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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, May 25, 2019 7:05 pm<br>
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Easter 6G: “No Jesus- No Peace; Know Jesus- Know Peace”<br>
<br>
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<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 <span> </span><span> </span>“No Jesus- No Peace; Know Jesus- Know Peace” and
is based on the gospel (John 14: 23-29).<span>
</span>Here it is: <span> </span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"> </div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">This morning, we heard Jesus promise peace to his
disciples when he said, “I give you peace- the kind of peace that only I can
give.<span> </span>It isn’t like the peace that this
world can give.<span> </span>So don’t be worried or
afraid (John 14:27 ).<span> </span>We’re not talking about “peace” as in “peace
and quiet.”<span> </span>We’re not even talking about
“peace” as in the absence of conflict.<span>
</span>When we talk about “the peace of God” we’re talking about a deep sense
of centeredness that comes from the sure knowledge that God is in charge and
nothing can happen to me that God and I can’t handle.<span> </span>God’s peace doesn’t mean the storms of life
won’t hit.<span> </span>It does mean we won’t be
shipwrecked, because Jesus is at the helm.<span>
</span>Do you remember how some years ago Fr. Bill and I used to go on cruises?<span> </span>Some of the harbors our ship would dock in had
treacherous entrances.<span> </span>When we were
cruising and approached such a harbor, our ship would slow down and a “pilot
boat” would pull up along the side of the ship.<span>
</span>A pilot (who was an expert on that particular harbor) would get out of
the little boat and board our ship, go up to the bridge (where the captain
guided the vessel) and take over the controls.<span>
</span>He or she then would get us through the tight spots so the ship could
dock.<span> </span>That’s what Jesus promises to do
for us when we face difficult times in our lives.<span> </span>There’s a song I learned when I was a little
girl (written by Edward Hopper) that points this out.<span> </span>It goes like this: </span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">“Jesus, Savior, pilot me over life’s tempestuous
sea.</span></div>
<div style="margin-left:1.0in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">Unknown waves before me roll
hiding rock and treacherous shoal.</span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">Chart and compass come from Thee.<span> </span>Jesus, Savior, pilot me.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">So- if Jesus promises peace,
why are so many Christians nervous wrecks?<span>
</span>What keeps us from claiming Jesus’ promise?<span> </span>What interferes with our peace?</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;">WHAT INTERFERES?<span>
</span>WE KEEP FIRING JESUS FROM HIS PILOT POSITION.</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;"><span> </span>We keep grabbing the wheel from Jesus’ hands
and steering our lives ourselves.<span> </span>Either
that, or we have too many pilots competing with Jesus for the wheel of our
lives.<span> </span>Did you hear about the young man
who was looking through the selection of valentines in a card shop?<span> </span>“Excuse me,” he said to the clerk. “Do you
have any cards that say something like ‘For My One and Only True Love?’”<span> </span>“Yes, we do,” said the clerk.<span> </span>“Oh good!” says the young man, “I'd like six of
them.”<span> </span>That’s what we do to Jesus.<span> </span>We tell him he’s our first Love, but then we
place ourselves and our money and our cars and all sorts of other things as his
competition.<span> </span>To have God’s peace, Jesus
must be first in our lives.</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;">WHAT INTERFERES?<span> </span>A BITTER,
POISONED SPIRIT.<span> </span>Why do you think Jesus
reminds us in the Lord’s Prayer, “Forgive us our sins AS (i.e. the same way) we
forgive those who sin against us”?<span> </span>A
poisoned spirit blocks our peace.<span>
</span>Forgive anybody you’re mad at.<span>
</span>Your anger doesn’t hurt them; it only hurts you by poisoning your spirit
and blocking your access to God and his peace.</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;">WHAT INTERFERES?<span> </span>A COMPETITIVE
SPIRIT THAT IS FOREVER TRYING TO BE BETTER THAN SOMEONE ELSE.<span> </span>We all have our own unique giftedness- things
we do well and things we’re not so good at.<span>
</span>Don’t compare yourself with someone else.<span> </span>Be the best YOU can be.<span> </span>This type of competitive spirit blocks our peace.<span> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><span>WHAT
INTERFERES?<span> </span>BUSYNESS!<span> </span>I got a conch shell on one of our
cruises.<span> </span>If you put it up to your ear,
you’d swear you’re listening to the ocean.<span>
</span>Now, not everyone can hear a sound like the ocean?<span> </span>Why?<span>
</span>To hear, we have to stop and be still and really focus and then wait and
listen.<span> </span>The same is true with our
relationship with God.<span> </span>No matter how
busy your life is, if you want God as your daily companion, if you want the
power, if you want the peace, if you want to do anything but rush through life-
experience by experience, you’ve simply got to find a time to stop and focus
and say your prayers and read something about the Word, and confess your sins
and listen to him as you organize your priorities for the day.<span> </span>You know how some people force themselves
awake, stumble out of bed, and mutter, “Good Lord, it’s morning.”<span> </span>Don’t you be that way.<span> </span>When you open your eyes, don’t say, “Good
Lord, it’s morning!”<span> </span>Instead, say “Good
morning, Lord.”<span> </span>Then shut off the radio,
shut off the TV, say your prayers, and give God your day.<span> </span>You’ll notice the difference.</span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><span> </span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">WHAT INTERFERES?<span>
</span>OUR SINFUL SELFISH NATURES.<span> </span></span><span>Think of the shell again.<span> </span></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">If you
put it up to your ear and really listen, you’d swear you’re listening to the
ocean, but you’re not.<span> </span>With all the
outside sounds muffled by the shell, what we actually hear is the rush and beat
of our own blood- which sounds like the ocean.<span>
</span>If we’re not careful, we live our lives this way- so full of ourselves
that we think we’re listening to God but we’re actually only hearing our own
voices.<span> </span>Our way doesn’t bring
peace.<span> </span>Only God’s way brings peace.<span> </span>Listen to God.</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 my favorite poems is “Footprints.” I like it
because it reminds us how Jesus gives us his peace in difficult times.<span> </span>As you recall, the poem goes like this: </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><span> </span>“One night I dreamed I was walking along the
beach with my Lord.<span> </span>Many scenes from my
life flashed across the sky.<span> </span>In each
scene I noticed footprints in the sand.<span>
</span>Sometimes there were two sets of footprints in the sand; other times
there was only one.<span> </span>This bothered me,
because I noticed that during the difficult periods of my life, when I was
suffering from anguish, sorrow, or defeat, I could see only one set of
footprints, so I said to the Lord, ‘You promised me, Lord, that if I followed
you, you would walk with me always.<span> </span>But
I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has been only
one set of footprints in the sand.<span> </span>Why,
when I have needed you most, have you not been there for me?’<span> </span>The Lord replied, ‘My precious, precious
child!.<span> </span>I would never leave you or
desert you!<span> </span>The times when you see only
one set of footprints in the sand- those are the times when I carried you.’</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;">Last night when I was
putting the finishing touches on today’s sermon, I began to think how stupid
and peace-destroying it would be to grab the wheel and try to steer ourselves
through life- forgetting about the charts and compass of the pilot in whose
hands we have entrusted our lives.<span> </span>How
stupid it would be, but how tempting it would be to do it my way.<span> </span>And I thought of a parody I’d heard of the
above poem.<span> </span>It goes like this:</span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">“One night I had a wondrous dream, </span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">One set of footprints there were seen, </span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">The footprints of my precious Lord, </span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">But mine were not along the shore. </span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">But then some stranger prints appeared, </span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">And I asked the Lord, ‘What have we here?’ </span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">Those prints are large and round and neat, </span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">‘But Lord, they are too big for feet.’ </span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">‘My child,’ He said in somber tones, </span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">‘For miles I carried you alone. </span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">I challenged you to walk in faith, </span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">But you refused and made me wait. </span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">You disobeyed, you would not grow, </span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">The walk of faith, you would not know, </span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">So I got tired, I got fed up, </span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">And there I dropped you on your butt. </span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">Because in life, there comes a time, </span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">When one must fight, and one must climb. </span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">When one must rise and take a stand </span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:normal;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">Or leave their butt prints in the sand.’” </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;">My friends, only Jesus’ way
brings peace.<span> </span>May God bless us as we
claim our heritage of peace.</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>
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