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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, Jun 16, 2018 8:51 pm<br>
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 6B: “Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover” or “So When Did You Become God?”<br>
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<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Dear
Friends,</font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">This
Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover” or “So When Did
You Become God?” or “People judge others by what they look like, but God judges
people by what is in their hearts.”and deals with the Old Testament lesson (1</font><sup>st</sup><font size="3">Samuel
15:34- 16: -13).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Here it is: </font></font></font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">This
morning’s Old Testament Bible lesson is one of my all-time favorites- the one
in which David is chosen by God to become king.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>You see, God was displeased with Israel’s first king- Saul and decided
to replace him with David.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>God told the
prophet Samuel that one of Jesse’s sons was going to be the new king- didn’t
tell him which one, and therefore he should go to Jesse’s home-town of
Bethlehem to anoint the new monarch.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He
was to do it under the guise of a sacrifice to the Lord.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Samuel told Jesse to have all of his sons at
the celebration.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Samuel had each of
Jesse’s sons pass in front of him so God could tell him which one to
anoint.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The oldest, Eliab, came
first.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Holy Scripture says he was tall
and handsome, so Samuel just knew God had chosen him, but Samuel’s guess was
wrong.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The Lord reminded Samuel of a
truth we need to tattoo into our brain: “People judge others by what they look
like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts” (1</font><sup>st</sup></font><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"> Samuel 16:
7b).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Since Eliab wasn’t the one picked
by God, Samuel had each of the other sons pass in front of him, but God did not
choose any of them.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Samuel must have
been frustrated, because he asked Jesse if perhaps he had any other sons.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“Yes,” he admitted, but you wouldn’t be
interested in him.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He’s just a kid! He’s
out watching the sheep.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“Bring him!”
said Samuel.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Of course- this was David,
God’s chosen.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>No one would have guessed,
not even his father.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We might have,
because we know: “People judge others by what they look like, but God judges
people by what is in their hearts.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>St
Paul reminds us of the same thing, but he carries it further.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He says, “We are careful not to judge people
by what they seem to be, though we once judged Christ in that way.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new
person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new” (2nd Corinthians 5:
16-17).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></font></font></font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">I
see three lessons from these Bible selections: </font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px 16px 48px; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin: 0px; font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font size="3">U</font><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">FIRST:
God doesn’t care about your clothes, your style, your color, age, sexuality,
size.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He cares about YOU, not the
outward stuff.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That’s how we must be as
people come and go through our lives.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>The outward stuff absolutely doesn’t matter.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The inward center is what counts.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></font></font></font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px 16px 48px; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin: 0px; font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font size="3">U</font><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">SECOND:
So let’s look at the inward part: Ladies, it’s OK to get your nails done and go
to the hairdresser.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Gentlemen, it’s fine
to tool around in a brand-new car if you can afford it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Kids, go ahead and buy those fashionable
sneakers.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Everybody- just don’t mistake
quality on the outside for quality on the inside.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Are your values Jesus ‘values or
self-centered values?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>True beauty in
God’s eyes centers around compassion- not judging, sharing- not being stingy,
honesty- not sneakiness.</font></font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px 16px 48px; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin: 0px; font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font size="3">U</font><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span></font><font color="#000000"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">THIRD:
Not only should we treat other people that way, we need to expect others to
treat us that way.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Never let someone
destroy your God-given self-esteem because of the way you were created.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></font></font></font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">Let’s
close with a lesson I learned the hard way about this Bible concept.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Quite some years ago, I was teaching 6</font><sup>th</sup></font><font color="#000000" size="3">
grade at Longstreet School (now closed, about four blocks away from
church).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I had a really difficult class
that year.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>In that class was a young man
who drove me crazy!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>His mother had died,
his aunt was trying her best to raise him, and he was really difficult.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>In retrospect, he was suffering and let his
anger out on his classmates, teacher, anyone around him.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I worked with him and worked with him.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He ended up having a decent year, but I was
pretty sure he didn’t have a chance at life, and that I’d be reading about him
negatively in the newspaper.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>About
twelve years passed, and someone in the office called me on the speaker to ask
if I would see a visitor in my room.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I
said, “Sure”- wondering who it would be.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>In walked this handsome man in his twenties wearing a navy officer’s
uniform.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That was my former
student!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Who would have guessed that he
would have been a star diver on Saginaw High’s swim team, joined the navy,
became a husband and father, and gotten his life together?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Not me!<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>I guess I learned my lesson.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If
he could do it, anybody could do it!<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>That was the last student I pre-judged.</font></font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">So
what do we want to remember for the week? “Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover” or
“People judge others by what they look like, but God judges people by what is
in their hearts” and so should we.</font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><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 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><font color="#000000" size="3">
.</font></font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Blessed
preaching,</font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Judy
Boli</font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">St.
Paul's Episcopal Church</font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Saginaw,
Michigan</font></div>
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