word- “half-breed!”- STRIKE ONE!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Second, she was a woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jewish
males, especially rabbis, did not speak to women in public- not even their
wives, sisters, or daughters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some
Pharisees even closed their eyes in mixed company rather than look at a
woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(They were called the “bruised
and bleeding Pharisees”- what happens when you walk around with your eyes
closed and bump into things.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember,
one of the first prayers every Jewish boy learned at his mother’s knee was to
thank God that he wasn’t born a gentile (i.e. Samaritan) or a woman- STRIKE
TWO!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only was she a Samaritan and a
woman, she was a “bad woman.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jews allowed
three divorces, but only men were allowed to divorce a spouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had been divorced five times and was
living with a man not her husband- unthinkable in those times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coming to draw water under the noonday sun
was unusual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps she came then to avoid
the stares of the other women who would have considered her a social outcast-
STRIKE THREE!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s bad enough to have a
damaged can of food, but damaged goods in the form of a precious human being, a
child of God, is unthinkable!</font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">How did Jesus treat her?</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px 1em 0.25in; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><font face="Times New Roman">1)</font><span style="font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">With respect: he carried on
a serious conversation with her- so much so that the disciples were amazed when
they returned and saw them.</font></span></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px 1em 0.25in; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><font face="Times New Roman">2)</font><span style="font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">With accountability: he
didn’t let her con him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He told her
about her unacceptable past.</font></span></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px 1em 0.25in; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><font face="Times New Roman">3)</font><span style="font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">With forgiveness: he didn’t
allow her past to interfere with acceptance in the present.</font></span></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px 1em 0.25in; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><font face="Times New Roman">4)</font><span style="font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">As an equal- human-to-human:
he let her serve him water and drank from the same dipper from which she drank.</font></span></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px 1em 0.25in; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><font face="Times New Roman">5)</font><span style="font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">With friendship: their
culture taught that giving or receiving a drink of water bound people as
friends for one year.</font></span></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px 1em 0.25in; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><font face="Times New Roman">6)</font><span style="font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">With appreciation for her
unique intelligence and talents: she was the first person Jesus told that he
was the Messiah.</font></span></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">How did she respond?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She blossomed- like a plant that has had
water withheld and then the spring rains come (or the person remembers to water
it!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She left her dipper at the well and
told the entire town about Jesus, so many were brought to him.</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">What’s it to us?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are probably two categories of people:</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px 1em 0.25in; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .25in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><font face="Times New Roman">1)</font><span style="font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">THOSE TEMPTED TO CONSIDER
THEMSELVES “DAMAGED GOODS”: perhaps you are someone who’s made some mistakes in
your life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps you are the “ugly
duckling” in your family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps you
consider yourself to be “damaged goods.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>NO WAY!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God doesn’t make junk!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t put down your creator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Love your neighbor as much as you love
YOURSELF, so start loving yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
doesn’t mean we all don’t have things we need to improve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Work on yourself, but also love yourself and
thank your Creator for creating you beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While we’re at it- don’t wait until you’re perfect to come to
church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come every Sunday and fellowship
with your heavenly Father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Earthly
parents love their children through their imperfections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So does our heavenly Father.</font></span></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px 1em 0.25in; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .25in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><font face="Times New Roman">2)</font><span style="font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">THOSE TEMPTED TO CONSIDER
OTHERS AS “DAMAGED GOODS”: perhaps we look around and see people who could do
better, in our opinion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember- the
worst sin is to judge your neighbor- that’s what the Pharisees did, which made
them so unacceptable to Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every
person we see is a child of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
their behavior is wrecking their lives, pray for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Invite them to church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Encourage them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be there for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe tough love is necessary, but remember-
tough love is still love.</font></span></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">I’m going to close with a
story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This story applies to all of us,
regardless of whether the world considers us “damaged goods” or whether we’re
tempted to consider others “damaged goods.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was a good, Christian, church-going man who died and stood before
St. Peter at the pearly gates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peter
tells the man that he needs 100 points to get in. The man starts in with – “I
was on the vestry; I taught Sunday school; I went to church most Sundays.”
Peter says – “That's one point.” The man begins to sweat – “I was faithful to
my wife; I supported my family; I was successful in my business, but did not
cheat anyone.” Peter says – “That's one more.” Now the man is really getting
stressed – “I tithed; I worked at the food bank; I gave money to scholarship
funds.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peter says – “That's one more.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally in desperation the person says –
“Yikes - it is only by the grace of God that I am going to get in!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Did you say ‘the grace of God?’” St. Peter
asked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Wonderful!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ve got it- the grace of God- those are
the other 97 points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1 + 1 + 1 + 97 =
100 points!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Welcome home!”</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman">“All of us have sinned and fallen
short of God's glory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But God treats us
much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us
and sets us free from our sins.” (Romans 3:23-24)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“God loved the people of this world so much
that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have
eternal life and never really die.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God
did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save
them!” (John 3: 16-17)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">(*The second title and many
of the ideas from this sermon are from a sermon published by the Rev. Bass
Mitchell.)</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" rel="noopener noreferrer" 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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