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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, Nov 3, 2018 10:20 pm<br>
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for All Saints' Sunday: "Where Are the Saints?"<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 “All Saints” or “Does the Son Shine through You?” or
“Where Are the Saints?” and deals with all the lessons.<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:16px 0px;line-height:normal;"><span style="margin:0px;font-size:11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000">Happy All Saints’ Day Sunday!<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>We
know about ChristMass and Easter and even Pentecost- but what in the world is
All Saints’ Sunday?<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Would you believe
that All Saints is as ancient a Christian holiday as ChristMass?<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Both were started in the 300’s (about 300
years after Jesus was born).<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>All Saints
began as a holiday to remember those Christian martyrs who were murdered for
following Jesus.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Some 300 years later,
people began honoring just plain, ordinary folk along with those special people
who were killed for their faith.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>This is
fitting, because you know that the word “martyr” means witness; and many of
those fine ordinary people were wonderful witnesses to our Lord.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>You know the connection between All Saints’
Day and Halloween?<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Christian holidays
start the night before at sundown.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>(This
is why we celebrate the ChristMass after sundown on December 24<sup>th</sup>
instead of waiting until ChristMass day, December 25<sup>th</sup>.)<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Well- people used to be more superstitious
than we are now, so they thought those who were being honored (in other words-
dead people) wandered around that night as ghosts.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Some people dressed up to scare them and
others dressed up as ghostly beings to scare other people.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>It didn’t take long for business owners to
figure out they could make a LOT of money by adding “trick or treat!”<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>In our time, All Saints is a day in which we
make new saints by baptizing them; we review our own lives to see if we are
acting like saints; and we remember our loved ones who have already made their
transition to the church triumphant (i.e. heaven).<span style="margin:0px;"> </span></font></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"> </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">So, what is a saint?<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Do you have
to be dead to be one?<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>If you want to be
one of those “capital ‘S’ saints” the Roman Catholic Church beatifies, the
answer is yes.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>But there are a lot of
common ordinary saints- “small ‘s’ saints”- some alive, some already in heaven
with Jesus, who have truly made a wonderful difference in this world.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>So what is a saint?<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>A mother once asked her little boy this same
question.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>He said, “Look mother; I’ll
show you.”<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>He took his mother by the hand
and led her to one of those stained glass windows with people wearing
halos.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>“You can always tell the saints,”
he said, “because they’re the people whom the sun shines through.”<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>“Small ‘s’ saints” are us- those of us who
have been baptized and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Our calling, just as the little child said,
is to let the sun (God’s Son) shine through our lives.</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"> </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">So- saints- how are you doing?<span style="margin:0px;">
</span>Are you letting Jesus, the Son, shine through your life?<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>The best way to tell is to check your life,
not in the easy times but in the hard times.<span style="margin:0px;">
</span>Did you notice the thought for the week: “People are like tea bags- you
have to put them in hot water before you know how strong they are”
(anonymous).<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Please look at
Ecclesiasticus 2:1, “Students, if you decide to worship and obey the Lord, be
ready to face problems.”<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>All the
“capital ‘S’ saints” faced huge problems in life; in fact- every human being
faces huge problems in life.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>It’s how
you face these problems, it’s how I face these problems- doing it my way or
God’s way, that determines if we are going to have a truly blessed life.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>A good test can be found in the Beatitudes
from today’s gospel (Matthew 5:3-10).<span style="margin:0px;">
</span>Please note- doing these things will NOT get you into heaven.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Only the blood of Jesus, the Christ, will do
that.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>These will test how you’re doing
in letting the Son shine through your life to others.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Are you living God’s way?<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Let’s check: God blesses those people
who.....</font></span></div>
<div style="margin:16px 0px 16px 48px;line-height:normal;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin:0px;font-family:Wingdings;font-size:11pt;"><span style="margin:0px;">U<span style="font:7pt New;margin:0px;font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="margin:0px;font-size:11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">Depend only on him.<span style="margin:0px;">
</span>Our culture teaches us to depend on our money or power or smarts to get us
through tough times.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Our bottom line is
GOD!<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Only God is in charge.</font></span></font></div>
<div style="margin:16px 0px 16px 48px;line-height:normal;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin:0px;font-family:Wingdings;font-size:11pt;"><span style="margin:0px;">U<span style="font:7pt New;margin:0px;font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="margin:0px;font-size:11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">Grieve- why?<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Grieving
the loss of someone else is proof that you’ve lived your life loving other
people- or at least loving one other person.<span style="margin:0px;">
</span>If you don’t ever love anyone, how can you grieve for them when they’re
gone?<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Our culture’s way is to be independent-
depend on no one, and be stingy about giving away your heart.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span></font></span></font></div>
<div style="margin:16px 0px 16px 48px;line-height:normal;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin:0px;font-family:Wingdings;font-size:11pt;"><span style="margin:0px;">U<span style="font:7pt New;margin:0px;font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="margin:0px;font-size:11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">Are humble.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>As
you know, this word means something different in our common language.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>When the Bible uses the word “humble,” it
means “reality oriented- knowing what we know and don’t know; knowing our
strengths and weaknesses.”<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Humble people
don’t say, “I am the greatest!”<span style="margin:0px;">
</span>Why?<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Because only God is great.</font></span></font></div>
<div style="margin:16px 0px 16px 48px;line-height:normal;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin:0px;font-family:Wingdings;font-size:11pt;"><span style="margin:0px;">U<span style="font:7pt New;margin:0px;font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="margin:0px;font-size:11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">Want to obey God more than to eat or drink?<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Our culture teaches us to say, “I’ll do it my
way.”<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>That doesn’t even work for
two-year-olds, and it surely doesn’t work for us.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>It’s God’s way that works!<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>It’s like the directions on the back of the
cake mix box.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Go ahead and put mustard,
catsup, and sardines in the batter if you choose; but if you want a good cake-
you’d better make it the way the creator of that cake mix says.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>The same with people.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Who made us?<span style="margin:0px;">
</span>We’d better follow our Creator God’s directions.</font></span></font></div>
<div style="margin:16px 0px 16px 48px;line-height:normal;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin:0px;font-family:Wingdings;font-size:11pt;"><span style="margin:0px;">U<span style="font:7pt New;margin:0px;font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal;"> </span></span></span><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin:0px;font-size:11pt;">Are merciful.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Our
culture teaches us to take revenge, but I’m here to tell you that revenge
doesn’t work- it just feels good for a while.<span style="margin:0px;">
</span>Jesus pointed out that even limited revenge (an eye for an eye and a
tooth for a tooth) doesn’t work, because what goes around comes around; and
pretty soon everyone who lives by revenge would be blind and toothless.</span><font size="3"> </font></font></font><span style="margin:0px;"></span></div>
<div style="margin:16px 0px 16px 48px;line-height:normal;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin:0px;font-family:Wingdings;font-size:11pt;"><span style="margin:0px;">U<span style="font:7pt New;margin:0px;font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="margin:0px;font-size:11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">Have pure <span style="margin:0px;"> </span>hearts:
not hypocrites- talking holy and not behaving like a Christian.</font></span></font></div>
<div style="margin:16px 0px 16px 48px;line-height:normal;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin:0px;font-family:Wingdings;font-size:11pt;"><span style="margin:0px;">U<span style="font:7pt New;margin:0px;font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="margin:0px;font-size:11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">Make peace.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Our
culture teaches us to start things and then step back and enjoy the fireworks.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>If we all lived this way, life would be hell.</font></span></font></div>
<div style="margin:16px 0px 16px 48px;line-height:normal;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin:0px;font-family:Wingdings;font-size:11pt;"><span style="margin:0px;">U<span style="font:7pt New;margin:0px;font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="margin:0px;font-size:11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">Are treated badly for doing right.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Why?<span style="margin:0px;">
</span>Because it means you have backbone!<span style="margin:0px;">
</span>It means you have integrity!<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Peer
pressure is the coward’s way.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>We weren’t
called to be cowards!<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>We were called to
be God’s children.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Our values aren’t
shaped by our friends.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>We choose to have
our values shaped by God.</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 allow the light of Jesus, the Son of God, to
shine through our lives so we may be counted among the saints when he comes for
us.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>At that time, may we- along with St.
Mary and St. Paul and Martin Luther King. Jr. and all the saints hear, “Well
done good and faithful servant.<span style="margin:0px;"> </span>Enter
into the joys of your Lord.” (Matthew 25:23b).<span style="margin:0px;">
</span>Amen.</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 rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org/"><u><font color="#0000ff">http://www.stpaulsepisag.org</font></u></a></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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