<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></head><body>Forwarded<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: 10/28/17 3:01 PM (GMT-05:00) </div><div>To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic@ecunet.org> </div><div>Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 25A- "When Dreams Die" </div><div><br></div></div><div dir="ltr">
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Dear Friends,</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “When Dreams
Die” and deals with the Old Testament Lesson (Exodus 34:1-12).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Here it is: </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">In our Old Testament Bible reading this
morning, we heard the sad episode of Moses’ death.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Moses- who by the glorious power of God faced
down the mightiest world power of his day, the Egyptian pharaoh.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Moses- who led the children of Israel out of
Egypt from slavery to freedom.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Moses-
who climbed the holy mountain to receive the Ten Commandments.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Moses- who interceded for those same
hard-headed and hard-hearted people when they grew tired of waiting for him to
come down from the mountain and followed his brother Aaron in making and then
worshipping an idol (a golden calf).<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Moses who continued to intercede for the Israelites every time they
faced hard times and their faith wavered.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Moses- who at Meribah cried to the Lord when the people were without
water, prayed to the Lord and then used his staff to strike the rock.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>You know what happened- out flowed precious
water.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Moses- who led these people for
FORTY YEARS through the desert to the Promised Land.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Yet, when they had finally reached their long
awaited goal, the Lord took Moses up a high mountain so he could get a chance
to see the Promised Land.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>There, Moses
died without ever being allowed to enter the land with his beloved people.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Talk about a goal not reached- a dream not
personally achieved!</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Then there was the Rev. Dr.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Martin Luther King, Jr.: From the Montgomery
bus boycott through firebombings and beatings and jailings and terror at its
worst, he faced down the worst evil American racism had to offer.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Through it all, he held fast to his dream-
but he never personally saw it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>In one
of his most famous sermons he said, “I have a dream......that my four little
children will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of
their character.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Dr. King went to
Memphis, Tennessee, to support the strike of the garbage workers (poor Black,
poor Hispanic, poor White) and to work for a Rainbow Coalition to work together
for racial and economic justice.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>A few
days later, his goal was smashed by a sniper’s bullet.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">And us...our dreams may not be as lofty as
those of Moses or Dr. King, but we’ve all had them.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>You can ask any of our young people about
their goals.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If you ask, you will hear
about dreams of becoming teachers, lawyers, architects, doctors, singers,
basketball and football players.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>You
know as well as I do that life is hard on dreams; in fact- I can think of three
reasons why life is hard on dreams, and that’s what I’d like us to think about
this morning.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">FIRST REASON- CONSEQUENCES.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Life is hard on dreams because we can’t pray
ourselves out of consequences we behave ourselves into.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That’s almost getting to be a St. Paul’s
parish slogan.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Moses is the best example
of this.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>You might wonder- what sin
could Moses possibly have committed that was THAT BAD.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>As you may know, Bible scholars have varying
theories, but the most likely one is from what happened at Meribah when the
people complained and Moses struck the rock to produce water.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>What also happened was that the thirsty
people intended to stone Moses, so he went in fear to the Lord, probably making
it look to the people as if Moses did not trust God.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>In fact, in Numbers 20:12, God says to Moses
and Aaron, “Because you refused to believe in my power, these people did not
respect me.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And so, you will not be the
ones to lead them into the land I have promised.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>What’s the spiritual lesson for us?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The same as three weeks ago when we talked
about not taking God’s name lightly.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Don’t play with God.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If we want
to be blessed, we must follow God’s ways.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Look at Psalm 1: </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px 16px 48px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">1 “God blesses those people who refuse
evil advice </font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px 16px 48px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>and
won't follow sinners or join in sneering at God.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></font></font></font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px 16px 48px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">2 Instead, the Law of the LORD makes
them happy, </font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px 16px 48px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>and
they think about it day and night.</font></font></font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px 16px 48px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">3 They are like trees growing beside a
stream, trees that produce fruit in season </font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px 16px 48px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>and
always have leaves. Those people succeed in everything they do.</font></font></font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px 16px 48px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">4 That isn't true of those who are
evil, </font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px 16px 48px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>because
they are like straw blown by the wind.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></font></font></font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px 16px 48px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">5 Sinners won't have an excuse on the
day of judgment, </font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px 16px 48px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>and
they won't have a place with the people of God.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></font></font></font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px 16px 48px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">6 The LORD protects everyone who
follows him, </font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px 16px 48px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>but
the wicked follow a road that leads to ruin.”</font></font></font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Don’t
play with God.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>You can’t pray your way
out of consequences you behaved yourself into.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>We are many times our own worst enemy when we try to achieve our goals.</font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px;">SECOND REASON- EVIL- Life is hard on dreams
because this world is full of evil, and it is the true calling of every single
Christian to do everything in our power to eradicate evil every single place we
find it, no matter the risk to ourselves.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Wow- but then no one ever said being a Christian was going to be
easy.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>In fact, I read somewhere about
taking up our cross and following Jesus.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Again- our best example is the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He didn’t see the Promised Land, but when
future generations finally have a truly just, free country, it will be because
of his sacrifice combined with the sacrifices of thousands of good people of
every color and creed who stood up for justice and God and good.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>What’s the spiritual lesson for us?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Don’t take the easy way; take the right
way.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Do what Jesus said in today’s
gospel reading (Matthew 22: 37-39)</span>: “Love the Lord your God with all
your heart, soul, and mind.....and love your neighbor as much as you love yourself.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></font></font></font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font color="#000000"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">THIRD REASON- WE USUALLY MUST LIVE OUR LIVES
ONE STEP AT A TIME, ONE DREAM AT A TIME.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>I think sometimes God does us like I used to do our cat last cat- Astrophe.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(Magnificat is too smart for this!)<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If I wanted to lock her in the bathroom, I’ll
never get her in there in one step, and I surely couldn’t catch her!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Instead, I had to get some goodies and first
call her off the sofa- first goodie.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Next, another goodie got her to the hall; finally a third goodie got her
to the bathroom- then SLAM, I had her.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(She
never did figure this out!)<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>God did that
with me.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When I was about six, I thought
God was calling me to be a missionary (the only thing I’d ever seen women do in
church besides cooking and taking care of children).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That wasn’t it, but when I was about 20 I
thought my call was teaching inner-city, poverty children.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That was close, but not exactly it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When I was about 22 I thought it was civil
rights work, so I organized rent strikes with Detroit CORE and went to Mississippi,
Selma, Atlanta.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That was close, but not
it either.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I used to think that I would
never really understand what that elusive goal was.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Finally, while I knelt as an acolyte at this
holy altar at 31 years of age (about 48 years ago), I realized what that call
was- to be a priest.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>You see how God
went from goodie to goodie to goodie.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>What’s the spiritual lesson for us?<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Maybe what you think is your goal is not the final step; perhaps it’s
just a stop along the way.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></font></font></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px;">FINAL THOUGHT- WHAT IF????<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>What if you are like Moses and consequences
have interrupted your first dream?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Don’t
quit.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>God’s not through with you anymore
than he was with Moses, unless you think leading the people of Israel 40 years
through the desert and then appointing his successor (Joshua) was nothing.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Stay strong, stay open, and God will show you
your next God-given goal.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Are you
alive?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Then God has big dreams for you.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>What if you are like Dr. King?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Don’t give in to evil; and don’t let evil
bring you down to its level by revenge, dishonesty, etc.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>You will overcome?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>What if you’re like Astrophe or me?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Take life step by step, and know that God is
with you.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>How do you get the power to do
this?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Do you remember the old song,
“There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole;.....to heal the sin-sick
soul.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Gilead was a part of the Promised
Land that Moses saw.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>In it were
evergreen trees that remind me of the house plants we sometimes have on our
window sills in the kitchen in case we burn ourselves- the aloe plant.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Anyone have one?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>You can’t carry a cross without getting hurt
sometime, and we have the perfect balm- the arms of Jesus around us in the form
of our Christian friends, Holy Communion, and the Holy Bible to heal our weary,
sin-sick souls.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Amen.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></font></font></font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><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 href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org/"><u><font color="#0000ff">http://www.stpaulsepisag.org</font></u></a></font><font color="#000000" size="3"> .</font></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Blessed preaching,</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Judy Boli</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">St. Paul's Episcopal Church</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Saginaw, Michigan</font></span></p><p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">=</font></span></p><p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><br></font></span></p></div>
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