<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></head><body><font face="sans-serif">Forwarded: </font><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: 5/26/18 8:39 PM (GMT-05:00) </div><div>To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic@ecunet.org> </div><div>Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Trinity Sunday- “Trinity Sunday- It’s God’s Day- It’s Not about You!” </div><div><br></div></div><div dir="ltr">
<p 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></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></p>
<p 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 “Trinity Sunday- It’s
God’s Day- It’s Not about You!” and deals with the Trinity.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Here it is: </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman">Two weeks ago we celebrated Mothers’ Day; in five
Sundays we’ll celebrate Fathers’ Day; but today is a really special day-
Trinity Sunday- GOD’s Day!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Today is the
day we honor and focus- not on our earthly mother or father, but on our
heavenly Father- God- actually God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></font></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">As you know, some years ago Fr. Bill and I lived in
the Poplars Apartment.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>One of the reasons
we really liked that apartment complex was the nice mixture of tenants.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>There was this really nice young man who
lived a few doors away who was always ready to help with groceries or hold the
door open for us. There was one unusual thing about him- he had really strange-looking
arms.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>What, you ask, was the matter with
his arms?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Well, they were covered with
tattoos- I mean REALLY covered with tattoos!<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>I remember how I finally got the nerve to ask him the meaning of his
tattoos, and his answer was fascinating!<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>His upper left arm had three distinct pictures spaced neatly from the
top of his arm almost to his elbow.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When
I asked him what they meant, he said they were Korean symbols for God, power,
and love.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Now, I usually don’t
appreciate tattoos, but these were really insightful.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The top tattoo for God was an angel and a
cross.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Since they were on his arm, and
obviously the Almighty created his arm, they made a nice symbol for the
Trinity- his arm: Father/Creator, the cross: Son/Redeemer, and the angel: Holy
Spirit/Sustainer-Friend.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>So- the top
symbol: God is the next two symbols: Love-Power.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>In other words, God is All-Powerful
Love!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Amazing- all that from a simple
tattoo!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>So today, it’s not about us-
it’s about God; and, as usual, the Bible lessons provide wonderful insight
about God and how we can honor Him on His day.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;">The Old
Testament Lesson (Exodus 3: 1-6)</span></b><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;">
reminds us of the appropriate way to approach Father- God.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Too often we act as if God is our buddy, a
“good guy.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Our American culture teaches
us to be casual- too casual- about God.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>A common phrase about God is that He’s the “Man Upstairs.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>WRONG!<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>God is not a man- He is Spirit; and he is not upstairs- he is
everywhere.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>You know how the Japanese
culture expects people to remove their shoes when they enter a house?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That’s what God expected Moses to do when he
approached the holy burning bush.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We could
learn from them- not about houses necessarily, but about respect for God’s
house and God’s planet.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When we enter
this holy space, we should bow or genuflect at the pew, then kneel and tell God
“hello”- not just barge in, sit down, and start talking with our neighbor.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Our minds should be focused on God from the
time we walk in until the time we depart.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>When we leave, we should again kneel down and tell God “good-by,” then bow
or genuflect to the reserved sacrament before we walk down the aisle.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>While we are blessed to live on God’s
wonderful Earth, we should respect it, care for it, and not dirty-it-up.</span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;">The Epistle
(Romans 8: 12-17)</span></b><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"> reminds us that the
Holy Spirit gives us the power to say “No” to things that are negatives in our
lives or the lives of others and live God’s way.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It brings to mind the angel part of the God
tattoo, because it is God, the Holy Spirit, who walks with us and talks with us
and reminds us, day by day, how to live as God’s beloved children.</span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;">The Gospel (John
3: 1-17)</span></b><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"> brings to mind the cross
part of the tattoo- that Jesus died to save the world, not condemn it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It also reminds us of the last symbol of the
tattoo- the “love” symbol.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That familiar
set of verses reminds us (say it with me if you can) “God so loved the world that
He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not
perish, but have everlasting life.”<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Scripture goes on to say in verse 17 that God did not send his Son into
the world to condemn the world, but to save it.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>If that’s not supreme love, I don’t know what is!</span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;">Finally, Psalm
29</span></b><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"> really speaks to the middle
tattoo- God’s power.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>What more can we
say about our amazing God than:</span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">1 “All of you angels in heaven, </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>honor
the glory and power of the LORD!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></font></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">2 Honor the wonderful name of the LORD, </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>and
worship the LORD most holy and glorious. </font></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">3 The voice of the LORD echoes over the oceans. </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The
glorious LORD God thunders above the roar of the raging sea,<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></font></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">4 and his voice </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>is
mighty and marvelous.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></font></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">5 The voice of the LORD destroys the cedar trees; </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>the
LORD shatters cedars on Mount Lebanon.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></font></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">6 God makes Mount Lebanon
skip like a calf </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>and Mount Hermon jump like a wild ox.</font></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman">7-8 The voice of the LORD makes lightning flash<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></font></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>and
the desert tremble.” </font></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">So all of today is not about us, but it’s about
God.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The little girl in the story I’m
going to tell as our sermon comes to a close doesn’t quite get it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>To her, it’s all about her.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Who can blame a child, but we should know
better.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The story goes: “A mother
noticed that it was about time for school to dismiss and since it looked like
it would rain, she drove toward the school to pick up her eight year old
daughter. She turned down the street to see her daughter running towards her
down the sidewalk. A lightning bolt flashed and the little girl looked up
towards the sky, smiled, and then began running toward her mother's van.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Another lightning bolt flashed and again the
little girl looked toward the sky, smiled, and resumed running. This happened
several more times until the little girl finally arrived where her mother was
parked.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Her mom immediately inquired as
to the strange behavior. ‘Why did you keep stopping and smiling at the sky?’
she asked her daughter.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>‘I had to, Mommy’
replied the little girl. “God was taking my picture.’”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(Religious Joke of the Day Web Site)</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">How many kids only call home when they need
something?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>How many parents console
themselves with the thought- “No news is good news” when they haven’t heard
from their grown children for a long time?<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Don’t be that way with God.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Say
your prayers and read your Bible daily, don’t miss church one single Sunday, do
what He says and love your neighbor as much as you love your self.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And for God’s day- today- let’s give Him our
best worship this morning.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Then- how
short is your memory?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Will you remember
to kneel and pray before you leave this holy place and then bow to the
Sacrament as you walk out of the pew, or will you have forgotten by then?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Will you remember to kneel and pray when you
enter next Sunday morning, and will you also remember to bow to respect the
Sacrament as you enter and exit the pew?<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>May your worship enhance God’s special day this morning.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Amen.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></p>
<p 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 href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org/"><u><font color="#0000ff">http://www.stpaulsepisag.org</font></u></a><font color="#000000"> .</font></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></p>
<p 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></p>
<p 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></p>
<p 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></p>
<p 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></p>
</div>
<p></p>
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