<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></head><body><div>Forwarded: </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div id="composer_signature"><div style="font-size:85%;color:#575757" dir="auto">Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.</div></div><div><br></div><div style="font-size:100%;color:#000000"><!-- originalMessage --><div>-------- Original message --------</div><div>From: Judy <judy_boli@ecunet.org> </div><div>Date: 11/05/2019 8:25 pm (GMT-04:00) </div><div>To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic@ecunet.org> </div><div>Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Easter $C: “To Whom Are You Listening?” or “Do You Qualify?” </div><div><br></div></div><div dir="ltr">
<p style="line-height:normal;mso-mirror-indents:yes">Dear
Friends,</p>
<p style="line-height:normal;mso-mirror-indents:yes"> </p>
<p style="line-height:normal;mso-mirror-indents:yes">This
Sunday’s sermon is entitled “To Whom Are You Listening?” or “Do You Qualify?” and
is based on the gospel (John 10: 22-30).<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>Here it is: <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p>
<p style="line-height:normal;mso-mirror-indents:yes"> </p>
<p style="line-height:normal;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Does anyone remember to old hymn- “Jesus Calls Us,” by
Cecil Alexander?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It goes like this:</span></p>
<p style="margin-left:.5in;mso-add-space:auto;
line-height:normal;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">“Jesus
calls us over the tumult of our life’s wild, restless, sea;</span></p>
<p style="margin-left:.5in;mso-add-space:auto;
line-height:normal;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Day by
day His sweet voice soundeth, saying, ‘Christian, follow Me!’”</span></p>
<p style="line-height:normal;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Today’s gospel says the same thing- just not in song. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Jesus says, “My sheep know my voice, and I
know them. They follow me, and I give them eternal life, so that they will
never be lost. No one can snatch them out of my hand” (John <st1:time w:st="on" minute="27" hour="10">10:27</st1:time>-28).</span></p>
<p style="line-height:normal;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:8.0pt"> </span></p>
<p style="line-height:normal;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Did you notice the wonderful promises for God’s
sheep?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They’re proclaimed in today’s
Bible readings.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’m just going to list
them here:</span></p>
<ol type="1" style="margin-top:0in" start="1">
<li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family:; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Eternal life</span></li>
<li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family:; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Never lost</span></li>
<li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family:; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">No one can snatch them out of God’s hand.</span></li>
</ol>
<p style="line-height:normal;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Then we have all the comforting promises in the 23<sup>rd</sup>
Psalm.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We recite it at every funeral.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Let’s say the King James Version of that
beloved Psalm together: “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for
his name’s sake.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Yea, though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art
with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou
anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all
the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”</span></p>
<p style="line-height:normal;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:8.0pt"> </span></p>
<p style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:
11.0pt">There’s only one problem- true enough- these are wonderful promises,
but- do you qualify?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Let me tell you a
story that hopefully will clarify this question.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Until the terrible war and violence erupted
all over the <st1:place w:st="on">Middle East</st1:place>, I used to want to go
to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>
and walk on the very ground that Jesus trod.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>Our wonderful friend- now in heaven with her Lord, Deacon Joan Kemp
actually made it, and this story is about a traveler who also made it.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He truly had a chance to see sheep following
their own particular shepherd.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>“This
tourist was traveling in the <st1:place w:st="on">Middle East</st1:place>. He
saw three shepherds whose flocks had intermingled while drinking water from a
brook. One of the shepherds turned toward the sheep and called out, ‘Manah.
Manah. Manah.’ (Manah means, ‘follow me’ in Arabic.) Immediately his sheep
separated themselves from the rest and followed him.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Then one of the two remaining shepherds
called out, ‘Manah. Manah.’ and his sheep left the common flock to follow him.
The traveler then said to the third shepherd, ‘I would like to try that. Let me
put on your cloak and turban and see if I can get the rest of the sheep to
follow me.’<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The shepherd smiled
knowingly as the traveler wrapped himself in the cloak, put the turban on his
head and called out, ‘Manah. Manah.’ The sheep did not respond to the
stranger's voice. Not one of them moved toward him. ‘Will the sheep ever follow
someone other than you?’ The traveler asked.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>‘Oh yes,’ the shepherd replied, ‘sometimes a sheep gets sick, and then
it will follow anyone.’” (John M. Braaten, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">The
Greatest Wonder of All</i>)<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></p>
<p style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:
8.0pt"> </span></p>
<p style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:
11.0pt">The answer to the question: “Do you qualify?” depends on you.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>You know, we live in a sick, polluted culture
of violence, anger, greed, selfishness, and misuse of God’s precious gift of
sex.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>American culture’s chief value can
be summed up in four words: “It’s all about me!”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Have you been brainwashed by American
culture’s values, or are you true to Jesus values?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Which shepherd do you follow?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Look at your actions- don’t bother to listen
to your words, as you decide.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’m about
to meddle.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Do you courageously speak
God’s truth to help a victim, or do you remain silent- afraid to be called a
snitch.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Are you completely honest, or do
you take what is not yours if you can get away with it?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Do you keep your promises- even if you don’t
feel like it, or do you make excuses?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Do
you help only yourself or those in your family, or do you lend a hand to anyone
who needs it?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Are you loyal to your
boyfriend, girlfriend, significant other, fiancé, wife; or do you have affairs
behind their back?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Do you come to church
every Sunday, or only when it’s not too inconvenient?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Do you cheat to win and/or get good grades,
or are you a person of honor?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Do you act
like a devil behind the wheel, but then like a Christian in church, or do you
respect others- even when no one knows who you are?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Do you follow your peers, or do you think for
yourself?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>How do you act when you’re
really angry or frustrated?</span></p>
<p style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:
8.0pt"> </span></p>
<p style="line-height:normal;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">I can hear you now- “Oh, Rev. Judy!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>You don’t understand!”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>If you’re thinking this, you need to know- I
DO understand!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I understand following
Jesus as your shepherd requires love for God, dedication, and
self-sacrifice.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The devil’s way starts
out as the easy way.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Do you remember
last week’s thought for the week: “How do you want to spend eternity- smoking
or non-smoking?”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I intend to follow
Jesus and not our sick culture; and I intend to attain God’s promises.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>What about you?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Amen.</span></p>
<p style="line-height:normal"> </p>
<p style="line-height:normal;tab-stops:.25in;
mso-mirror-indents:yes">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 href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org/">http://www.stpaulsepisag.org</a>
.</p>
<p style="line-height:normal;mso-mirror-indents:yes"> </p>
<p style="line-height:normal;mso-mirror-indents:yes">Blessed
preaching,</p>
<p style="line-height:normal;mso-mirror-indents:yes">Judy
Boli</p>
<p style="line-height:normal;mso-mirror-indents:yes">St.
Paul's Episcopal Church</p>
<p style="line-height:normal;mso-mirror-indents:yes">Saginaw,
Michigan</p>
</div>
<p></p>
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