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From: Judy <judy_boli@ecunet.org><br>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic@ecunet.org><br>
Sent: Sat, Jul 14, 2018 8:54 pm<br>
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 10B: "John, the Baptist"<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 size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000">This
Sunday’s sermon is entitled “John, the Baptist!” and deals with the gospel (Mark
6:14-29).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Here it is: <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: 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">This morning we heard
about one of the strangest characters in the Bible- John the Baptist.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He was the last of the Old Covenant prophets
and had the job of preparing the way for Jesus.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Even his beginnings were unusual.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>John’s parents, Elizabeth and Zechariah, were childless and way too old
to have children.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Elizabeth was Mary’s cousin and Zechariah was
a priest in the temple.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>One day,
Zechariah was doing his job in the temple when the angel Gabriel appeared and
told him that he and his wife would have a baby, who was to be named John.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Zechariah doubted the angel, so he was struck
dumb.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Shortly after this incident and
against all odds, Elizabeth
became pregnant.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s obvious that
Zechariah and Elizabeth were accepting, compassionate people because after the
Virgin Mary became pregnant, she spent some time with them- probably to gain
courage to face everyone when she began to “show.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Well, in due time the child promised to
Zechariah and Elizabeth
was born; and when he was circumcised and presented in the temple, everyone was
about to name him “Zechariah” after his father.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>It was the custom of the day to name children after a relative.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Zechariah still could not speak, so he communicated
by writing, “His name is John.”<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Immediately, Zechariah’s speech impediment vanished.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Those watching these happenings wondered what
kind of a man this “John” would turn out to be.</font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They
were wise to wonder, because this “John”, actually “John the Baptist” was truly
unusual- many must have wondered about his sanity.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>While others lived in comfortable houses, he
lived in the desert.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>While others
dressed fashionably (or at least comfortably), he wore an itchy camel
skin.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>While others ate fish and bread
and occasionally some meat, he ate what he could find- usually locusts and wild
honey.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He spent his time baptizing
people in the Jordan River, giving them a
second chance to enter the Promised Land following God’s way.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>As you recall, Jesus (John’s second cousin)
was baptized by John.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When he wasn’t
baptizing, he was preaching.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He
encouraged the common people to repent and return to God, but he infuriated
those in power by calling them “snakes”- not a very good way to get ahead.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When King Herod married his sister-in-law,
John condemned the whole affair.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Needless to say, he had many enemies in high places.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Herod was so angry with John’s meddling that
he threw him in prison.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>While John was
there he must have experienced a period of doubt, because he sent some of his
followers to ask Jesus if he was really the Messiah, or was he going through
all of this imprisonment for nothing.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Jesus sent them back with the message that the deaf hear, the blind see,
the lame walk, and the poor have the good news preached to them- in other
words- the Jubilee message.</font></font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">One of John’s most dangerous
enemies was Herodias, the sister-in-law whom King Herod married.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>One day, Herod threw a party (actually a
birthday banquet).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>After all the men at
the party were drunk, Salome (daughter of Herodias) really turned them on with
her dancing.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Herod was so impressed that
he promised her anything she wanted, even half of his kingdom.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Salome asked her mother what she should
request, and the answer came back clearly: “Ask for the head of John the
Baptist on a platter.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Since Herod
didn’t want to look like a fool in front of his friends by going back on his
word, that’s just what happened.</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Out of the strange life of
one of God’s greatest prophets, what’s the message for us?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Here are five thoughts:</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px 16px 24px; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font face="Times New Roman">1)</font><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">John didn’t follow the crowd
and neither should we.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Don’t worry what
everyone expects you to do.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Instead, be
true to yourself and your Christian values- especially “Love one another as
much as I have loved you.</font></span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px 16px 24px; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font face="Times New Roman">2)</font><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">Be careful about judging
people by their appearances- these days: tattoos, piercings, drooping pants,
hair, etc.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Look, if John the Baptist
walked in here right now, I’m here to tell you that we’d probably get a little
nervous because (to put it mildly) he’d look different.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Actually, we’d probably wonder if we had a
crazy man in here!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If we didn’t take him
seriously, we would have missed one of the holiest people in the Bible.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Remember, Jesus comes to us in other
people.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(“Whatever you do to the least
of these, my sisters or brothers, you do to me.”)<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Don’t diminish anyone just because of how he
looks or talks or what she wears.</font></span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px 16px 24px; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font face="Times New Roman">3)</font><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">We love second chances for
ourselves.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>As God has given us many
second chances, so must we do the same for others.</font></span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px 16px 24px; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font face="Times New Roman">4)</font><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">Watch those promises.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Be careful about making them, and if you
realize you’ve made an unloving one- face up to it and risk looking foolish,
but don’t keep it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Love, not honor, is
our Christian expectation.</font></span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px 16px 24px; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font face="Times New Roman">5)</font><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">If you meet people who
aren’t quite sure about this “Jesus event,” be kind.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Remember, even John had his doubts when times
were hard and he was in prison.</font></span></font></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">May God bless us as we try to faithfully
follow our Lord in this difficult world.</font></span></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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