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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, Jul 13, 2019 8:28 pm<br>
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 10C: “God’s Plumb Line- How Do You Measure Up?” or “Remember the Yo-Yo”<br>
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<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">Dear Friends,</span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"> </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">This Sunday’s sermon is entitled<span> </span>“God’s Plumb Line- How Do You Measure Up?” or
“Remember the Yo-Yo” and is based on the Old Testament lesson (Amos 7: 7-17).<span> </span>Here it is: <span> </span></span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"> </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">Do you remember these things?<span> </span>(Show congregation a yo-yo.)<span> </span>When I was a little girl, I loved them.<span> </span>I practiced and practiced.<span> </span>My friends and I held competitions in my back
yard, and all of us dreamed we’d someday make the big time and go to one of the
real competitions and be famous.<span> </span>Is
there anyone else here who loved yo-yos too?<span>
</span>Why am I showing you this?<span>
</span>Because, if I let the string totally out so the yo-yo hangs down, it
looks like a plumb line.<span> </span>You know what a
plumb line is, don’t you.<span> </span>When a builder
is making a wall, he or she holds a plumb line against that wall to see if it’s
straight.<span> </span>If it is- fine; if not- that
wall needs to be torn down so the building won’t fall down at a later
date.<span> </span>Why am I telling you about this?<span> </span>Because in our Old Testament lesson, we heard
that God held a plumb line up to his people and found they didn’t measure
up.<span> </span>You know what he saw?<span> </span>Just like a yo-yo, they were up and down, up
and down, fine and terrible, fine and terrible!<span>
</span>What was God looking for?<span> </span>In the
parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus reminds us that we must love the LORD our
God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind and also we must love our
neighbor as much as we love ourselves.<span>
</span>Next week we’ll probably examine that plumb line in terms of loving God,
but this week we’ll measure our lives against the plumb line of loving our
neighbors as much as we love ourselves.<span> </span></span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"> </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">Those of you who have raised children or are raising
them now- do you remember asking your child to clean his or her room?<span> </span>Have you ever had your child say that the
room was clean, so you came in to inspect it and looked under the bed and
WOW!<span> </span>Everything that had been misplaced
was now stuffed under the bed.<span> </span>When you
asked your child about it, what did he or she say?<span> </span>“But mom, dad- just said I had to clean my
room.<span> </span>You didn’t say I had to clean under
my bed!”<span> </span>They were looking for an
“out.”<span> </span>In the parable of the Good
Samaritan, that’s exactly what the lawyer was trying to find- an “out”?<span> </span>When he asked Jesus exactly who his neighbor
was, what he really wanted to know was- not who he WAS but who he WASN’T, who
didn’t count, who he didn’t have to love (i.e. for whom he didn’t need to have
compassion).</span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"> </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">How did Jesus answer the question, “Who is my
neighbor?”<span> </span>As you know, Jews were the
enemies of Samaritans.<span> </span>Jews felt
superior to them to the extent that if the shadow of a Samaritan fell on a Jew,
he would wash it off and be unclean until he had scrubbed.<span> </span>By telling a story in which a Samaritan came
to the aid of the enemy of his people, Jesus was saying that your neighbor is
anyone who needs your help, anyone who needs your compassion- even your
enemy.<span> </span>Did you notice the “Thought for
the Week” (Leonard Sweet) on the back of the bulletin:</span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"><span> </span>Iron
rule--Do to others before they do to you- our society at its worst.</span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"><span> </span>Silver
rule--do to others as they do to you- the norm for our society.</span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"><span> </span>Golden
rule--do to others as you would have them do to you- our society at its best.</span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"><span> </span>Titanium
rule--do to others as Jesus has done to you- what Jesus expects.<span> </span>This is what the Good Samaritan did- he
treated the one in need as God in his mercy treats each one of us.<span> </span>That’s a heavy expectation!</span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"> </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">Let’s get that plumb line out again, but this time,
check it against your own life.<span> </span>So- who
is the neighbor God has placed in your life?<span>
</span>Who is a pain?<span> </span>Who grinds
you?<span> </span>Who asks for favors you don’t feel
like giving?<span> </span>Who acts superior, prettier
or more handsome, smarter, more holy?<span>
</span>Who borrows your things and doesn’t return them?<span> </span>Who gossips about you, instigates, lies about
you?<span> </span>Who has bad breath and smells up
your car or house?<span> </span>Who is unfair,
unkind, unpleasant?<span> </span>Who is dirty, ugly,
different, disliked?<span> </span>Who’s stingy and
doesn’t share- always getting, but never giving?<span> </span>Who is unlovable?<span> </span>There- that’s the neighbor God placed in your
life.<span> </span>That’s the person God intends for
you to love, to treat with compassion, to treat with the Titanium rule--do to
others as Jesus has done to you.<span> </span>One
mistake we often make in trying to live by the expectations of the Good
Samaritan is we look in the wrong place.<span>
</span>We expect to find a neighbor in terrible circumstances- we know how to
deal with crisis.<span> </span>It’s the everyday
living like a Christian that’s so hard.<span>
</span>Here’s an example of a plain, every-day experience of somebody taking a
risk and being a compassionate neighbor.<span>
</span>You know Dan Rather- the former CBS news anchor?<span> </span>Well, he told of the time he had an eventful
elevator ride in a large Florida hotel: “After having flown in late during the
night, I am now up early to go downstairs and make a speech before several
thousand people. I am not in a good mood. In the elevator I feel all eyes on
me. ‘Didn’t any of these people’s mothers teach them that it’s rude to stare?’
I am thinking. Soon the elevator reaches the lobby. As it empties, a woman
gently takes hold of my sleeve. ‘Mr. Rather,’ she says quietly, ‘I don’t mean
to intrude.’ ‘Then why are you?’ I think to myself. She looks around; making
sure no one else is listening. ‘I don’t want this to be embarrassing. But your
fly is unzipped and a piece of your shirt-tail is sticking out through it,’ she
says. Then she smiles and strides away.”<span>
</span>Now, which of these on the elevator was a friend to Dan Rather?<span> </span></span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"> </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">So who in your life needs to hear about an unzipped
fly?<span> </span>Who needs a listening ear or a
hug?<span> </span>Who needs a ride or a friend?<span> </span>Is it risky?<span>
</span>Of course- but there’s that plumb line again and the question about “do
we measure up?”<span> </span>Final thoughts.....</span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">People are unreasonable, illogical, and
self-centered. </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"><span> </span>Love
them anyway. </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish
ulterior motives. </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"><span> </span>Do
good anyway. </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">If you are successful, you will win false friends
and true enemies. </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"><span> </span>Succeed
anyway. </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"><span> </span>Be
honest and frank anyway. </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"><span> </span>Do
good anyway. </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be
shot down by the smallest people with the smallest pride. </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"><span> </span>Think
big anyway. </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. </span></strong></div>
<div style="text-indent:.5in;line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">Fight for some underdogs anyway. </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">What you spent years building may be destroyed
overnight. </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"><span> </span>Build
anyway. </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">Give the world the best you have and you'll get
kicked in the teeth. </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"><span> </span>Give
the world the best you have anyway! —Reader's Digest </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"> </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">Jesus said, “Love the LORD your God with all your
heart, soul, strength, and mind and love your neighbor as much as you love
yourself.”<span> </span>Here’s that plumb line
again.<span> </span>May God bless us with power and
endurance as we struggle to live what we believe.</span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"> </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight: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/"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none;">http://www.stpaulsepisag.org</span></a> .</span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;"> </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">Blessed preaching,</span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">Judy Boli</span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">St. Paul's Episcopal Church</span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;">Saginaw, Michigan</span></strong></div>
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