<font color='black' size='4' face='Times New Roman, Times, serif'>Forwarded: <br>
<br>
<br>
<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, Apr 20, 2019 6:19 pm<br>
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon- Easter: "Claim Life!"<br>
<br>
<div id="yiv8958702810">
<div dir="ltr">
<div style="line-height:normal;">Dear
Friends,</div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"> </div>
<div style="line-height:normal;">This
Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Easter- Claim Life!” and is based on the gospel (John
20:1-18).<span> </span>Here it is: <span> </span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"> </div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><span>Happy Easter!<span> </span>Did anyone get a
chocolate bunny yet today?<span> </span>A chocolate
egg?<span> </span>A chocolate ANYTHING?<span> </span>We’ve got very small Easter baskets for our
children- fun stuff.<span> </span>Yes, as you know, I
love chocolate, but that’s not what Easter really is.<span> </span>Don’t settle for the play Easter- the one with
chocolate bunnies and cream eggs and jelly beans and baskets.<span> </span>Enjoy that one, but claim the real thing, the
Easter with resurrection power!<span> </span>Let’s
look at what happened, and then let’s see what it might mean for your life if
you will just allow God to work..</span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">We are all aware of how atrociously painful Jesus’ last days were, but-
if you think about it, his friends had also lived in crisis.<span> </span>The entire week had been unbelievably bad for
all of Jesus’ friends- actually going from terrible to worse.<span> </span>They’d watched everyone turn against him;
with even his disciples leaving him to face his worst times alone. They saw the
trial, the beatings, the mocking, the torture, his execution, and his
burial.<span> </span>Worse yet, because the Sabbath
was approaching, they couldn’t even give Jesus a proper burial- his body had to
be just quickly placed in the grave and locked in with a huge stone.<span> </span>Early Sunday morning, the women went to
anoint the body of Jesus.<span> </span>When they got
there, the stone was rolled away, the body was gone, and the risen Christ
appeared to the very first disciple- Mary Magdaline!</span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">That’s what happened.<span> </span>What’s it
to you?<span> </span>Let me tell you what Easter
means to me.<span> </span>It’s not just the door to
the tomb that’s open- LIFE is open!<span>
</span>Check it out. From the word “OPEN: </span></div>
<ul type="disc" style="margin-top:0in;">
<li style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">“O”- I have an open door to
heaven!<span> </span>I’ll see Fr. Bill
again!<span> </span>Thank you Jesus!</span></li>
<li style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">“P”- I have power for living and
loving and overcoming now!<span> </span>Thank
you Jesus!</span></li>
<li style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">“E”- EVERYONE!<span> </span>Jesus’ overcoming death and offering
full, meaningful life is for everyone- just accept Him. Thank you Jesus!</span></li>
<li style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">“N”- Negatives can’t overwhelm me-
can’t keep me stuck!<span> </span>By the power
of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we CAN OVERCOME! </span></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">So, are you an Easter person yet?<span> </span>If not, why not become one!<span> </span>Wishing won’t do it.<span> </span>Living in the past won’t do it.<span> </span>Making a decision to live as Jesus’ Easter
people will.<span> </span></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">Did you hear the story of the depressed man and his
friend who tried to cheer him up?<span> </span>The
man said to his friend: “Say, you look depressed. What are you thinking
about?”<span> </span>“My future,” was the quick
answer.<span> </span>“What makes it look so
hopeless?”<span> </span>“My past.” </span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">There- did I get you thinking?<span>
</span>WE’RE NOT HOPELESS!<span> </span>I’m going to
close with a story Easter, 2013.<span> </span>The
famous minister Norman Vincent Peale (who wrote <i>The Power of Positive </i>Thinking)
once traveled to Hong Kong . As he passed a
local tattoo shop, he noticed some of the designs people could have tattooed on
their bodies - a flag, a dagger, and various slogans. One slogan especially
caught his eye: “Born to Lose.” He was curious and went inside to ask about it.
“Do people really ask for that tattoo?” he asked. “Yes,” the owner
replied.<span> </span>Someone that very day had just
asked for it, in fact. “Why in the world,” asked Dr. Peale, “would anyone want
to be branded with a saying like that?”<span>
</span>The old man shrugged and said, “Before the tattoo is needled into the
body, that tattoo is already branded on the mind.”<span> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">One of our thoughts for the week said, “Life’s not the way it’s
supposed to be. It’s the way it is.<span> </span>The
way you cope with it is what makes the difference” (Virginia Satir).<span> </span>My friends- don’t let your past determine
your future!<span> </span>Your past is the diving
board, God’s Easter power is the spring in the springboard to your future.<span> </span>Easter power reminds us that the future
belongs to God and you.<span> </span>Think BIG!<span> </span>If you can conceive it, and God wants you to
do it, the sky’s the limit; and the Risen Christ can give you the power to
overcome!<span> </span>Jesus rose, so make Easter
choices and follow Him.</span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"> </div>
<div style="line-height:normal;">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: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org/">http://www.stpaulsepisag.org</a>
.</div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"> </div>
<div style="line-height:normal;">Blessed
preaching,</div>
<div style="line-height:normal;">Judy
Boli</div>
<div style="line-height:normal;">St.
Paul's Episcopal Church</div>
<div style="line-height:normal;">Saginaw,
Michigan</div>
</div>
<div></div>
-- <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 rel="noopener noreferrer" ymailto="mailto:propertalk.topic+unsubscribe@ecunet.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:propertalk.topic+unsubscribe@ecunet.org">propertalk.topic+unsubscribe@ecunet.org</a>.<br>
</div>
</div>
</font>