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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Judy [mailto:judy_boli@ecunet.org] <br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, June 22, 2018 10:49 PM<br><b>To:</b> Propertalk<br><b>Subject:</b> [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 7B: “David and Goliath” or “What Storm?” or “Be All that You Can Be!”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='color:black'>Dear Friends,</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='color:black'>This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “David and Goliath” or “What Storm?” or “Be All that You Can Be!” and deals with the Old Testament lesson (1<sup>st</sup> Samuel 17:32-39) and the gospel (Matthew 4: 35-41). Here it is: </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='color:black'>Today we heard two of my very favorite Bible stories: “David and Goliath” and “Jesus Calms the Storm”. Both of these episodes- one in the life of Mighty King David and one in the life of Mighty King Jesus. Let me ask you a question- Do you have any storms, any Goliaths, any evil giants in your life? Paul did. His very precious Christian sisters and brothers in Corinth were telling disrespectful lies about him. Have you ever had people you love and trust lie about you or stop respecting you? That’s a storm. That’s a giant. Then there’s the psalmist talking about how wonderful it is when kinfolk live in peace. We know that doesn’t always happen. Have you ever had discord, hatred in your own family- relationships, even marriages falling apart? That’s a storm. That’s a giant. Other possible storms: financial troubles, kid troubles, job troubles, education troubles, housing troubles, chronic illness troubles, addictions, car troubles, self-doubt, fear, panic-attacks. We just finished listing a few of the possible personal troubles. What about trouble on a larger scale- terrorists, gang violence, racism, sexism, ageism, global warming, this cruelty on our border? If you will open your mind to God’s word this morning, these two stories contain gems of wisdom for dealing with storms, giants, evil.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='color:black'>FIRST GEM: DON’T PANIC. GOD IS IN CHARGE. What was Jesus doing while the disciples were panicking as they tried to ride out the storm? Sure, he was asleep. When they woke him up, you could almost hear him say, “What storm?” What kind of attitude did little David have as he faced the huge Goliath? Look at 1<sup>st</sup> Samuel 17: 47: “The LORD doesn't need swords or spears to save his people. The LORD always wins his battles.” The prophet Zechariah reminds us (4:6b): “’Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord.” God is in charge, but there’s one problem with this truth. Remember how we pray “Your Kingdom come” in the Lord’s Prayer. Just be sure you’re on God’s side, and you haven’t tried to make God be on your side. God will win- so if your life isn’t working out as you wish, check it out. Are you living God’s way or are you making excuses why your way is best. Be sure the giants in your life aren’t being used by God to get you to change your ways. Be sure they aren’t the natural consequences of your actions. Once you’re sure that you’re on God’s side, take Jesus’ example and relax, sleep even through the storm. Give your worries (even the gigantic ones) to God. There’s no point in both of you being up all night, and God’s going to be up anyway. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='color:black'>SECOND GEM: BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE. DON’T TRY TO BE SOMEBODY ELSE. When King Saul tried to get David to wear his armor and use his weapons, David was wise enough to use the tools HE was comfortable with- his slingshot and five smooth stones. Don’t try to be someone else. Be yourself. Claim your own history, your own spiritual gifts. Wishing forever won’t make you richer or poorer, fatter or thinner, darker or lighter, older or younger. Wishing won’t change who your parents are or how they treated you. Wishing won’t change how some people treat you or undo the mistakes you’ve made in the past. Use the tools you have so you and God can overcome those giants you face. Those parts of your life that simply “grind” you- they can destroy you or they can become part of your own unique spiritual and personal power. When a small grain of sand gets inside an oyster shell, the oyster has two choices. He can simply decide life is no longer worth living, or else he can do the best he can with what he has. As time passes, the oyster’s body encases the irritant with layer after layer of a smooth coating, so the oyster can continue functioning. What’s the result? What started as a problem has become a pearl. Sometimes God heals the negatives in our lives, as Jesus calmed the storm. Other times, he uses the negatives to produce pearls to enrich our lives and those of others. If good Christians had never faced awful problems and made huge mistakes in their lives, who could God use to help other people in similar difficulties? The apostle Paul asked God three times to heal him from an infirmity. God’s answer: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Accept who you are, improve what you can and give God the rest to use to help others.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='color:black'>THIRD GEM: DON’T JUST SIT THERE! THINK AND ACT OUTSIDE THE BOX. Isn’t that what David did when he agreed to fight the giant? Goliath’s statement was correct- whoever heard of a boy with a slingshot being sent to fight a man who has the latest weapons? Wishing won’t make it so- only prayer and action will change our lives and the lives of those we love. What’s your most powerful weapon? Holy Communion. The Christians in the Book of Acts received Holy Communion at least once a week- every Sunday. Are we better, more spiritually mature than they are? Use the power of your Holy Communion to start the changes you want to make in your life. Use the power of your Holy Communion to face those giants down and ride out whatever storm the devil puts in your path. So what is it that God wants you to do? What changes in your life need to be made? What do you need to give up, start up, strengthen up? I’m going to close with a story by Bruce Thielemann (“Tide Riding”) that shows how Satan thinks outside the box, so we must also. “Once Satan called to him all the emissaries of hell and said he wanted to send one of them to earth to aid women and men in the ruination of their souls. He asked which one would want to go. One creature came forward and said, ‘I will go.’ Satan said, ‘If I send you, what will you tell the children of Earth?’ The creature said, ‘I will tell them that there is no heaven.’ Satan said, ‘They will not believe you, for there is a bit of heaven in every human heart. In the end everyone knows that right and good must have the victory. You may not go.’</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='color:black'>Then another came forward, meaner and more foul than the first. Satan said, ‘If I send you, what will you tell the children of Earth?’ She said, ‘I will tell them there is no hell.’ Satan looked at her and said, ‘Oh, no; they will not believe you, for in every human heart there's a thing called conscience, an inner voice which testifies to the truth that not only will good be triumphant, but that evil will be defeated. You may not go.’ </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='color:black'>Then one last creature came forward, this one from the pit of hell itself. Satan said to him, ‘And if I send you, what will you say to women and men to aid them in the destruction of their souls?’ ‘That’s easy!’ he said. ‘I will tell them there is no hurry.’ Satan said, ‘Go!’” </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='color:black'>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: </span><a href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org/">http://www.stpaulsepisag.org</a><span style='color:black'> .</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='color:black'>Blessed preaching,</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='color:black'>Judy Boli</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='color:black'>St. Paul's Episcopal Church</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='color:black'>Saginaw, Michigan</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal>-- <br>You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Propertalk" group.<br>To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to <a href="mailto:propertalk.topic+unsubscribe@ecunet.org">propertalk.topic+unsubscribe@ecunet.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>