<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, Apr 22, 2017 8:56 pm<br>
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Easter 2A: "The Eyes of Faith"<br>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Dear
Friends,</font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">This
Sunday’s sermon is entitled “The Eyes of Faith”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Help Us Live What We Believe” and deals with all the lessons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here it is: </font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes; tab-stops: .25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">What a
fascinating story about faith we heard in this gospel about Thomas! Actually,
all the Bible lessons are about faith one way or another. And all of them are
about having faith in difficult times. Did you hear the story about the husband
with foot-in-mouth disease? </font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes; tab-stops: .25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes; tab-stops: .25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">A husband and
wife are getting ready for bed. The wife is standing in front of a full length
mirror taking a hard look at herself. “You know love,” she says, “I look in the
mirror and I see an old woman. My face is all wrinkled, my stomach is sticking
out in front and my butt is hanging out behind. I've got fat legs and my arms
are all flabby.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She turns to her
husband and says, “Tell me something positive to make me feel better about
myself.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He thinks about it for a bit
and then says in a soft voice, “Well...your<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>eyesight’s still pretty good!” Noah (Old Testament reading), the church
to whom Peter was writing (epistle), and Thomas (gospel) would all have been
able to understand where that couple were coming from, because all of them knew
about hard times and how faith during these times will carry us through.</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes; tab-stops: .25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes; tab-stops: .25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Let’s look at
Noah’s situation first. Some years ago when I was into embroidery, I stitched a
picture of Noah and the ark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The caption
on the stitchery read: “Plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.”
Actually, that’s a huge understatement, because it wasn’t at all likely it was
ever going to seriously rain WHERE Noah built the ark- because it was a desert
(or at least a simi-desert) area. You know the story. God told Noah to build an
ark. He obeys and loads the animals up just as he was told- to the jeering rude
laughter of his neighbors. When we pick up the story, we find the significance
of Noah’s obedience. He has saved every species from extinction. Even more
important, the rainbow in the sky signifies God’s bow (his weapon- i.e. bow and
arrow) hung on the wall- his weapon put away. When God promises he will never
again destroy life by water, since water is a symbol for chaos, he is promising
chaos will never wipe out life on this planet. What a promise, and all possible
because of Noah’s faith and willingness to obey in hard times.</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes; tab-stops: .25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes; tab-stops: .25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Then there was
Peter and the church to whom he was writing. They were under huge Roman
persecution- probably the same persecution that later caused the execution of
Peter and Paul. The church was under intense temptation to give up the faith.
Family members were being tortured, thrown to lions, burned at the stake, and
God only knows what else evil humanity could think up. They were also having to
work out the solutions to hideous questions. What should they do with church
members (or even family members) who had chickened out during torture and
betrayed family members, who were then executed? What about those who had
worshipped the emperor because of fear, while others died refusing to bow the
knee to anyone but Jesus, the Christ? To make matters worse, many of these
people wanted back in the fellowship. Should they be forgiven? How could they
ever stand to see them again? Peter reminded them to stick with it. God will
win and we shall overcome.</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes; tab-stops: .25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes; tab-stops: .25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Finally, we
have Thomas. When Lazarus was so ill, Thomas was the one who convinced the
disciples to accompany Jesus to the Jerusalem area, even though their lives
were in danger the last time they went. Thomas was also the one who had the
courage to challenge Jesus when he said, “I am going to prepare a place for
you, you know where I am going, and you know the way.” Remember- Thomas said,
“Lord, we don’t even know where you are going. How can we know the way?” It was
this question that gave Jesus the marvelous opportunity to make his
earth-shaking statement: “I am the Way; I am the Truth; and I am the Life. No
one comes to the father except through me.” After all this, Thomas was missing
on the evening of the resurrection when the other disciples encountered the
risen Lord. When they told him about Jesus’ resurrection, he wouldn’t believe
unless he touched the scars. The next Sunday, when they were all gathered again
for Holy Communion- there was Jesus confronting Thomas with what he said.
Thomas went from disbelief to supreme faith and stated the church’s first
creedal statement- “My Lord and my God!”</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes; tab-stops: .25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes; tab-stops: .25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Where are you
this morning? Maybe, like Noah, you’re struggling against the pressures of the
world- a world that says irresponsible talk or casual sex, or wasteful use of
time, or greedy use of money is all right. Maybe all your friends are saying,
“Just do it!” Well don’t just do it. Think first. Like Noah, live what you
believe.</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes; tab-stops: .25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes; tab-stops: .25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Maybe this
morning you are like the church to which Peter was writing, when Peter told
them to forgive- no matter what. Maybe it is the behavior of other Christians
that upsets you. Perhaps they’ve gossiped about you or been rude to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You look at them and say, “How could
they?!!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, the truth is- nothing
anyone else has done to you or yours approaches the magnitude of the torture
and execution of countless family members experienced by Christians in Peter’s
congregations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You want to stay whole
and have a good life in Christ?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well
then- do what Peter told his churches- forgive.</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes; tab-stops: .25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes; tab-stops: .25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Then maybe you
are like Thomas. Your heart breaks as you watch good people suffer- like the
many people shot or blown-up in terrorist bombings. Or perhaps you are
wondering why God allows terrible tornadoes- we’re sure to get some this
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You remember the awful violence in
our own streets recently, and you remember how summer is fast approaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You (like Thomas) look at the mess and say,
“Chaos reigns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God, where are you? Why
do you allow such terrible things to happen?” And God answers- “My precious,
precious child. You waste the amazing resources I give you. I send you children
who could grow up to be physicians who could find ways to prevent and heal
human afflictions and you don’t nurture them, don’t educate them, and they end
up in prison. I send you prophets and diplomats and negotiators and yet you
continue to glorify violence in your media and make decisions from greed and
arrogance. You asked me why I allow such things- strange. I was going to ask you
the same question.”</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes; tab-stops: .25in;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">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" size="3"></font></u></a><u><font color="#0000ff" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><a href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org" target="_blank">http://www.stpaulsepisag.org</a></font></u><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
.</font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Blessed
preaching,</font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Judy
Boli</font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">St.
Paul's Episcopal Church</font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Saginaw,
Michigan</font></div>
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