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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, Sep 30, 2017 7:42 pm<br>
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 21A: “It’s Not Enough to Talk the Talk; We’ve Got to Walk the Walk”<br>
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<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Dear Friends,</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Two Sons” or “It’s
Not Enough to Talk the Talk; We’ve Got to Walk the Walk” and deals with all the
lessons.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Here it is: </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Did you hear the story of the rich young man who had been taken to the
hospital, critically ill. His condition worsened, and he was confined there for
quite a few weeks. His doctor even had told him that he wasn’t sure if he’d
recover, but that they would continue to do all they could. The man was
obviously scared to death, and said to the doctor, “Please, doctor, do
everything you can! I don’t want to die! I have so much to do yet in life, and
if you can help me get better, I’ll even donate $100,000 to the fund for the
new hospital.” Would you believe- right after that, he began to recover.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Several months later, while he was out in the
town, he saw the doctor on the street, and the doctor asked him how he felt.
The young man said, “Doc, I haven’t felt better any time in my life.” The
doctor said, “That’s great, because I wanted to ask you about the money you
said you intended to donate to the new hospital fund. You remember you said if
you got well, you’d like to donate $100,000, and we could really use that now.”
The young man said, “Man, if I said that, I must have been really sick!”
(Anonymous)</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">That young man sounds a lot like the son in the parable Jesus
told.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>As you recall, a father asked his
two sons to work in the field.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The first
son did exactly what the rich young man in the story did to the doctor.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The son told his father he’d be glad,
delighted even, to work in the field.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>However, as soon as the father turned his back, that son was out of
there!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The second son said he would not
work in the field, but then felt sorry for what he had said and actually did
the work.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Jesus asked, “Who really loved
the father more?”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The obvious answer-
“The son who helped his father.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That’s
the message for us.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We can’t simply talk
the talk.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If we really love God, we’ve
got to walk the walk.</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Our Bible lessons suggest two times we need to be especially careful to
walk the walk.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Did you notice how
quickly the Israelites were ready to blame God and kill Moses when they were
suffering with thirst?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Times of suffering</b> are serious times of
temptation.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s so very easy to ask,
“God, how could you!” instead of “God, what do you want me to do?” </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Our epistle suggests another situation when we need to be especially
careful to walk the walk.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Paul reminded
his church at Philippi (Philippians 2:2b-4a) “Live
in harmony by showing love for each other. Be united in what you think, as if
you were only one person.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Don't be
jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than
yourselves.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Care about them as much as
you care about yourselves.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I don’t have
to tell you- that’s hard to do; and you know where it’s hardest?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>At home with those we love.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When we’re with strangers or acquaintances,
we do our best to be polite; but <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">with
our families and close friends</b>- if we’re not careful, we simply “let it all
hang out.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We can trick our friends and
acquaintances, but our families know the real person- who we really are.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Yet, if we really love God, we’ll do what he
says and love our neighbors (even our families) as much as we love ourselves.</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">I asked a good friend who has been around a LONG time- “As I preach the
sermon about walking the walk, do you have any suggestions for us to go along
with (1) times of suffering and (2) when we are dealing with those we know well
and love?”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Here are her three suggestions:</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<ol type="1" style="margin-top:0in" start="1">
<li style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;">Sexual
behavior:</span></b><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"> sex should never be
promiscuous.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Relationships are
sacred, never “one night stands.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Appropriate
birth control should always be used so babies will not be born into dire
circumstances with no stable parent, or better yet- without two stable
parents.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We are not living in the
time of King Solomon and his many wives.</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;">A
consistent walk with Jesus:<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></b><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;">We don’t only live his WAY, TRUTH, and LIFE when
it is convenient.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Check out your behavior
when you’re angry, your Sunday attendance patterns, and how you spend your
money for an easy evaluation of this one.</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;">Taking
God for granted: </span></b><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;">purposely
sinning and then telling yourself- “I’m OK.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I’m covered by the Blood.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>No we’re not OK; we’re not “covered by
the Blood” unless we confess our sins and intend to do better (or at least
ask God to help us intend to do better).</span></li>
</ol>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px 16px 48px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">May God bless us all as we try to walk the walk and not just talk the
talk.</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000">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"></font></u></a><u><font color="#0000ff"><a href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org" target="_blank">http://www.stpaulsepisag.org</a></font></u><font color="#000000"> .</font></font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Blessed preaching,</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Judy Boli</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">St. Paul's Episcopal Church</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Saginaw, Michigan</font></span></div>
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