From charles.wohlers at verizon.net  Sun May  1 21:07:04 2011
From: charles.wohlers at verizon.net (Charles Wohlers)
Date: Sun, 01 May 2011 21:07:04 -0400
Subject: [Propertalk] READINGS for the THIRD SUNDAY of EASTER
Message-ID: <B4562EECD43A4DECA8FEF2CABEF13D89@cranmer>

The following are the readings for the Third Sunday of Easter, May 8, 
according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, 
Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common Worship) lectionaries. All 
readings are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the 
Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA, Canadian and C of E lectionaries 
are identical to the RCL for this day.



FIRST READING: Acts 2: 14a, 36 - 41 (RCL)

Acts 2:14 (NRSV) But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and 
addressed them,
36 Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has 
made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified."
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter 
and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" 38 Peter said to 
them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ 
so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy 
Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who 
are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him." 40 And he 
testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, "Save 
yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41 So those who welcomed his 
message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. 
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the 
breaking of bread and the prayers.
43 Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by 
the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and had all things in 
common; 45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the 
proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Day by day, as they spent much time 
together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with 
glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having the goodwill of all the 
people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being 
saved.


Acts 2: 14, 22 - 33 (Roman Catholic)

Acts 2:14 (NRSV) But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and 
addressed them,
"Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and 
listen to what I say.

22 "You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of 
Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and 
signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know-- 23 this 
man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of 
God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. 24 But 
God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible 
for him to be held in its power. 25 For David says concerning him,
"I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken;
26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
moreover my flesh will live in hope.
27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One experience corruption.
28 You have made known to me the ways of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.'
29 "Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David 
that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 
Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that 
he would put one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Foreseeing this, David 
spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying,
"He was not abandoned to Hades,
nor did his flesh experience corruption.' 32 This Jesus God raised up, and 
of that all of us are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right 
hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy 
Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear.


Zephaniah 3: 14 - 20 (alt. for C of E)

Zeph 3:14 (NRSV) Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
15 The LORD has taken away the judgments against you,
he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
you shall fear disaster no more.
16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands grow weak.
17 The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
18 as on a day of festival.
I will remove disaster from you,
so that you will not bear reproach for it.
19 I will deal with all your oppressors
at that time.
And I will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
and renown in all the earth.
20 At that time I will bring you home,
at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes, says the LORD.


PSALM 116: 1 - 4, 12 - 19 (RCL)

Psal 116:1 (NRSV) I love the LORD, because he has heard
my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of She'ol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the LORD:
"O LORD, I pray, save my life!"

12 What shall I return to the LORD
for all his bounty to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the LORD,
14 I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
16 O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the child of your serving girl.
You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice
and call on the name of the LORD.
18 I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the LORD!

Note: Verse numbering in your Psalter may be different from the above.


Psalm 16: 1 - 2, 5, 7 - 11 (Roman Catholic)

Psal 16:1 (NRSV) Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you."

5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.

7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I keep the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
my body also rests secure.
10 For you do not give me up to She'ol,
or let your faithful one see the Pit.
11 You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.


SECOND READING: 1 Peter 1: 17 - 23 (RCL)
                                      1 Peter 1: 17 - 21 (Roman Catholic)

1Pet 1:17 (NRSV) If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people 
impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time 
of your exile. 18 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways 
inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or 
gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without 
defect or blemish. 20 He was destined before the foundation of the world, 
but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. 21 Through him you 
have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, 
so that your faith and hope are set on God.
22 Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so 
that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. 
23 You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, 
through the living and enduring word of God.

Note: If one of the alternative Old Testamernt readings was used for the 
first reading, the Acts passage should be used here.


GOSPEL: Luke 24: 13 - 35 (all)

Luke 24:13 (NRSV) Now on that same day two of them were going to a village 
called Emma'us, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each 
other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking 
and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their 
eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, "What are you 
discussing with each other while you walk along?" They stood still, looking 
sad.18 Then one of them, whose name was Cle'opas, answered him, "Are you the 
only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken 
place there in these days?" 19 He asked them, "What things?" They replied, 
"The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and 
word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders 
handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21 But we had 
hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is 
now the third day since these things took place. 22 Moreover, some women of 
our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23 and 
when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they 
had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24 Some of 
those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had 
said; but they did not see him." 25 Then he said to them, "Oh, how foolish 
you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have 
declared! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these 
things and then enter into his glory?" 27 Then beginning with Moses and all 
the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the 
scriptures.
28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead 
as if he were going on. 29 But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with 
us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went 
in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, 
blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, 
and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to 
each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to 
us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?" 33 That same 
hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and 
their companions gathered together. 34 They were saying, "The Lord has risen 
indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!" 35 Then they told what had happened 
on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the 
bread.


Chad Wohlers
East Bridgewater, Mass.   USA
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu




From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Wed May  4 19:35:47 2011
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Wed, 4 May 2011 19:35:47 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] 3rd of Easter,
	New Testament reading
In-Reply-To: <40D4A8BA9F7248D19A69DE8FF91821BB@HowardPC>
References: <40D4A8BA9F7248D19A69DE8FF91821BB@HowardPC>
Message-ID: <8CDD8CB21190E74-6DC-2083@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>


Forwarded:





-----Original Message-----
From: Fr HC Smith <howard.smith at anglican.org.au>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Wed, May 4, 2011 4:30 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] 3rd of Easter, New Testament reading


Friends,
ere are my notes from the southern hemisphere towards a sermon on the 
eading from Peter for this Sunday.  Use whatever suits you.
oward
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Today we start the 3rd week of Easter - the 3rd week in which we keep 
n remembering the great events on that first Easter Day in the 1st century, 
ow Jesus rose to new life;
    And as we celebrate this great happening, the Church keeps on
   helping us to discover what it means for us now in the 3rd millennium.
    This week we are reminded of God?s gifts of faith and hope
   again, and are told about another gift which grows out of our
   faith and our hope: the gift of love.
    Hope is a gift which keeps us looking to the future, so that we
   don't allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by all the bad things in the 
resent.
    But nevertheless we do still have to live in the present, so
   Peter addresses the question: how can we do that better?
   -    Peter?s advice today is to "keep on loving with all your heart".
    And whom are we to try to love with all our heart? God's
   answer seems to be we are to "love one another".
    I reckon that means the people who are around about us, to start with,
   -    and then perhaps when we have done that we can try to
       reach out to people on the other side of the world;
   -    but if we can't love the people we come across every day,
       then it's not really going to be possible to love the people on
       the other side of the world.
    Now when we find it hard to love those nearby people, God
   doesn?t leave us floundering, but gives us a little bit more help;
   -    we are told today that we have been given a ?new birth? by
       God's message which lives on for ever.
    What on earth do those strange words mean?
    Well, this letter of Peter is thought to be the bones of a sermon
   used at the baptism of new members of the family of God back
   at the end of the 1st century.
    So, the ?new birth? referred to here most probably is referring to our 
aptism.
    I reckon this is telling us that because Jesus rose from the
   dead, and sort of had a new beginning, all the rest of us who
   have been baptised into his death and resurrection, have
   been given another chance, a ?new birth?:
    But so we don?t let that make us despair - I mean we?ve all
   slipped a number of times since we were baptised,
   -    the Church has always taught us that repenting and making
       confession is a way of refreshing the effects of that ?new birth? of 
ur baptism.
    Just think what being born is all about: "Birth" is all about
   starting life: babies get born and their life is waiting for them to get 
oing.
    Now applying that to our situation, it means that whenever we
   let God's message into our hearts,
   -    whenever we wash away the mistakes by confessing our sins,
   -    God gives us another opportunity to start living the life of
       the Heavenly Kingdom, the life of God?s New World, once
       more: the life of loving one another with all our heart.
    Everyone knows that we need to do something about making
   the world a better place to live in:
   -    Well, that's just what we are doing when we love one another,
   -    like when we do good to others, rather than pushing people around,
   -    like when we don't try to force people to do things, but
       persuade, invite, encourage them;
   -    like when we hold back from being violent or abusive towards other 
eople,
   -    but do all we can to understand where they?re coming from
       and do all we can to help them.
    So God?s gift of love is all about bringing the gift of hope, the gift 
f the future, into the present: making this world more like the Kingdom of 
eaven, letting our vision of God?s great future invade the places where we 
ive, work and play, in the present
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
he Rev'd Dr H.C. Smith
etired Anglican Priest
range NSW
 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 


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From robertpmorrison at charter.net  Fri May  6 13:00:54 2011
From: robertpmorrison at charter.net (robertpmorrison at charter.net)
Date: Fri, 6 May 2011 13:00:54 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] 3 Easter a rcl
Message-ID: <163b9ac3.21444.12fc6413a67.Webtop.48@charter.net>

Forgetfulness is interesting!  I can't remember whether I posted this 
yet or not. I wrote it about a week ago and have been glancing at it now 
and again since.  Anyway, if this is a repeat post, my apologies!

Bob


THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF ST. ALBAN, ALBANY    		            THE THIRD 
SUNDAY OF EASTER - A
ACTS 2:14a, 36-41				      			           8th MAY, 2011
1 PETER 1:17-23						              PSALM 116:1-3, 10-17
LUKE 24:13-35


	?A question that sometimes drives me hazy:
	am I or are the others crazy?? 1

	Albert Einstein said that, where or when, I?m not sure. But if HE can 
make that feeling public, whether half in jest or not, then it makes me 
feel a bit better about myself and my ability to perceive, and 
understand, and to remember.

	I came across the quote in an article about Alzheimer?s and dementia 
which began, ?Many people suffer from forms of dementia. It?s a 
terrifying thought and most of us would prefer not to address it. It?s 
not usually part of our everyday life ? unless some one you care for is 
affected. In those circumstances you take a very deep breath indeed and 
prepare to travel a tortuous journey with your loved one. Generally 
speaking your battle is on a practical level for some of the time. Where 
are the lost items ? [ I read a wonderful book recently called "Knickers 
in the Fridge" ! ]  What can I do to make things better? Should I help 
my person to try to remember? or will it make things worse? How long can 
we continue without resorting to help from elsewhere? How do I stop 
myself from feeling resentful? and most of all ?. ?Oh God, why us??? 2

	In talking to His disciples, Jesus mentioned those who had working 
eyes, yet couldn?t see, functional minds, yet could not comprehend. In 
that instance He was being severely critical ? the leaders, the people 
in charge of the country?s spiritual, political, moral and, yes, 
physical welfare, were concentrating so hard on the lint in their own 
navels and just what they could do with it to increase their own comfort 
and prosperity that they failed to see and hear those crying out in 
desperation ? those who were only a few feet in front of them. They, 
admonished Jesus, were living with some sort of spiritual Alzheimer?s.

	But Jesus felt the same way about the two men getting home from 
Jerusalem after Passover. It?s obvious they knew who Jesus was. They?d 
even been in His company. They could quote Him. They could describe His 
physical appearance and what had happened to Him. They?d been at what 
might be termed ?the Big Event? in the city. But, somehow, they were 
unable to connect the dots. Fortunately, Jesus is nothing if not patient 
? patient with them and patient with us. So He took the time to walk 
with them, to push their imaginations, to stir their memories, to dredge 
up what they must have heard and had drummed into them by any number of 
local rabbis ? He took the time to explain, right from the start of 
their religious understanding, what had happened. And, other than a 
?Good grief, you guys are slow!?, Jesus kept His cool and kept on 
working the two men?s minds.

	I?ll say this for them, though ? and Jesus noticed it right away ? they 
may have missed putting two and two together and keeping their eyes open 
for Jesus as they walked back home, but they were completely immersed in 
the ethical behaviour Jesus had instilled in His listeners. No matter 
how confused they were, no matter how sad, how depressed at having to 
get up the next day and do what they had to do ? they insisted, they 
insisted quite strenuously, that Jesus not take another step beyond the 
point where they could minister to Him and keep Him safe, warm and fed.

	It?s amazing how this is supposed to be bubbling away at the top of our 
minds. Even if your thoughts and my thoughts right now have fastened on 
to some image or word, and are busily engaged in something, we?re always 
to be on the lookout for what we can do for everyone else. It doesn?t 
matter who, it doesn?t matter what. If we have even a scrap of paper, we 
need to write our phone numbers on it and, at the very least, say, ?Call 
me ? anytime, day or night, if you need help or reassurance, or just a 
friendly ear.?

	The amazing and joyful vocation given each of us is that even when we 
say, ?Oh God, why us? Why me?? we?re still supposed to say, ?Hello, how 
can I help? That looks heavy. You look tired. How long have you been 
standing in the rain? Have you eaten anything today?? And instantly, the 
shutters are lifted ? if we remember the baptismal vows of the past 
couple of Sundays. If I could imitate Gomer Pyle?s accent, which I 
can?t, I?d say, ?Shazzam! Well, Golly, Golly, Golly! You?re Jesus!?

	And we?d be right. The very best way to get to meet Jesus and everybody 
else is over the crust of a broken loaf. The quickest and most direct 
way to understand what the Bible takes nine hundred plus pages to say is 
to engage one another and to offer hospitality. ?Will you continue (will 
you be faithful) in ? (attending to) the breaking of the bread ?? 
another of those baptismal vows, not only referring to coming together 
in community to celebrate Eucharist, but also referring to sitting in 
the parish hall, or while standing waiting for something to happen.
	
One of the most extreme ways we?ve devised to humiliate and dehumanise 
people is to put them in solitary
confinement, to slide a tray through a narrow slit in a door and avoid 
eye or even hand contact. Conversely, one of the ways in which we?ve 
discovered we can bring an incredible feeling of dignity, and love, and 
respect is to look into someone?s eyes and say, ?Would you share with me 
what I have??
	
It seems so simple. The two who?d reached their home in Emmaus could 
hardly believe it ? a piece of bread? Several hours worth of Bible 
conversation were summed up in the most mundane thing from the dinner 
table ? yet the very staff of life.

	Some of you may remember on Palm Sunday, a group of young people, some 
of them holding hands and skipping down the side aisle after having left 
the altar rail, I think it was Kendrick who said a very audible, ?THAT 
was fun!?

	Somehow, he?d seen past all the words ? or maybe, in ways we can?t 
begin to explain, God had enabled him to
process everything that happened in the parish hall, and whatever went 
on with Patty and the others in the classroom ? all the things that he?d 
experienced in the hour plus that he?d been here were boiled down to 
something which opened his eyes and blew his mind. Jesus is fun! Jesus 
is here! And nothing was going to contain or diminish his enthusiasm at 
this recognition, at whatever level he appreciated it.

	Here?s the deal. Jesus is alive. Jesus is present. Jesus is patient and 
perceptive and He wants to get us out of whatever it is that may be 
making us feel draggy. Jesus wants us to be sufficiently alert that in 
the breaking of bread and coming together to share at the altar, and at 
the table in the parish hall, and at the table wherever we eat lunch, 
and at every table and counter ? Jesus wants us to discover how alive He 
is and how much He cares, so that we can leave here filled with 
excitement about telling people what?s happened to us.

	One of the neat things about the Gospel story this morning is the 
contrast between how the two men walked down hill from Jerusalem as if 
their feet and hearts were made of lead, and the way in which they 
simply flew out of their home in the village and raced back ? uphill all 
the way, at night ? in the very dark which they were afraid would 
endanger their guest ? through the city gate and right into the room 
where Jesus? other friends were.

	Think for a moment about what makes you the most weary. Then imagine 
what doing that task and moving on to the next one would be like if you 
took Jesus at His Broken-bread Word.

	How would you smile if you walked past a caf?, or a table in a 
restaurant, and saw someone split apart a roll or a piece of bread? 
Would it occur to you to think that God was blessing you with a reminder 
of Jesus? love? Would it cross your mind to say to someone else that, no 
matter how simple the fare, that sharing it ? not eating that bread 
alone ? is one of God?s most precious gifts.

Raymond Tallis, a retired M.D and Professor of Geriatric Medicine at 
Manchester University in Britain commented on the radio a couple of 
weeks ago that he felt that the most important thing that distinguished 
humans from other living animals is the fact that we sit down at a table 
with one another and eat, and share ? both food and the discoveries of 
the day. 3 That and the ability to point at things specifically are what 
excites Dr. Tallis as he thinks about who and what we are.

These are acts and abilities which Jesus accepted in His birth. Becoming 
fully human, He learned to eat with His family, with His friends, even 
with those with whom He had enormous difficulty. And right to the end He 
used His ability to point as He entrusted His mother and the so-called 
?beloved disciple? into each other?s care.

These are things of which we should be aware, so that we always remember 
to honour one another in the name of Jesus.

	That article about Alzheimer?s which I quoted at the beginning of the 
sermon ? it ends, ?This illness is a relentless, creeping monster, ever 
so slowly removing the loved one and replacing her with an alien being. 
The body is almost the same but the main difference, to me anyway, is in 
the eyes. Eyes speak without words. They sing without melody. They 
express feelings, fears, truths. They plead, jest, adore. They glow and 
burn. They crinkle and weep.

	?But dementia removes all this. The shutters start to descend. The 
window becomes obscure and eventually there will be no way of looking 
in.

	If it?s like this from the outside what the hell must it be like from 
the inside??

	And yet I?ve seen signs in which the eyes HAVE been made alive again, 
if only for an instant. They?ve been opened as I?ve said the words, ?The 
Body of Christ?, and the person, somehow, recognises and accepts Jesus? 
Presence. Even in this apparent darkness, I?m certain that the Light of 
Christ CAN and DOES penetrate, in ways we can?t explain.

	If we?re to follow Jesus, ALL of us have to take every opportunity we 
have to sit with people, to share with them ? I know this is difficult 
for Episcopalians ? but share with them in as direct a way as we can, 
the story of how we?ve encountered and been encountered by Jesus. And to 
invite them to look for the possibility of finding Jesus with them too. 
This must never be pushy. We simply have to share what has been given us 
? like those at the table of that house.


NOTES:

1 	Albert Einstein

2	?The shutters are coming down?:  Alzheimer's by Eyesometric ? April 
26, 2011 http://eyesometric.wordpress.com/2011/04/

3	?Belief?: 19th April, 2011. ?Joan Bakewell's guest is the physician, 
poet and philosopher, Raymond Tallis. He is Professor Emeritus of 
Geriatric medicine at Manchester University but has made his name as 
much outside the field of medicine as within it.? 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010745p



Robert P Morrison
Interim Vicar
The Episcopal Church of St Alban
PO Box 1556
Albany OR  97321   541-921-1076 (cell)



From chadwohl at satucket.com  Sun May  8 21:31:04 2011
From: chadwohl at satucket.com (Charles Wohlers)
Date: Sun, 8 May 2011 21:31:04 -0400
Subject: [Propertalk] READINGS for the FOURTH SUNDAY of EASTER
Message-ID: <F6D2465D97BF450BA4D25BD260C462E7@ThinkpadT60CCW>

The following are the readings for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, May 15, according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common Worship) lectionaries. All readings are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA, Canadian and C of E lectionaries are identical to the RCL for this day.



FIRST READING: Acts 2: 42 - 47 (RCL) 

Acts 2:42 (NRSV) They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 
43 Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. 


Acts 2: 14a, 36 - 41 (Roman Catholic) 

Acts 2:14 (NRSV) [On the day of Pentecost] Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, 
36 [L]et the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified." 
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" 38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him." 40 And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41 So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. 


Genesis 7 (alt. for C of E) 

Gene 7:1 (NRSV) Then the LORD said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you alone are righteous before me in this generation. 2 Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and its mate; and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and its mate; 3 and seven pairs of the birds of the air also, male and female, to keep their kind alive on the face of all the earth. 4 For in seven days I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground." 5 And Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him. 
6 Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came on the earth. 7 And Noah with his sons and his wife and his sons' wives went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood. 8 Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, 9 two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah. 10 And after seven days the waters of the flood came on the earth. 
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. 12 The rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. 13 On the very same day Noah with his sons, Shem and Ham and Ja'pheth, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons entered the ark, 14 they and every wild animal of every kind, and all domestic animals of every kind, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every bird of every kind--every bird, every winged creature. 15 They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. 16 And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the LORD shut him in. 
17 The flood continued forty days on the earth; and the waters increased, and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters swelled and increased greatly on the earth; and the ark floated on the face of the waters. 19 The waters swelled so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered; 20 the waters swelled above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep. 21 And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, domestic animals, wild animals, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all human beings; 22 everything on dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. 23 He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, human beings and animals and creeping things and birds of the air; they were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those that were with him in the ark. 24 And the waters swelled on the earth for one hundred fifty days. 


PSALM 23 (all) 

Psal 23:1 (NRSV) The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; 
he leads me beside still waters;  
3 he restores my soul. 
He leads me in right paths 
for his name's sake. 
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, 
I fear no evil; 
for you are with me; 
your rod and your staff-- 
they comfort me. 
5 You prepare a table before me 
in the presence of my enemies; 
you anoint my head with oil; 
my cup overflows. 
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me 
all the days of my life, 
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD 
my whole life long. 


23   Dominus regit me   (ECUSA BCP)
 
1   The Lord is my shepherd; *
  I shall not be in want.
 
2   He makes me lie down in green pastures *
  and leads me beside still waters.
 
3   He revives my soul *
  and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.
 
4   Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil; *
  for you are with me;
  your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
 
5   You spread a table before me in the presence of those
  who trouble me; *
  you have anointed my head with oil,
  and my cup is running over.
 
6   Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days
  of my life, *
  and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.


SECOND READING: 1 Peter 2: 19 - 25 (RCL) 
                                      1 Peter 2: 20b - 25 (Roman Catholic) 

1Pet 2:19 (NRSV) For it is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. 20 If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God's approval. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. 
22 "He committed no sin, 
and no deceit was found in his mouth." 
23 When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls. 

Note: If the Old Testament alternatives for C of E were used as the first reading, the Acts reading above should be used here. 


GOSPEL: John 10: 1 - 10 

John 10:1 (NRSV) "Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers." 6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 
7 So again Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 



Chad Wohlers
Woodbury, Vermont    USA
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu
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From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Sat May 14 08:37:47 2011
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 14 May 2011 08:37:47 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Finding Pasture
In-Reply-To: <000301cc11ae$c2d6cae0$488460a0$@comcast.net>
References: <000301cc11ae$c2d6cae0$488460a0$@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <8CDE04ADD5270C3-6F0-33D1@angweb-usd003.sysops.aol.com>


 Forwarded:

 


 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Frank Fisher <f.fisher.obl.osb at comcast.net>
To: SBA <SBA at SBAbbey.com>; sermonshop.sermons.topic <sermonshop.sermons.topic at ecunet.org>; PRCL-L <PRCL-L at LISTSERV.LOUISVILLE.EDU>; propertalk.topic <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>; midrash <midrash at joinhands.com>
Sent: Fri, May 13, 2011 4:45 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Finding Pasture


Here's my draft for Sunday using the Acts, Psalms, and John pericopes. 

PAX,


__

Frank R. Fisher, Obl OSB
www.ffisher.net
Interim Pastor
First Presbyterian Church of Kewanee, IL
www.fpckewanee.org
Elmira United Presbyterian Church
www.elmiraunited.org

aka

Brother Oscar Romero
Oblate of St. Benedict's Abbey
Bartonville, IL
www.SBAbbey.com


"When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so
that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice."-Cherokee proverb


_________________________

Baaaaaaa!
Baaaaaaa!

Your lips form those sounds
as you busily graze
 on the bright green spring grass.
For you're a sheep;
a four hoofed one
who busily follows your shepherd
across the gently rolling hills and valleys
of your corner of Judah.

Not too much in the way of thought
crosses your mind as you graze.
And that's just as well,
for our mind really isn't capable
of too much thought.
You know how to eat.
Your shepherd has no question about that at all.
For the way you gnaw plants
down to their very roots,
has him constantly leading you onward
in search of more fields
of green grass.

You also know how to follow.
The particular cry your shepherd makes
during your daily journeys
sticks readily in your mind.
And when ever you hear it
you gulp down a last bite of grass
and your little legs churn mightily
as they carry you after that sound.

It's a very good thing you do know
your shepherd's cry
and you know how to follow it.
For your only other talent
is getting lost.
Getting lost is actually
what you do best.
Your shepherd knows that
and always keeps an eye on you.
But even with his constant attention
you find ways to wander off.
Then,
when you're good and truly lost,
you panic.
And you throw yourself to the ground
in utter terror
while your impassioned bleats
proclaim your predicament
to everyone within earshot.

When do you manage to get lost,
your shepherd finds you.
He's a good sort.
That is,
he's good for a shepherd.
Most humans
wouldn't want to deal with him.
The nicest thing they'd call him
 is smelly.
But then they'd go on
to list his other features.
He's,
to put it mildly,
a bit of a thief.

Since he's always away on the hillside
he doesn't properly take care of his family.
And his morals are quite suspect.
In short,
like every other shepherd,
he's not considered to be
a member
of polite society.

But you like him anyway.
At least you like
where he leads you.
And after he's had a long day
keeping track of you
and the other sheep,
you're happy to follow his cry
back to the sheep fold.
On the way there
you meet lots of other flocks
with lots of other shepherds.
They're all part
of one big family.
And at night
they gather all their sheep together
where they can defend them
in the darkness.

During the night
the most important shepherd of all
is the gatekeeper.
And like you know your own shepherd's cry
the gatekeeper knows
his own shepherds.
When he sees them
he opens the gate
and lets them in
to a place of safety.
And he carefully guards against anyone
who might sneak over the walls
to harm you in the darkness.
Thanks to the gatekeeper
you
will come in
 to safety in the darkness
and go safely out in the light
to be led beside waters still
and pastures green.

Baaaaaaa!
Baaaaaaa!

Your lips form words
that may so some
seem somewhat like those sounds
as you busily graze  on the feast 
set before the Jerusalem community today.
For you're a sheep;
a two legged one,
who busily follows your shepherds
across the gently
 and not so gently
rolling hills and valleys of your life.

You've known many shepherds in your life.
Over the years
you've followed the cries
of wild eyed prophets
whom you eventually decided
were simply wildly insane,
scheming priests
whom you found to be in league
 with the Roman oppressors,
and traveling miracle workers
whose miracles
you discovered
mostly benefitted their purses.

For a long time,
it seemed,
you'd never find a shepherd
whose cry you could trust;
a shepherd
to whom you'd entrust your life;
a shepherd
who could truly lead you
toward green pastures
and still waters.
Then one day
you saw a commotion in the market place.
There were so many different people milling about
you thought at first
you'd discovered a riot.
But you saw no fear
on the faces of the crowd.
Instead
their expressions
were ones of rapt attention.
So you edged closer and closer
to see what all the excitement was about.

When you reached far enough into the crowd
to see what was happening,
you discovered a group of men and women
who were talking to the crowd.
They all seemed to be speaking
 in different languages.
That seemed a bit odd to you.
For they were obviously not wealthy
or highly educated.
But if their language struck you as strange
their message seemed even odder.

They were talking about a Galilean Jew
named Jesus of Nazareth.
This Jesus,
they proclaimed,
had been betrayed by the priests,
crucified by their Roman allies,
and after three days
resurrected from the dead
by the power of the Holy One of Israel.
At first you turned to walk away.
In fact you tried to leave the crowd many times.
For their words seemed to you
more empty cries
from evil shepherds
who were after something for themselves.

Yet there was something about their words
that made sense to you.
They rang true in your ears.
And you saw them perform signs and wonders
without demand for anything in return.
So you followed the crowd
as these people moved away
to where they were staying.


In a short time
you realized you'd found your shepherds;
shepherds who told you
how Jesus was the gatekeeper;
the gatekeeper
who protected sheep like you in the darkness of life,
and in the brightness of day
let them out
to graze beside green pastures
and drink safely from still waters.
You were baptized.
And you sold all that you had
and joined their community
where everything was held in common.
Everyone among you
and around you
received what they needed for life.
Day by day,
 you spent much time 
with your sisters and brothers in the temple,
you broke bread with them at home,
 and ate food with them with glad and generous hearts,
praising God
and having the goodwill of all the people.
 And day by day the Lord added to your  number
those who were being saved.

Baaaaaaa!
Baaaaaaa!

Your lips form words
that may so some
seem somewhat like those sounds
as you busily anticipate grazing  on the feast 
set before you at lunch time today.
For you're a sheep;
a two legged one,
who busily follows your shepherds
across the gently
 and not so gently
rolling hills and valleys of your life.

Over the course of your life
here in your community of believers,
you've followed an astounding variety of shepherds.
The cries of some of your shepherds led you truly,
and some did not.
For a little while
you've lived with the one standing before you today;
one who's more comfortable being called
a sheep wearing a sheep bell.
For he knows
he too is simply a sheep
like everyone
who seeks the Gatekeeper
of all sheep and shepherds. 

Now
you've come to the place
where work has begun
toward seeking the shepherd,
or sheep with a sheep bell,
who will lead you into the future.
Know this though
as you search,
the Gatekeeper has a woman or man,
who will lead you
in the Gatekeeper's ways.
There's one
who will lead you
as you search for the neighbors
 you're called to serve.
There's one
who will lead you
as you worship God
and break together the Gatekeeper's bread.
There's one whose cries
will lead you to pastures green
and waters still.

And to find that one,
seek first Jesus
the Gatekeeper.
For in Christ's fold
you will find yourselves held closely
in the midst of darkness.
And in Christ's fold
you will find the way to pasture
where life will be truly abundant.

To God alone be glory.

Amen.




 
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From eldan at bresnan.net  Sat May 14 10:57:16 2011
From: eldan at bresnan.net (Bob Eldan)
Date: Sat, 14 May 2011 08:57:16 -0600
Subject: [Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Finding Pasture
In-Reply-To: <8CDE04ADD5270C3-6F0-33D1@angweb-usd003.sysops.aol.com>
References: <000301cc11ae$c2d6cae0$488460a0$@comcast.net>
	<8CDE04ADD5270C3-6F0-33D1@angweb-usd003.sysops.aol.com>
Message-ID: <90935AE0D62C4DF894D72C4175863A70@BobPC>

In this story that Jesus tells some translations call it a "parable" (John 10:6).  Most call it a "figure of speech." In this story the usual word for parable is not used.  A parable is a comparison.  The actual word (paroimian) used here literally means a dark saying or a manner of speaking that conceals meaning.  The use of that word immediately tells us that there is something deeper here than a simple comparison, something much deeper than meets the eye.

Bob Eldan

http://preachingtip.com/ 
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From robertpmorrison at charter.net  Sat May 14 23:35:54 2011
From: robertpmorrison at charter.net (robertpmorrison at charter.net)
Date: Sat, 14 May 2011 23:35:54 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] 4 Easter a
Message-ID: <6018ab2f.7be26.12ff1b9776b.Webtop.44@charter.net>

I'm much later than I have been for a while, and am still working on 
revisions, but here's what I have so far.

Good rest and happy feasting tomorrow!

Bob


THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF ST. ALBAN, ALBANY    		         THE FOURTH 
SUNDAY OF EASTER - A
ACTS 2:42-47				      			        15th MAY, 2011
1 PETER 2:19-25						              	                 PSALM 23
JOHN 10:1-10

	?I long to create something
	that can?t be used to keep us passive:
	I want to write
	a script about pumping, how every pipe
	is joined
	to every other.? 1

	These words talk about deep feelings, about our longing to make a 
difference in the world. Not only do these lines from one of Adrienne 
Rich?s poems make us look to ourselves and our abilities, though. They 
also suggest that there?s someone outside of ourselves who can bring out 
the true potential within us. We have to look for and listen to that 
person, then. More than that, though, the whole poem actually describes 
the process of pumping water and draining sewage ? very basic 
necessities. This person outside of ourselves, therefore, is interested 
in things that are very practical, AND down-to-earth, and hopes that 
we?ll be just as aware. Finally, the poem describes the connectedness we 
all have with one another. Just as sheep in a pen are different, so are 
we, but what we do and how we go about it has an effect on everyone 
else.

	So, who are we in whom our Friend outside has such a personal interest?

	What defines us? Are we defined by what we do? Are we defined by voices 
we hear?

	Or are we defined by how we appear?

	Jesus talked of Himself when He described the way in which He cared for 
all of God?s sheep, no matter which fold they were in. He talked about 
Himself being the one whose voice the sheep knew and trusted ? but then 
He offered Himself as a sacrifice of love. What kind of a shepherd is 
that? How can we, the sheep of God, feel any degree of trust when the 
Shepherd gives Himself away for us?

	It?s a confusing world in which we live. These days it?s not easy to 
tell who DOES have the recognisable voice. We have to decide ? to whom 
do we listen these days? The person who posts on Facebook ?? The editor 
of ?The Democrat Herald?? The General Manager of a TV Network? For many 
in the world the last person to whom people listen is a religious 
figure.

	How about the producer of Broadway shows, though? Might we trust her or 
him?

Cameron Mackintosh, who brought to life such musicals as ?Les 
Mis?rables?, ?Phantom of the Opera?, ?Miss Saigon? and ?Cats?, has a new 
one running right now. Talking about it, he said, ?I looked into the pig 
and I saw the eyes of God.?

	Pigs get such a bad rap. But I find they?re among the sweetest animals 
I know ? especially roasted! Just kidding!

	Why DO we use them to refer to anyone whom we despise ? like Charlie 
Brown?s and Lucy van Pelt?s friend, who seems to be surrounded, 
perpetually, with a dust-storm. In that ?character?s first appearance on 
July 13, 1954, in a strip directly parodying the first chapter of ?Lord 
of the Flies?, he declares, ?I haven't got a name . . . People just call 
me things . . . Real insulting things.?? 2

	Charlie Brown was the only one to take him seriously, saying once, 
?Don?t think of it as dust. Just think of it as the dirt and dust of 
far-off lands blowing over here and settling on ?Pig-Pen!? It staggers 
the imagination! He may be carrying the soil that was trod upon by 
Solomon or Nebuchadnezzar or Genghis Khan!?

	Why do we pick on animals and people and brush them off as if they have 
no possible consequence for us, even for the whole of the human race? 
What makes us think that someone ? whomever we think we may choose ? 
what makes us think that we can tell whom to discard from life?

	When Jane Eyre begins to leave Thornfield Hall after it?s revealed that 
Rochester is already married, albeit to someone who?s seriously mentally 
ill; when Rochester talks to Jane, trying to convince her to stay, she 
replies:

	?And become nothing to you? Am I a machine without feelings? Do you 
think that because I am poor, obscure, plain and little that I am 
soulless and heartless? I have as much soul as you and full as much 
heart, ?? 3

	But back to Cameron Mackintosh. ??Look into her eyes,? (meaning the 
pig?s eyes,) says the man the New York Times described as the world?s 
most successful and powerful theatrical producer, ?and tell me that?s 
not like looking into the eyes of God.?? 4

	Back in 1947 life was really tough. Rationing was the norm for both 
staples and luxuries. Europe was struggling to deal with the devastating 
aftermath of the Second World War. People didn?t have much to cheer 
about. Then, on the 20th November, The Princess Elizabeth and Philip, 
The Duke of Edinburgh, were married. Mackintosh?s new musical is based 
on a movie, which, in turn, was based on a play, on the attempts of 
people throughout Britain to celebrate the royal occasion despite the 
economic austerity. ?Set in a Yorkshire town in 1947, it centres on a 
plot to kidnap a pig raised illegally by businessmen who wanted to 
slaughter her for a party to celebrate (the) wedding.?

	The link between the new musical and today?s economic climate wasn?t 
lost on people who were all agog over the celebration of the marriage of 
Catherine and William, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Their 
celebrations, and the accompanying fol-de-rol and trinket sales, may 
well have been geared to speak to the hardships we all face currently.

	Ask the people of Britain who they are and they may well find that 
they?ve been influenced by the events of the last three weeks that part 
of their identity will have been defined by the recent exchange of vows 
of Catherine and William. Their feelings and opinions about themselves 
may have been raised up several notches because of what was shared as 
national pageantry, just as was the identity of the British population 
in 1947 when William?s grandparent?s wed.

	Which takes us back to the question about looking into the pig and 
seeing the eye of God. And it adds to the question of whose the Voice 
for which we?re invited to listen.

	Pigs, sheep, the media, Broadway, society ? there are so many voices 
which seem to lay claim on our affection and devotion. There are so many 
voices which seem not only enticing but sensible. How DO we decide which 
is the Shepherd?s?  It?s all very well to have the Gospel verses recount 
Jesus? comment about His sheep recognising His voice, but we know it?s 
not that simple.

	Take two examples.

	This past week I saw the movie ?Sons of Perdition?. It?s about teenaged 
boys and what I consider the incredible dysfunctionality of families 
associated with the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day 
Saints, the cult group based on the land near the Utah-Arizona border. 
In that group ?men have plural wives, donate their property to the 
church and swear obedience to their prophet.?  5  Since 2003, the 
prophet has been Warren Jeffs. He claims absolute authority has been 
given him by God, and he exercises this absolutely. In that part of the 
world, his is the voice that MUST be followed.

	The second voice I heard was that of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who spoke 
in Tacoma on Friday night. He made no claims for himself. He spoke in 
clear terms about God as Creator. He talked about God sharing 
responsibility for life here with us. He talked about God?s pain 
whenever there was abuse and terror, and about God?s joy when people 
accepted responsibility for one another and gave of themselves 
compassionately without question.

	Two voices both heard this past week. Both talked of God. Both talked 
of having our physical and spiritual interests at heart, each seemingly 
at opposite ends of the spectrum from one another, however.

	If these seem extreme examples, I?m sure you can think of others whom 
you?ve heard. How DO we discover whose is the voice to which we listen?

	We all have minds and experiences to help us make our decisions, but 
let me suggest the example of the first verse of the first reading as 
one way which would seem to be able to help us filter through all the 
challenges and claims on our loyalty. What worked for the early Church 
should work for us ? immersing ourselves in what the apostles taught, 
and how they acted both in and outside of their worship meetings; 
devoting ourselves to receiving Christ in Communion and at other tables; 
and allowing prayer to infuse and inform our lives completely.

	Making this the central pivot of our lives WON?T make trouble 
disappear. Nor will it necessarily resolve any confusion about God?s 
Voice. For that we need to keep open ears. There IS one standard which 
may help us, though. No matter who we are and where we go, if anyone is 
treated as ?a machine without feelings; if anyone is made to feel that 
because he or she may appear ? I emphasise that ? APPEAR economically or 
physically poor, or obscure, or plain, or little ? if anyone is defined 
and treated as soulless and heartless; then the Voice of Jesus has NOT 
been heard.

	It?s when we see people being treated with love and dignity as 
individuals and equals that we know that Jesus? Voice is present. THAT 
is what should define us as Jesus? sheep.

NOTES:

1 	?Essential resources?- lines 17-22 by Adrienne Rich, from ?The fact 
of a Doorframe?, pages 202-3. W.W. Norton revised 1994. New York. Quoted 
in Verse and Voice 5.11.11 Sojourners 
http://blog.sojo.net/2011/05/11/voice-of-the-day-2011-05-11/

2	?Pig-Pen?, created by Charles M. Schulz. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig-Pen

3	Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bront?. The Movie, directed by Cary Fukunaga, 
starring Mia Wasikowska as Jane Eyre and Michael Fassbender as 
Rochester.  2011.

4	 ?Night Waves? with Philip Dodd. Interview with Cameron Mackintosh, 
producer. 13th April, 2011.   http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0106v04 
?Betty Blue Eyes? ?http://www.bettyblueeyesthemusical.com/  and Stuart 
Jeffries   guardian.co.uk,  Tuesday 12 April 2011 15.45 BST

5	See  http://www.sonsofperditionthemovie.com/ 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px1n4h5aYwo  and 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Jeffs



Robert P Morrison
Interim Vicar
The Episcopal Church of St Alban
PO Box 1556
Albany OR  97321   541-921-1076 (cell)



From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Sun May 15 01:34:21 2011
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sun, 15 May 2011 01:34:21 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] Good Shepherd sermon
Message-ID: <8CDE0D8E02995FB-820-314D@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>

http://tinyurl.com/64jv55x is our sermon on the Good Shepherd on John 10:1-10 for May 15.
Peace and Easter blessings,
Joe
St. John's Episcopal Church
Elizabeth, NJ


 


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From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Sun May 15 01:43:57 2011
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sun, 15 May 2011 01:43:57 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Easter 4A
In-Reply-To: <1f876c9f-5ea6-4910-b208-18d67aac84a6@c1g2000yqe.googlegroups.com>
References: <1f876c9f-5ea6-4910-b208-18d67aac84a6@c1g2000yqe.googlegroups.com>
Message-ID: <8CDE0DA3762F85B-820-314F@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>


 Forwarded:

 


 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sat, May 14, 2011 9:51 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Easter 4A


Dear Friends,

Sorry I didn?t post last week.  One of our wonderful young men (22
years old, college student, every Sunder worshiper) was shot and
killed the Sunday before, and my week was sadly very busy.  Tomorrow?s
sermon is entitled ?The Good Shepherd? and deals with the gospel (John
10:1-10). Here it is:

As you probably noticed in the bulletin, every fourth Sunday of Easter
is ?Good Shepherd Sunday,? so this morning almost all of the Bible
lessons refer in one way or another to Jesus as our Good Shepherd.
Now we don?t know anything about sheep and shepherds, but the people
in Jesus? time did- they were either farm people or knew farm people.
The image of Jesus as their Good Shepherd really spoke to them.  Let
me try to open Bible times and culture to you so it will speak to us
as well.

First of all, did you notice in today?s Gospel (John 10:1-10) that
Jesus said he was the ?Gate for the sheep? (verse 7)?  What in the
world was he talking about?  If we lived in Bible times, we would
understand right away.  Almost every town had a sheepfold or sheep-
pen, which was simply a small fenced-in area, often made of stone.
This sheepfold or sheep-pen had an opening, but usually no gate.  If a
shepherd wasn?t by a town, he made his own sheep-pen with bushes and
briars- again with an opening, but no gate.  When evening came, he
would gather all his sheep into the pen.  Problem: with an opening but
no gate, how was the shepherd going to keep the sheep in and the
wolves and thieves out?  Easily!  He slept in the opening himself so
anything or anybody attempting to go in or out would have to go over
him.  Sort of like when my children were early teen-agers many years
ago.  The youth group invited friends for a sleep-over downstairs,
with the boys sleeping in the common room and the girls sleeping in
the classroom-lounge.  I stupidly agreed to be one of the chaperones.
When all the chaperones decided we couldn?t stand it any longer, we
declared it was time for bed.  Our problem: all the boys were in love
with all the girls and vise-versa- how to keep them apart!  We
chaperones knew they were just waiting for us to go to sleep so they
could get together unsupervised!  What did we do?  Easy- I put my
sleeping bag in front of the door between the two rooms so no one
could get through, and we all had a good night?s sleep.  Same idea.
Jesus is your Good Shepherd and he is the Gate for your life.  Nothing
can get into your life that he can?t protect you from or support you
through.  Remind you of a song we sing?  ?Be Not Afraid, for God Is in
Charge!?

Now, if we are going to look at Jesus as the Good Shepherd, we?d also
better look at us as the sheep.  What do you know about sheep?  Three
words, all starting with ?s? will answer that question: ?stupid,
stubborn, and stinky.?  Trying to keep a bunch of sheep together would
be sort of like trying to take a bunch of toddlers to the zoo.
Haven?t you noticed preschool teachers hoping to keep their class
together by having a rope with each child holding on?  I don?t know if
it works for preschoolers, but sheep don?t hold ropes and where they
want to go, they go.  What they want to eat, they eat- poisonous or
not.  I remember taking one of my children to Bill Knapps Restaurant
(remember the good old days when it was still open?) and noticing that
my precious, spotless, sanitized toddler was chewing something.  When
I asked, I was told ?Oh, mama- gum from under the table!?  I almost
threw up!  Sheep are like that.  Unless the shepherd clears the
grazing field of poisonous weeds, they?ll eat them.  As their wool
gets longer, it smells like a kid?s sneakers or well-used socks.
Being compared to sheep is not really a compliment, but it?s probably
a valid comparison.  As with sheep and children, the hardest thing the
Shepherd has to protect us from is ourselves and our own foolishness.
How does Jesus do that?  Did you notice verses 2-4 tell us that the
Shepherd knows the sheep by name, they know his voice, and they follow
him.  Remember on the first Easter when Mary Magdalene was outside the
empty tomb weeping and she mistook the risen Christ for the gardener?
How did he get through to her?  Sure- he called her name- ?Mary,
Mary.?  That?s what he does for us.

But what if our lives are too busy to hear him?  Or, worse yet, what
if we don?t want to hear him?  You know the feeling when your
conscience says, ?Don?t do this or go with him or take that or use
this or participate in that or say what you?re about to say or do what
you?re about to do.?  You hear your conscience, but you sin anyway- go
for those forbidden fruits or let it all hang out or do the selfish
thing.  What then?  This is when our Good Shepherd becomes the
Passover Lamb.  Remember how- just before we receive Holy Communion-
the priest breaks the Holy Bread and says, ?Christ, our Passover, is
sacrificed for us.?  Jesus has become the ?Lamb of God who takes away
the sins of the world.?  There?s a parallel for this also in the world
of the shepherd.  Have you ever heard of Jeff Smith (1939- 2004), also
known as the Frugal Gourmet?  Many say he was TV's original celebrity
chef.  Anyway, in his book called ?The Frugal Gourmet Keeps the
Feast,? he tells about a conversation he had with a shepherd from the
Middle East.  He learned that very often during lambing season, the
shepherd would awaken to find a dead mother sheep with a live baby
lamb and another live mother sheep with a dead baby lamb.  The mother
sheep whose lamb has died has milk ready to feed a hungry lamb, but no
babies.  The lamb whose mother sheep has died is starving for lack of
milk.  Easily solved, you think.  Just let the orphan lamb suckle from
the childless mother sheep.  Great idea, but it won?t work; because
the mother sheep knows the orphan lamb doesn?t smell like her baby.
Do you know how the shepherd solves the problem?  He drains the blood
from the body of the dead lamb and washes the live orphan lamb with
that blood.  Now the orphan lamb smells like one of her own, and the
mother sheep will adopt the orphan and feed it.  That?s what God did
with us- washed us in the Blood of his Lamb- Jesus, the Christ, so we
could be adopted as sons and daughters of God and freed from our sins.

So, where are you in all of this?  Have you accepted Jesus as your
Good Shepherd?  If not, just invite him into your life right now and
then seal it at the altar as you come up for Communion?  Are you
allowing Jesus to be the Gatekeeper of your life, or do you keep
running after things that will destroy you?  Do you spend enough quiet
time with our Lord so you recognize his voice, or do you keep busy,
busy, busy with the radio blaring, the TV on, the video games popping,
the music blasting, or you?re on your cell phone talking or texting?
Finally, is Jesus not only your Good Shepherd, but your MODEL
Shepherd?  Do you just happily accept God?s blessings, keeping them to
yourself; or do you reach out and touch?  May God bless us as we
follow our Good Shepherd.

For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American
wisdom statements are posted on our parish web site. The address is:
http://www.stpaulsepisag.com .

Blessed preaching.
Judy Boli
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Saginaw, Michigan


 
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From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Sun May 15 01:51:40 2011
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sun, 15 May 2011 01:51:40 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] Good Shepherd sermon
In-Reply-To: <8CDE0D8E02995FB-820-314D@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>
References: <8CDE0D8E02995FB-820-314D@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>
Message-ID: <8CDE0DB4B6E4347-820-3154@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>

Forwarded:
 

 


 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Joe Parrish <joeparrish at compuserve.com>
To: Propertalk <Propertalk at stsams.org>
Cc: propertalk.topic <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>; sermonshop-sermons.topic <sermonshop-sermons.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sun, May 15, 2011 1:34 am
Subject: Good Shepherd sermon


http://tinyurl.com/64jv55x is our sermon on the Good Shepherd on John 10:1-10 for May 15.
Peace and Easter blessings,
Joe
St. John's Episcopal Church
Elizabeth, NJ


 


 
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From charles.wohlers at verizon.net  Sun May 15 20:46:30 2011
From: charles.wohlers at verizon.net (Charles Wohlers)
Date: Sun, 15 May 2011 20:46:30 -0400
Subject: [Propertalk] READINGS for the FIFTH SUNDAY of EASTER
Message-ID: <B7C47142A79746F1BBD0AD8E4F929556@cranmer>

The following are the readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, May 22, 
according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, 
Canadian BAS,and the Church of England (Common Worship) lectionaries. All 
readings are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the 
Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA, Canadian and C of E lectionaries 
are identical to the RCL for this day.



FIRST READING: Acts 7: 55-60   (RCL)

Acts 7:55 (NRSV) But filled with the Holy Spirit, he [Stephen] gazed into 
heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 
56 "Look," he said, "I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at 
the right hand of God!" 57 But they covered their ears, and with a loud 
shout all rushed together against him. 58 Then they dragged him out of the 
city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet 
of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, 
"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60 Then he knelt down and cried out in a 
loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said 
this, he died.


Acts 6: 1 - 7   (Roman Catholic)

Acts 6:1 (NRSV) Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in 
number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows 
were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. 2 And the twelve 
called together the whole community of the disciples and said, "It is not 
right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 
Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, 
full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, 4 while 
we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word." 
5 What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man 
full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Proch'orus, 
Nica'nor, Ti'mon, Par'menas, and Nicola'us, a proselyte of An'tioch. 6 They 
had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on 
them.
7 The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased 
greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the 
faith.


Genesis 8: 1 - 19   (alt. for C of E)

Gene 8:1 (NRSV) But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and all the 
domestic animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow 
over the earth, and the waters subsided; 2 the fountains of the deep and the 
windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was 
restrained, 3 and the waters gradually receded from the earth. At the end of 
one hundred fifty days the waters had abated; 4 and in the seventh month, on 
the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of 
Ar'arat. 5 The waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth 
month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains appeared.
6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had 
made 7 and sent out the raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were 
dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent out the dove from him, to see if the 
waters had subsided from the face of the ground; 9 but the dove found no 
place to set its foot, and it returned to him to the ark, for the waters 
were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took 
it and brought it into the ark with him. 10 He waited another seven days, 
and again he sent out the dove from the ark; 11 and the dove came back to 
him in the evening, and there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf; 
so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. 12 Then he waited 
another seven days, and sent out the dove; and it did not return to him any 
more.
13 In the six hundred first year, in the first month, the first day of the 
month, the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the 
covering of the ark, and looked, and saw that the face of the ground was 
drying. 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the 
earth was dry. 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 "Go out of the ark, you and your 
wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you. 17 Bring out with you 
every living thing that is with you of all flesh--birds and animals and 
every creeping thing that creeps on the earth--so that they may abound on 
the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth." 18 So Noah went out 
with his sons and his wife and his sons' wives. 19 And every animal, every 
creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out 
of the ark by families.


PSALM 31: 1 - 5, 15 - 16   (RCL)

Psal 31:1 (NRSV) In you, O LORD, I seek refuge;
do not let me ever be put to shame;
in your righteousness deliver me.
2 Incline your ear to me;
rescue me speedily.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me.
3 You are indeed my rock and my fortress;
for your name's sake lead me and guide me,
4 take me out of the net that is hidden for me,
for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.
6You hate those who pay regard to worthless idols,
but I trust in the LORD.
7 I will exult and rejoice in your steadfast love,
because you have seen my affliction;
you have taken heed of my adversities,
8 and have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
you have set my feet in a broad place.

15 My times are in your hand;
deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.
16 Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your steadfast love.


31   In te, Domine, speravi    (ECUSA BCP)

1   In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame; *
  deliver me in your righteousness.

2   Incline your ear to me; *
  make haste to deliver me.

3   Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe,
for you are my crag and my stronghold; *
  for the sake of your Name, lead me and guide me.

4   Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me, *
  for you are my tower of strength.

5   Into your hands I commend my spirit, *
  for you have redeemed me,
  O Lord, O God of truth.


15   My times are in your hand; *
  rescue me from the hand of my enemies,
  and from those who persecute me.

16   Make your face to shine upon your servant, *
  and in your loving-kindness save me.?



Psalm 33: 1 - 2, 4 - 5, 18 - 19, R. v. 22 (Roman Catholic)

Psal 33:1 (NRSV) Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous.
Praise befits the upright.
2 Praise the LORD with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings.

4 For the word of the LORD is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.

18 Truly the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 to deliver their soul from death,
and to keep them alive in famine.
22 Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.


NEW TESTAMENT: 1 Peter 2: 2 - 10   (RCL)
                                    1 Peter 2: 4 - 9   (Roman Catholic)

1Pet 2:1 (NRSV) 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, 
so that by it you may grow into salvation-- 3 if indeed you have tasted that 
the Lord is good.
4 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and 
precious in God's sight, and 5 like living stones, let yourselves be built 
into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual 
sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in 
scripture:
"See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious;
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."
7 To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe,
"The stone that the builders rejected
has become the very head of the corner,"
8 and
"A stone that makes them stumble,
and a rock that makes them fall."
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own 
people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you 
out of darkness into his marvelous light.
10 Once you were not a people,
but now you are God's people;
once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.

Note: If one of the Old Testament alternatives is used for the first 
reading, the Acts reading should be instead used here.


GOSPEL: John 14: 1 - 14   (RCL)
                  John 14: 1 - 12   (Roman Catholic)

John 14:1 (NRSV) "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, 
believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. 
If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for 
you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will 
take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you 
know the way to the place where I am going." 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we 
do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to 
him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father 
except through me. 7 If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now 
on you do know him and have seen him."
8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." 
9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you 
still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you 
say, "Show us the Father'? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and 
the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; 
but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in 
the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me 
because of the works themselves. 12 Very truly, I tell you, the one who 
believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do 
greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do 
whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 
14 If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.


Chad Wohlers
East Bridgewater, Mass.   USA
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu





From eldan at bresnan.net  Mon May 16 12:09:03 2011
From: eldan at bresnan.net (Bob Eldan)
Date: Mon, 16 May 2011 10:09:03 -0600
Subject: [Propertalk] believe?
Message-ID: <8B7D76464EF24E3984BF2CEECCE6D15A@BobPC>

In next Sunday's Gospel 5 times one form or another of the Greek word "pistis" is used.  The Greek word is unfortunately translated "belief"  or "believe" in the verb form.   It is an undesirable translation because "belief" in modern usage carries the luggage of cognitive acceptance, intellectual acceptance in our minds.  With that understanding it sounds like Jesus is telling us to just accept what he is saying.  However, the Greek word, which is sometimes translated "have faith," means to be in committed relationship.  It is very similar to the Old Testament concept of covenant with God.  To be in reciprocal kinship is different than simply "believing" God exists or even that Jesus is God.  This is not about creedal statements.  

Bob Eldan

http://preachingtip.com/  

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From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Sat May 21 14:44:34 2011
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 21 May 2011 14:44:34 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] Fwd: Sermon Resources for May 22 - Part 1
In-Reply-To: <6b0c69bdcf2082a3c237e197277f0f79@mail.churchmail.com>
References: <6b0c69bdcf2082a3c237e197277f0f79@mail.churchmail.com>
Message-ID: <8CDE5FE434F4909-820-417B@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>


Sermons for Easter 5: 

    John 14:1-14 - "A Haven for Troubled Hearts"
   1 Peter 2: 2-10 - "The Meals-on-Wheels Temple" by Leonard Sweet
 
John 14, the sermon titled "A Haven for Troubled Hearts" 
 
Eric Clapton, arguably the greatest living rock guitarist, wrote a heart wrenching song about the death of his four year old son. He fell from a 53rd-story window. Clapton took nine months off and when he returned his music had changed. The hardship had made his music softer, more powerful, and more reflective. You have perhaps heard the song he wrote about his son's death. It is a song of hope:
 
     Would you know my name if I saw you in heaven?
     Would it be the same if I saw you in heaven?
     I must be strong and carry on,
     'Cause I know I don't belong here in heaven.
 
     Would you hold my hand if I saw you in heaven?
     Would you help me stand if I saw you in heaven?
     I'll find my way through night and day,
     'Cause I know I just can't stay here in heaven.
 
     Time can bring you down, time can bend your knees.
     Time can break your heart, have you begging please, begging please.
     Beyond the door there's peace I'm sure,
     And I know there'll be no more tears in heaven.
 
Jesus has just had the Passover meal with his disciples. He has washed their feet in an act of servanthood. He has foretold his betrayal which Judas will soon perform. He has predicted Peter's denial. He has told them he is leaving. But he adds this word of hope: Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many rooms. I go to prepare a place for you and will come again and take you to myself. So that where I am, you may be also.
 
Hardship has a way of getting our attention. Pain slows us down. Very few us, after facing a trial, come out the same way we entered in. Jesus understood this and attempted to prepare his disciples for the road ahead.
 
The rest of this sermon following the outline above can be obtained by joining http://www.sermons.com/signup
_______________________
 
1 Peter 2,  the sermon titled "The Meals-on Wheels Temple" by Leonard Sweet 
 
I call the world we are living in TGIF. Anyone know what TGIF stands for? That?s right: ?Thank God It?s Friday? 
 
But I?ve re-acronymed TGIF as ?Twitter, Google, iPhone, Facebook.? So let me begin this morning with some TGIF questions:
 
Do you blog? If you do, do you blog with people on your block? 
 
Are any of your immediate neighbors your Facebook ?friends? or Twitter ?followers?? 
 
Do you connect with more people digitally than you do physically?
 
If the answer is ?no? to the first two and ?yes? to the third, then you are . . . pretty typical. The good news is that now absolutely no one need be cut off from contact with others in this electronic age of ?relationships.? The bad news is that if everything in our lives is part of some enormous ?social network,? how do we ever differentiate the devotedly ?personal? from the digitally ?social?? 
 
It is fun to have lots of Facebook friends. It is cool to have an entourage of Twitter ?followers.? But as important as these ?social media? are, there are times and places in our lives when a different kind of connectedness makes the difference between life and death.
 
Rising Spring waters have poured across those regions of our country graced by the presence of the Mississippi River. So much flooding, in fact, that whole communities have been forced to flee their homes. Adding insult to injury some have been put under water by the deliberate flooding of less populated areas to safeguard the survival of the larger cities. The only bright spot in these regional disasters and personal tragedies has been the out-pouring of local community care and support. 
 
I predict that one of the greatest stories of 2011 will turn out to be this one: Love and compassion have easily overwhelmed the water-power of the Mississippi?
 
The rest of the sermon can be found by joining Sermons.com. 
 
Click here:  http://www.sermons.com/signup or call 1-800-777-7731 to join.
 
_______________________
 
Taking Our Penalty

Friday night my wife and I went to a hockey game. It was between the Colorado Avalanche and the Mighty Ducks. Colorado's goalie got a penalty for "delay of game." A penalty in hockey means your team plays short-handed while you sit in the penalty box. 

Yet, during this penalty Colorado's goalie was still in the net. Do you know why? Because another player on his team was allowed to take the penalty for him. That other player was in the penalty box, suffering the consequences of what the goalie did, as if he was the one guilty of breaking the rules.

That's a picture of Christ. We broke the rules, we are the sinners, we have offended God's majesty, we have strayed from the Way, yet it is Christ who paid the penalty. The result? Through Christ and His cross we have a way to God and heaven and eternal life. Through Christ we are saved!

Adrian Dieleman, I Am the Way and the Truth and the Life 
_____________________________________

You Know Your Master Is There
 
There is a story told of a dying man who asked his Christian doctor to tell him something about the place to which he was going. As the doctor fumbled for a reply, he heard a scratching at the door, and he had his answer. 
 
"Do you hear that?" he asked his patient. "It's my dog. I left him downstairs, but he has grown impatient, and has come up and hears my voice. He has no notion what is inside this door, but he knows that I am here. Isn't it the same with you? You don't know what lies beyond the Door, but you know that your Master is there."

Alan Carr, Biblical Facts about a Place Called Heaven 
___________________________________

What?s With the Fork?
 
A woman was diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. As she was getting her things in order, she contacted her pastor and asked him to come to her house to discuss some of her final wishes.

She told him which songs she wanted sung at her funeral service, what Scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. She requested to be buried with her favorite Bible.

As the pastor prepared to leave, the woman suddenly remembered something else. "There's one more thing," she said excitedly.

"What's that?" said the pastor.

"This is important," the woman said. "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand."

The pastor stood looking at the woman, not knowing quite what to say.

The woman explained. "In all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part of the meal because I knew something better was coming?like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie.

"So, when people see me in that casket with a fork in my hand and they ask, 'What's with the fork?' I want you to tell them: 'Keep your fork. The best is yet to come!'"

Alan Carr, Biblical Facts about a Place Called Heaven
___________________________________


One Way Out


The year was 1275 BC, before Christ.  The land was Egypt.  The ruler was Pharaoh.  The leader of the Jews was Moses.  The Jews had been in slavery for four hundred years to the Egyptians, building their cities and pyramids. But God had sent the plagues, and now the Jewish nation was beginning their exodus from slavery.  And at this particular moment, they were stopped by a body of water, the Red Sea, the Red Sea, and the Egyptian chariots and horses were rapidly coming to attack and bring death and extinction.  It seemed there was no way out and then a miracle. Suddenly, before them, the Red Sea opened up and there was only one way. Only one way out.  Only one way to avoid death and extinction and that was through the Red Sea.

That paradigm, that visual image of only one way out of death and extinction is deeply woven into the theology of the Old Testament and New Testament.  I still can clearly see a picture poster from a Bible Series that I used to teach of a high piece of land on the left, a deep chasm in the middle and a high piece of land on the right. The high piece of land on the left represented Earth; the high piece on the right represented Heaven; and then there was a bridge in the form of a cross that went from Earth to Heaven.  It was only on the cross of Christ that we moved from Earth to Eternity.  It was the only way.  It is the only way.

Edward F. Markquart, Only One Way Out
__________________________________
 


 
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From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Sat May 21 14:44:43 2011
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 21 May 2011 14:44:43 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] Fwd: Sermon Resources for May 22 - Part 2
Message-ID: <8CDE5FE48A80427-820-417C@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>


Humor: The Peacemakers

Dawne Olson, a South Dakota mother of four, was preparing to give a talk on unity at her women's Bible study. She woke up early to type out the scripture verses. She wasn't quite finished when her four children began coming downstairs asking for breakfast. She could hear the children just around the corner in the kitchen as they rummaged through the refrigerator and cupboards for something to eat. At some point they discovered half of a toaster pastry on the counter from the night before. They all began screaming and fighting; each claiming the half-eaten Pop Tart.

As Dawne made a couple of futile attempts to quiet them down, she finished typing the verse in Matthew 5:9 that says, "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God." Taking her cue from scripture, she hollered into the kitchen above the noise, "Would somebody PLEASE be the peacemaker?!"

There was a moment's silence and then Garret, age 6, piped up, "I'll be the piece maker, Mom!"

Then to his brother and sisters he said: "Here's a piece for you and you, and a piece for you and one piece for me."

Needless to say, Dawne had her opening illustration on unity and peace for that evening's Bible study!

Billy D. Strayhorn, I Go to Prepare a Place for You
_____________________________________


Making Anyone Laugh

The great American humorist, Will Rogers, had the reputation that he could make anyone laugh. President Calvin Coolidge, on the other hand, had the reputation that he never laughed. Want to know what happened the time those two met? Rogers was invited to visit the White House and as was the custom, the president's assistant brought Rogers into the Oval Office. As was the custom as he entered, the assistant said, "President Coolidge, this is Will Rogers. Mr. Rogers, this is President Coolidge." To which Rogers leaned forward and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't catch the name." With that, President Coolidge cracked up and started laughing.

Don't you wish you were as quick on your feet as he was? Quick with a comeback, quick with just the right thing to say. Well, of all the things that Jesus said, some of the most significant are the words in today's Gospel reading, when Jesus says, "I am the way and the truth and the life."

Lee Griess, Return to the Lord, Your God, CSS Publishing Company, Inc 
_____________________________

An Evening Prayer
 
A century ago John Henry Newman wrote an evening prayer which expresses well the whole spirit in which we see the present in the light of that place which Christ has prepared for us:

Support us, O Lord, all the long day of this troubled life until the shadows lengthen, and the evening comes, when the busy fever of life is hushed, and our work is done. Then in thy mercy grant us a safe lodging, a holy rest, and peace at the last, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Dean Lueking, From Ashes to Holy Wind, CSS Publishing Company 
__________________________________________


When We Glimpse Paradise

In 1816, Lord Byron wrote a narrative poem that has become a classic. The poem is titled, "The Prisoner of Chillon," and it is the story of a man incarcerated in the dungeon at the Castle of Chillon near Lake Geneva, Switzerland.

The prisoner was in a narrow, cramped dungeon cell for such a long time that he began to think of it as home. He made friends with the spiders, insects, and mice that shared his cell. They were all inmates of the same dungeon and he was monarch of each race.

The years in the dark dungeon cell had taken their toll. He was no longer unhappy or uncomfortable. He had grown accustomed to his environment and came to think of his chains as friends.

One day a bird perched on the crevice of the ledge above and began to sing. It was the sweetest music he had ever heard. Suddenly, the desire to see the outside world overwhelmed him. He grabbed the walls of his cell, and began climbing and struggling up the wall so that he could look out of the little window. In that moment, he saw a world that he had forgotten?
 
The conclusion to this illustration and for many additional illustrations and sermons for Easter 5 can be accessed at www.Sermons.com.
 
 


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From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Sat May 21 14:48:19 2011
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 21 May 2011 14:48:19 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] Fwd: SermonWriter:  May 22 (Easter 5A) John 14:1-14
In-Reply-To: <1105378391806.1102494453531.1956.5.196103009@scheduler>
References: <1105378391806.1102494453531.1956.5.196103009@scheduler>
Message-ID: <8CDE5FEC91D43B5-820-4183@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>


THE FOLLOWING are SermonWriter materials for May 22 (Easter 5A). They focus on the Gospel lesson, John 14:1-14, where Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Believe in God, believe also in me."
 
To access those files, you MUST use the following links.  If clicking on the link fails to work, copy the link and paste it in the address window near the top of your browser.  Then hit the ENTER key or click GO.
 
Microsoft Word file:  
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/05-22km/John.14.1-14.doc
 
HTML file (web page): 
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/05-22km/John.14.1-14.htm
 
WordPerfect file:  
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/05-22km/John.14.1-14.wpd
 

 A TIP: If you want the Word or WordPerfect files, LEFT-CLICK on the link and see what happens.  That should bring up a dialog box that asks if you want to open the file or save it.  Choose OPEN.  Then save it wherever you like on your hard drive.

If that doesn't work, RIGHT-CLICK on the link.  You should get a sub-menu.  Hopefully, "Save Target As" will be one of the options.  Click on that.  Then save the file wherever you want on your hard drive.

     http://www.lectionary.org/ 
     
Dick Donovan

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From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Sat May 21 14:51:35 2011
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 21 May 2011 14:51:35 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] Fwd: SermonWriter:  May 22 (Easter 5A) Acts 7:55-60
In-Reply-To: <Rkg2VFJZNigzLEZaUUtIMjgwMjcwOTM@Dick>
References: <Rkg2VFJZNigzLEZaUUtIMjgwMjcwOTM@Dick>
Message-ID: <8CDE5FF3DE97D37-820-4185@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>


ACTS 7:55-60

These materials include the exegesis + a link to one sermon, a children's 
sermon, and a hymn list:

Microsoft Word file:
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/05-22km/Acts.7.55-60.EXEGESIS.doc

HTML file (web page):
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/05-22km/Acts.7.55-60.EXEGESIS.htm

WordPerfect file:
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/05-22km/Acts.7.55-60.EXEGESIS.wpd


A TIP: If you want the Word or WordPerfect files, LEFT-CLICK on the link and see 
what happens.

That should bring up a dialog box that asks if you want to open the file or save 
it.
Choose OPEN.  Then save it wherever you like on your hard drive.

If that doesn't work, RIGHT-CLICK on the link.  You should get a sub-menu.
Hopefully, "Save Target As" will be one of them.  Click on that.
Then save the file wherever you want on your hard drive.


www.lectionary.org

Dick Donovan


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From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Sun May 22 03:45:50 2011
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sun, 22 May 2011 03:45:50 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] Sermon for May 22 on John 14:1-14,
	"Knowing versus believing"
Message-ID: <8CDE66B67BEAB4A-820-430D@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>


 http://tiny.cc/o2bvy is our sermon for May 22 based on John 14:1-14, "Knowing versus believing".
Peace and Easter blessings,
Joe
St. John's Episcopal Church
Elizabeth, NJ

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From chadwohl at satucket.com  Sun May 22 21:50:48 2011
From: chadwohl at satucket.com (Charles Wohlers)
Date: Sun, 22 May 2011 21:50:48 -0400
Subject: [Propertalk] READINGS for the SIXTH SUNDAY of EASTER
Message-ID: <568AFFABCA9E40EEB2F7EFF8A5733B13@ThinkpadT60CCW>

The following are the readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 29, according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common Worship) lectionaries. All readings are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA, Canadian and C of E lectionaries are identical to the RCL for this day.


. 
FIRST READING: Acts 17: 22 - 31   (RCL) 

Acts 17:22 (NRSV) Then Paul stood in front of the Areop'agus and said, "Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. 23 For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, "To an unknown god." What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. 26 From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, 27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him--though indeed he is not far from each one of us. 28 For "In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, 
"For we too are his offspring."
29 Since we are God's offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. 30 While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead." 


Acts 8: 5 - 8, 14 - 17   (Roman Catholic) 

Acts 8:5 (NRSV) Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them. 6 The crowds with one accord listened eagerly to what was said by Philip, hearing and seeing the signs that he did, 7 for unclean spirits, crying with loud shrieks, came out of many who were possessed; and many others who were paralyzed or lame were cured. 8 So there was great joy in that city. 

14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit 16 (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 


Genesis 8: 20 - 9: 17   (alt. for C of E) 

Gene 8:20 (NRSV) Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And when the LORD smelled the pleasing odor, the LORD said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, for the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth; nor will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done. 
22 As long as the earth endures, 
seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, 
summer and winter, day and night, 
shall not cease." 9:1 God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. 2 The fear and dread of you shall rest on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the air, on everything that creeps on the ground, and on all the fish of the sea; into your hand they are delivered. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and just as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. 4 Only, you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5 For your own lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning: from every animal I will require it and from human beings, each one for the blood of another, I will require a reckoning for human life. 
6 Whoever sheds the blood of a human, 
by a human shall that person's blood be shed; 
for in his own image 
God made humankind. 
7 And you, be fruitful and multiply, abound on the earth and multiply in it." 
8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 "As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." 12 God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth." 17 God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth." 


PSALM 66: 8 - 20   (RCL) 
Psalm 66: 1 - 7, 16, 20   (Roman Catholic) 

Psal 66:1 (NRSV) Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; 
2 sing the glory of his name; 
give to him glorious praise. 
3 Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! 
Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you. 
4 All the earth worships you; 
they sing praises to you, 
sing praises to your name." [Se'lah] 
5 Come and see what God has done: 
he is awesome in his deeds among mortals. 
6 He turned the sea into dry land; 
they passed through the river on foot. 
There we rejoiced in him, 
7 who rules by his might forever, 
whose eyes keep watch on the nations-- 
let the rebellious not exalt themselves. [Se'lah] 
8 Bless our God, O peoples, 
let the sound of his praise be heard, 
9 who has kept us among the living, 
and has not let our feet slip. 
10 For you, O God, have tested us; 
you have tried us as silver is tried. 
11 You brought us into the net; 
you laid burdens on our backs; 
12 you let people ride over our heads; 
we went through fire and through water; 
yet you have brought us out to a spacious place. 
13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings; 
I will pay you my vows, 
14 those that my lips uttered 
and my mouth promised when I was in trouble. 
15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fatlings, 
with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams; 
I will make an offering of bulls and goats. [Se'lah] 
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, 
and I will tell what he has done for me. 
17 I cried aloud to him, 
and he was extolled with my tongue. 
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, 
the Lord would not have listened. 
19 But truly God has listened; 
he has given heed to the words of my prayer. 
20 Blessed be God, 
because he has not rejected my prayer 
or removed his steadfast love from me. 



SECOND READING: 1 Peter 3: 13 - 22   (RCL) 
                                      1 Peter 3: 15 - 18   (Roman Catholic) 

1Pet 3:13 (NRSV)  Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? 14 But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, 15 but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; 16 yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God's will, than to suffer for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, 20 who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. 21 And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you--not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him. 


GOSPEL: John 14: 15 - 21   (RCL, Roman Catholic) 

John 14:15 (NRSV) "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. 
18 "I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them." 



Chad Wohlers
Woodbury, Vermont    USA
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu
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From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Tue May 24 09:58:31 2011
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Tue, 24 May 2011 09:58:31 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] 6th of Easter: 1 Peter 3.8-22
In-Reply-To: <90823543FD5D4292BA7C97C26B5CFA97@HowardPC>
References: <90823543FD5D4292BA7C97C26B5CFA97@HowardPC>
Message-ID: <8CDE831CCD97962-E20-28B@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>

Forwarded:





-----Original Message-----
From: Fr HC Smith <howard.smith at anglican.org.au>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Tue, May 24, 2011 6:41 am
Subject: [propertalk.topic] 6th of Easter: 1 Peter 3.8-22


Friends,
Thanks Judy for your encouragement. (As an aside, I managed to get near your 
part of the world in 1991 when I had a great visit to the Diocese of 
Northern Michigan to study rural ministry).  This week there is a bit of 
overlap between the Australian lectionary and RCL - so here are a few 
thoughts on which to build a sermon.
Howard
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*    Today we continue learning from Peter how the Resurrection of Jesus can 
make a difference to us in the 21st century.  Today's reading from a NT 
letter in the name of Peter is thought to be the outline of a sermon for 
baptisms.
+    And one of the important things that Peter teaches us is that
    we, as baptised people, can make changes in the way we
    behave, and the way we live, because we are followers of the
    risen Lord Jesus, and share in his new life.
+    So what he tells us today is pretty important for the whole world in 
which we live:
    -    lots of people are fond of complaining about the terrible things 
that happen in our world:
    -    the awful violence and abuse people have to put up with,
    -    the injustice they feel that happens to them often,
    -    to say nothing of the terrible wars that go on between countries.
+    And people ask why doesn't someone do something about it?
    -    or even: why doesn't God do something about it?
+    Well Peter reminds us again today that God has already done
    something about it, and God has invited us to become partners
    in the whole process of making life better, more like God?s New World;
-    but sadly, too many human beings find excuses to make any effort to 
improve things.

*    Let's just have a quick look at what God says to us in Peter's letter:
+    We are told that the way forward for us, as baptised people, is:
    -    to agree with one another,
    -    to have love and concern for each other,
    -    to be kind and humble;
    -    to stop being hateful and insulting to other people especially when 
they are hateful and insult us!
+    Wow! that's quite a mouthful, and it even looks almost impossible;
    -    but I reckon that God wouldn't tell us to live like that if it
        were totally impossible; God only tells us to do things that are 
possible;
    -    mind you we probably need the help of the Holy Spirit, but it
        is still possible to get somewhere along the track.
+    So that makes me ask myself some hard questions:
    -    Why do I sometimes have to disagree with other people?
    -    Why am I sometimes unkind and proud?
    -    Why do I sometimes insult people?
+    And if I'm honest in my answers, I realise that when I behave
    like that  I'm contributing to the problems of the world, instead of 
helping God with the answers.
+    And if I can't get it right, then how can I demand that someone else 
should get it right?
+    So today Peter is inviting me, and you, to make a fresh start
    trying to find how to agree with people, how to be concerned
    for them, to love them, to be kind and to be humble, and to
    stop insulting people.
*    Perhaps this rural story might help us get the point:
*    "A farmer raised sheep, but on the farm next to him was one who raised 
wheat, children and large dogs.  The dogs were always scaring the sheep and 
sometimes even eating the baby lambs.
+    The sheep farmer didn?t know what to do.
+    He could shoot the dogs, or poison them, be nasty to his neighbour, or 
even take him to court.
+    He prayed about it.
    -    As soon as some new lambs were born, he gave one of the
        lambs to each of his neighbour?s children as a pet.
    -    They were thrilled.
+    Their father could no longer allow the dogs to run free or they
    would kill the lambs, so the dogs were tied up.
+    The two farmers became friends.
    -    Kindness and love made them winners."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Rev'd Dr H.C. Smith
Retired Anglican Priest
Orange NSW
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 



 
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From eldan at bresnan.net  Tue May 24 15:04:57 2011
From: eldan at bresnan.net (Bob Eldan)
Date: Tue, 24 May 2011 13:04:57 -0600
Subject: [Propertalk] Not left orphaned
Message-ID: <5C6C9E9F96D744498B3778153DFD4D8F@BobPC>

An idea on next Sunday's Gospel:



We are not left orphaned (John 14:18), in spite of the fact that we at times feel alone and abandoned due to life's ups and downs, life's achievements followed by misfortunes.  Not only is Jesus himself coming to us, he has left us an Advocate to be at our side.  This Advocate he calls "the Spirit of Truth."  However, we are mistaken if we suppose the Spirit is going to defend us by giving us truth in the sense of information, data, intellectual content or facts that we can shape into dogmas, dogmas that we can impose as a litmus test for being a true Christian.  As we scan this Gospel reading we see that the Spirit's veracity is not truth to the letter, but is intimately tied up with Jesus' commandments and love.  We can search all of the New Testament and we will only find one commandment ever given by Jesus.  In John 13:24, right before today's passage, so it is fresh in the reader's mind, Jesus says "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.  Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another."  That's the only time Jesus ever mentions a commandment from himself.  This commandment to love is the truth that holds up in the Spirit's court of law.  St. Augustine in the fourth century said "Love and do as you will."  In other words with love we will do the right thing.  Love creates a tight circle that is paradoxically tight and inclusive at that same time, never shunning or exclusive.  Jesus speaks of a circle of love.  He is in the Father, and we are in him and he is in us. (John 14:20)  Let us look around and search out the neglected and lonely and keep the commandment.  That's how we profess truth.  We are not left orphaned; and we do not orphan anyone else.



Bob Eldan

Lander Wyoming

http://preachingtip.com/ 
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From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Wed May 25 11:29:27 2011
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Wed, 25 May 2011 11:29:27 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] Day1 Sermon - Acts 17:16-32
Message-ID: <8CDE907AB1A64A9-E20-F9A@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>

The Rev. Hardy Kim is associate pastor for church growth at First Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, GA.
Young Leaders Series V: Proclaiming Christ in the New Areopagus
			
Acts 17:16-32
			
6th Sunday of Easter - Year A
			
May 29, 2011
http://day1.org/2922-young_leaders_series_v_proclaiming_christ_in_the_new_areopagus
 


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From chadwohl at satucket.com  Mon May 30 02:32:00 2011
From: chadwohl at satucket.com (Charles Wohlers)
Date: Sun, 29 May 2011 23:32:00 -0700
Subject: [Propertalk] READINGS for ASCENSION DAY
Message-ID: <03A6B5C9D1964DF994D4C0DB0AA10A84@ThinkpadT60CCW>

The following are the readings for Ascension Day, June 2, according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common Worship) lectionaries. All readings are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA, Canadian and C of E lectionaries are identical to the RCL for this day.



FIRST READING:  Acts 1: 1 - 11  (all)

Acts 1:1 (NRSV) In the first book, Theoph'ilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning 2 until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. "This," he said, "is what you have heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." 
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." 


Daniel 7: 9 - 14   (alt. for C of E)

Dani 7:9 (NRSV) As I watched, 
thrones were set in place, 
and an Ancient One Aram took his throne, 
his clothing was white as snow, 
and the hair of his head like pure wool; 
his throne was fiery flames, 
and its wheels were burning fire. 
10 A stream of fire issued 
and flowed out from his presence. 
A thousand thousands served him, 
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him. 
The court sat in judgment, 
and the books were opened. 
11 I watched then because of the noise of the arrogant words that the horn was speaking. And as I watched, the beast was put to death, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. 13 As I watched in the night visions, 
I saw one like a human being Aram 
coming with the clouds of heaven. 
And he came to the Ancient One Aram 
and was presented before him. 
14 To him was given dominion 
and glory and kingship, 
that all peoples, nations, and languages 
should serve him. 
His dominion is an everlasting dominion 
that shall not pass away, 
and his kingship is one 
that shall never be destroyed. 


PSALM 47  (all but Roman Catholic)
Psalm 47: 1 - 2, 5 - 8   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 47:1 (NRSV) Clap your hands, all you peoples; 
shout to God with loud songs of joy. 
2 For the LORD, the Most High, is awesome, 
a great king over all the earth. 
3 He subdued peoples under us, 
and nations under our feet. 
4 He chose our heritage for us, 
the pride of Jacob whom he loves. [Se'lah] 
5 God has gone up with a shout, 
the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. 
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises; 
sing praises to our King, sing praises. 
7 For God is the king of all the earth; 
sing praises with a psalm. 
8 God is king over the nations; 
God sits on his holy throne. 
9 The princes of the peoples gather 
as the people of the God of Abraham. 
For the shields of the earth belong to God; 
he is highly exalted. 

Note: Verse numbering in Roman Catholic bibles is one higher than the above


47   Omnes gentes, plaudite   (ECUSA BCP)
 
1   Clap your hands, all you peoples; *
 shout to God with a cry of joy.
 
2   For the Lord Most High is to be feared; *
 he is the great King over all the earth.
 
3   He subdues the peoples under us, *
 and the nations under our feet.
 
4   He chooses our inheritance for us, *
 the pride of Jacob whom he loves.
 
5   God has gone up with a shout, *
 the Lord with the sound of the ram's-horn.
 
6   Sing praises to God, sing praises; *
 sing praises to our King, sing praises.
 
7   For God is King of all the earth; *
 sing praises with all your skill.
 
8   God reigns over the nations; *
 God sits upon his holy throne.
 
9   The nobles of the peoples have gathered together *
 with the people of the God of Abraham.
 
10  The rulers of the earth belong to God, *
 and he is highly exalted.


Psalm 93   (alt. for RCL)

Psal 93:1 (NRSV) The LORD is king, he is robed in majesty; 
the LORD is robed, he is girded with strength. 
He has established the world; it shall never be moved; 
2 your throne is established from of old; 
you are from everlasting. 
3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, 
the floods have lifted up their voice; 
the floods lift up their roaring. 
4 More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters, 
more majestic than the waves of the sea, 
majestic on high is the LORD! 
5 Your decrees are very sure; 
holiness befits your house, 
O LORD, forevermore. 


93  Dominus regnavit  (ECUSA BCP)
 
1   The Lord is King;
he has put on splendid apparel; *
  the Lord has put on his apparel
  and girded himself with strength.
 
2   He has made the whole world so sure *
  that it cannot be moved;
 
3   Ever since the world began, your throne has been established; *
  you are from everlasting.
 
4   The waters have lifted up, O Lord,
the waters have lifted up their voice; *
  the waters have lifted up their pounding waves.
 
5   Mightier than the sound of many waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea, *
  mightier is the Lord who dwells on high.
 
6   Your testimonies are very sure, *
  and holiness adorns your house, O Lord,
  for ever and for evermore.


SECOND READING:   Ephesians 1: 15 - 23   (all)

Ephe 1:15 (NRSV) I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. 20 God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. 22 And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. 

Note: The Roman Catholic lectionary omits vs. 15 & 16; if one of the Old Testament alternatives is used for the first reading, the Acts reading should be used instead here.


GOSPEL:  Luke 24: 44 - 53   (RCL)

Luke 24:44 (NRSV) Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you--that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled." 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46 and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." 
50 Then he led them out as far as Beth'any, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; 53 and they were continually in the temple blessing God. 


Matthew 28: 16 - 20   (Roman Catholic)

Matt 28:16 (NRSV) Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." {Other ancient authorities add [Amen]} 


Chad Wohlers
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu
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From chadwohl at satucket.com  Mon May 30 02:37:01 2011
From: chadwohl at satucket.com (Charles Wohlers)
Date: Sun, 29 May 2011 23:37:01 -0700
Subject: [Propertalk] READINGS for the SEVENTH SUNDAY of EASTER
Message-ID: <1C445F13866849EFAB54B247CD26FED9@ThinkpadT60CCW>

The following are the readings for the Seventh Sunday of Easter, June 5, according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common Worship) lectionaries. All readings are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA, Canadian and C of E lectionaries are identical to the RCL for this day.



FIRST READING: Acts 1: 6 - 14 (RCL) 
                                Acts 1: 12 - 14 (Roman Catholic) 

Acts 1:1 (NRSV) In the first book, Theoph'ilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning 2 until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. "This," he said, "is what you have heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." 
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." 
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Ol'ivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away. 13 When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphae'us, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers. 


Ezekiel 36: 24 - 28 (alt. for C of E) 

Ezek 36:24 (NRSV) I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. 28 Then you shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. 


PSALM 68: 1 - 10, 32 - 35   (RCL) 

Psal 68:1 (NRSV) Let God rise up, let his enemies be scattered; 
let those who hate him flee before him. 
2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; 
as wax melts before the fire, 
let the wicked perish before God. 
3 But let the righteous be joyful; 
let them exult before God; 
let them be jubilant with joy. 
4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name; 
lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds -- 
his name is the LORD-- 
be exultant before him. 
5 Father of orphans and protector of widows 
is God in his holy habitation. 
6 God gives the desolate a home to live in; 
he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, 
but the rebellious live in a parched land. 
7 O God, when you went out before your people, 
when you marched through the wilderness, [Se'lah] 
8 the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain 
at the presence of God, the God of Sinai, 
at the presence of God, the God of Israel. 
9 Rain in abundance, O God, you showered abroad; 
you restored your heritage when it languished; 
10 your flock found a dwelling in it; 
in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy. 

32 Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth; 
sing praises to the Lord, [Se'lah] 
33 O rider in the heavens, the ancient heavens; 
listen, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice. 
34 Ascribe power to God, 
whose majesty is over Israel; 
and whose power is in the skies. 
35 Awesome is God in his sanctuary, 
the God of Israel; 
he gives power and strength to his people. 
Blessed be God! 


Psalm 27: 1, 4, 7 - 8 (Roman Catholic) 

Psal 27:1 (NRSV) The LORD is my light and my salvation; 
whom shall I fear? 
The LORD is the stronghold of my life; 
of whom shall I be afraid? 

4 One thing I asked of the LORD, 
that will I seek after: 
to live in the house of the LORD 
all the days of my life, 
to behold the beauty of the LORD, 
and to inquire in his temple. 
7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud, 
be gracious to me and answer me! 
8 "Come," my heart says, "seek his face!" 
Your face, LORD, do I seek. 



SECOND READING: 1 Peter 4: 12 - 14, 5: 6 - 11 (RCL) 
                                      1 Peter 4: 13 - 16 (Roman Catholic) 

1Pet 4:12 (NRSV) Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief maker. 16 Yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear this name. 

5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 8 Discipline yourselves, keep alert. {Or [be vigilant]} Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. 10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the power forever and ever. Amen. 

Note: If one of the Old Testament alternatives is used for the first reading, the Acts reading should be used instead here. 


GOSPEL: John 17: 1 - 11 (all) 

John 17:1 (NRSV) After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. 5 So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. 
6 "I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; 8 for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. 

Note: The Roman Catholic lectionary omits the second part of v. 11.


Chad Wohlers
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu
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From eldan at bresnan.net  Mon May 30 13:11:01 2011
From: eldan at bresnan.net (Bob Eldan)
Date: Mon, 30 May 2011 11:11:01 -0600
Subject: [Propertalk] Ascension on Sunday
Message-ID: <A70DF630760F4151844D1DDA6AC759E6@BobPC>

 Evidently the compilers of the lectionary put the story of the Ascension found in the Acts of the Apostles as the first reading on the 7th Sunday of Easter in case some congregations missed the feast on the Thursday prior.  My experience is that even some liturgical churches do nothing special on the Thursday.  And even if they did most parishioners will not have been in church on that day.  Therefore, we have a reference to the Ascension on Sunday.  Of course, the purists among us will want to look at the Gospel and leave the Ascension on Thursday.

Bob Eldan

http://preachingtip.com/ 
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From charles.wohlers at verizon.net  Sun May  1 21:07:04 2011
From: charles.wohlers at verizon.net (Charles Wohlers)
Date: Sun, 01 May 2011 21:07:04 -0400
Subject: [Propertalk] READINGS for the THIRD SUNDAY of EASTER
Message-ID: <B4562EECD43A4DECA8FEF2CABEF13D89@cranmer>

The following are the readings for the Third Sunday of Easter, May 8, 
according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, 
Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common Worship) lectionaries. All 
readings are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the 
Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA, Canadian and C of E lectionaries 
are identical to the RCL for this day.



FIRST READING: Acts 2: 14a, 36 - 41 (RCL)

Acts 2:14 (NRSV) But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and 
addressed them,
36 Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has 
made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified."
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter 
and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" 38 Peter said to 
them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ 
so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy 
Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who 
are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him." 40 And he 
testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, "Save 
yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41 So those who welcomed his 
message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. 
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the 
breaking of bread and the prayers.
43 Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by 
the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and had all things in 
common; 45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the 
proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Day by day, as they spent much time 
together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with 
glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having the goodwill of all the 
people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being 
saved.


Acts 2: 14, 22 - 33 (Roman Catholic)

Acts 2:14 (NRSV) But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and 
addressed them,
"Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and 
listen to what I say.

22 "You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of 
Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and 
signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know-- 23 this 
man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of 
God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. 24 But 
God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible 
for him to be held in its power. 25 For David says concerning him,
"I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken;
26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
moreover my flesh will live in hope.
27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One experience corruption.
28 You have made known to me the ways of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.'
29 "Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David 
that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 
Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that 
he would put one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Foreseeing this, David 
spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying,
"He was not abandoned to Hades,
nor did his flesh experience corruption.' 32 This Jesus God raised up, and 
of that all of us are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right 
hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy 
Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear.


Zephaniah 3: 14 - 20 (alt. for C of E)

Zeph 3:14 (NRSV) Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
15 The LORD has taken away the judgments against you,
he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
you shall fear disaster no more.
16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands grow weak.
17 The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
18 as on a day of festival.
I will remove disaster from you,
so that you will not bear reproach for it.
19 I will deal with all your oppressors
at that time.
And I will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
and renown in all the earth.
20 At that time I will bring you home,
at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes, says the LORD.


PSALM 116: 1 - 4, 12 - 19 (RCL)

Psal 116:1 (NRSV) I love the LORD, because he has heard
my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of She'ol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the LORD:
"O LORD, I pray, save my life!"

12 What shall I return to the LORD
for all his bounty to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the LORD,
14 I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
16 O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the child of your serving girl.
You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice
and call on the name of the LORD.
18 I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the LORD!

Note: Verse numbering in your Psalter may be different from the above.


Psalm 16: 1 - 2, 5, 7 - 11 (Roman Catholic)

Psal 16:1 (NRSV) Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you."

5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.

7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I keep the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
my body also rests secure.
10 For you do not give me up to She'ol,
or let your faithful one see the Pit.
11 You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.


SECOND READING: 1 Peter 1: 17 - 23 (RCL)
                                      1 Peter 1: 17 - 21 (Roman Catholic)

1Pet 1:17 (NRSV) If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people 
impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time 
of your exile. 18 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways 
inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or 
gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without 
defect or blemish. 20 He was destined before the foundation of the world, 
but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. 21 Through him you 
have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, 
so that your faith and hope are set on God.
22 Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so 
that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. 
23 You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, 
through the living and enduring word of God.

Note: If one of the alternative Old Testamernt readings was used for the 
first reading, the Acts passage should be used here.


GOSPEL: Luke 24: 13 - 35 (all)

Luke 24:13 (NRSV) Now on that same day two of them were going to a village 
called Emma'us, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each 
other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking 
and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their 
eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, "What are you 
discussing with each other while you walk along?" They stood still, looking 
sad.18 Then one of them, whose name was Cle'opas, answered him, "Are you the 
only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken 
place there in these days?" 19 He asked them, "What things?" They replied, 
"The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and 
word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders 
handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21 But we had 
hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is 
now the third day since these things took place. 22 Moreover, some women of 
our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23 and 
when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they 
had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24 Some of 
those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had 
said; but they did not see him." 25 Then he said to them, "Oh, how foolish 
you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have 
declared! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these 
things and then enter into his glory?" 27 Then beginning with Moses and all 
the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the 
scriptures.
28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead 
as if he were going on. 29 But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with 
us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went 
in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, 
blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, 
and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to 
each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to 
us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?" 33 That same 
hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and 
their companions gathered together. 34 They were saying, "The Lord has risen 
indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!" 35 Then they told what had happened 
on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the 
bread.


Chad Wohlers
East Bridgewater, Mass.   USA
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu




From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Wed May  4 19:35:47 2011
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Wed, 4 May 2011 19:35:47 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] 3rd of Easter,
	New Testament reading
In-Reply-To: <40D4A8BA9F7248D19A69DE8FF91821BB@HowardPC>
References: <40D4A8BA9F7248D19A69DE8FF91821BB@HowardPC>
Message-ID: <8CDD8CB21190E74-6DC-2083@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>


Forwarded:





-----Original Message-----
From: Fr HC Smith <howard.smith at anglican.org.au>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Wed, May 4, 2011 4:30 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] 3rd of Easter, New Testament reading


Friends,
ere are my notes from the southern hemisphere towards a sermon on the 
eading from Peter for this Sunday.  Use whatever suits you.
oward
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Today we start the 3rd week of Easter - the 3rd week in which we keep 
n remembering the great events on that first Easter Day in the 1st century, 
ow Jesus rose to new life;
    And as we celebrate this great happening, the Church keeps on
   helping us to discover what it means for us now in the 3rd millennium.
    This week we are reminded of God?s gifts of faith and hope
   again, and are told about another gift which grows out of our
   faith and our hope: the gift of love.
    Hope is a gift which keeps us looking to the future, so that we
   don't allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by all the bad things in the 
resent.
    But nevertheless we do still have to live in the present, so
   Peter addresses the question: how can we do that better?
   -    Peter?s advice today is to "keep on loving with all your heart".
    And whom are we to try to love with all our heart? God's
   answer seems to be we are to "love one another".
    I reckon that means the people who are around about us, to start with,
   -    and then perhaps when we have done that we can try to
       reach out to people on the other side of the world;
   -    but if we can't love the people we come across every day,
       then it's not really going to be possible to love the people on
       the other side of the world.
    Now when we find it hard to love those nearby people, God
   doesn?t leave us floundering, but gives us a little bit more help;
   -    we are told today that we have been given a ?new birth? by
       God's message which lives on for ever.
    What on earth do those strange words mean?
    Well, this letter of Peter is thought to be the bones of a sermon
   used at the baptism of new members of the family of God back
   at the end of the 1st century.
    So, the ?new birth? referred to here most probably is referring to our 
aptism.
    I reckon this is telling us that because Jesus rose from the
   dead, and sort of had a new beginning, all the rest of us who
   have been baptised into his death and resurrection, have
   been given another chance, a ?new birth?:
    But so we don?t let that make us despair - I mean we?ve all
   slipped a number of times since we were baptised,
   -    the Church has always taught us that repenting and making
       confession is a way of refreshing the effects of that ?new birth? of 
ur baptism.
    Just think what being born is all about: "Birth" is all about
   starting life: babies get born and their life is waiting for them to get 
oing.
    Now applying that to our situation, it means that whenever we
   let God's message into our hearts,
   -    whenever we wash away the mistakes by confessing our sins,
   -    God gives us another opportunity to start living the life of
       the Heavenly Kingdom, the life of God?s New World, once
       more: the life of loving one another with all our heart.
    Everyone knows that we need to do something about making
   the world a better place to live in:
   -    Well, that's just what we are doing when we love one another,
   -    like when we do good to others, rather than pushing people around,
   -    like when we don't try to force people to do things, but
       persuade, invite, encourage them;
   -    like when we hold back from being violent or abusive towards other 
eople,
   -    but do all we can to understand where they?re coming from
       and do all we can to help them.
    So God?s gift of love is all about bringing the gift of hope, the gift 
f the future, into the present: making this world more like the Kingdom of 
eaven, letting our vision of God?s great future invade the places where we 
ive, work and play, in the present
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
he Rev'd Dr H.C. Smith
etired Anglican Priest
range NSW
 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 


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From robertpmorrison at charter.net  Fri May  6 13:00:54 2011
From: robertpmorrison at charter.net (robertpmorrison at charter.net)
Date: Fri, 6 May 2011 13:00:54 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] 3 Easter a rcl
Message-ID: <163b9ac3.21444.12fc6413a67.Webtop.48@charter.net>

Forgetfulness is interesting!  I can't remember whether I posted this 
yet or not. I wrote it about a week ago and have been glancing at it now 
and again since.  Anyway, if this is a repeat post, my apologies!

Bob


THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF ST. ALBAN, ALBANY    		            THE THIRD 
SUNDAY OF EASTER - A
ACTS 2:14a, 36-41				      			           8th MAY, 2011
1 PETER 1:17-23						              PSALM 116:1-3, 10-17
LUKE 24:13-35


	?A question that sometimes drives me hazy:
	am I or are the others crazy?? 1

	Albert Einstein said that, where or when, I?m not sure. But if HE can 
make that feeling public, whether half in jest or not, then it makes me 
feel a bit better about myself and my ability to perceive, and 
understand, and to remember.

	I came across the quote in an article about Alzheimer?s and dementia 
which began, ?Many people suffer from forms of dementia. It?s a 
terrifying thought and most of us would prefer not to address it. It?s 
not usually part of our everyday life ? unless some one you care for is 
affected. In those circumstances you take a very deep breath indeed and 
prepare to travel a tortuous journey with your loved one. Generally 
speaking your battle is on a practical level for some of the time. Where 
are the lost items ? [ I read a wonderful book recently called "Knickers 
in the Fridge" ! ]  What can I do to make things better? Should I help 
my person to try to remember? or will it make things worse? How long can 
we continue without resorting to help from elsewhere? How do I stop 
myself from feeling resentful? and most of all ?. ?Oh God, why us??? 2

	In talking to His disciples, Jesus mentioned those who had working 
eyes, yet couldn?t see, functional minds, yet could not comprehend. In 
that instance He was being severely critical ? the leaders, the people 
in charge of the country?s spiritual, political, moral and, yes, 
physical welfare, were concentrating so hard on the lint in their own 
navels and just what they could do with it to increase their own comfort 
and prosperity that they failed to see and hear those crying out in 
desperation ? those who were only a few feet in front of them. They, 
admonished Jesus, were living with some sort of spiritual Alzheimer?s.

	But Jesus felt the same way about the two men getting home from 
Jerusalem after Passover. It?s obvious they knew who Jesus was. They?d 
even been in His company. They could quote Him. They could describe His 
physical appearance and what had happened to Him. They?d been at what 
might be termed ?the Big Event? in the city. But, somehow, they were 
unable to connect the dots. Fortunately, Jesus is nothing if not patient 
? patient with them and patient with us. So He took the time to walk 
with them, to push their imaginations, to stir their memories, to dredge 
up what they must have heard and had drummed into them by any number of 
local rabbis ? He took the time to explain, right from the start of 
their religious understanding, what had happened. And, other than a 
?Good grief, you guys are slow!?, Jesus kept His cool and kept on 
working the two men?s minds.

	I?ll say this for them, though ? and Jesus noticed it right away ? they 
may have missed putting two and two together and keeping their eyes open 
for Jesus as they walked back home, but they were completely immersed in 
the ethical behaviour Jesus had instilled in His listeners. No matter 
how confused they were, no matter how sad, how depressed at having to 
get up the next day and do what they had to do ? they insisted, they 
insisted quite strenuously, that Jesus not take another step beyond the 
point where they could minister to Him and keep Him safe, warm and fed.

	It?s amazing how this is supposed to be bubbling away at the top of our 
minds. Even if your thoughts and my thoughts right now have fastened on 
to some image or word, and are busily engaged in something, we?re always 
to be on the lookout for what we can do for everyone else. It doesn?t 
matter who, it doesn?t matter what. If we have even a scrap of paper, we 
need to write our phone numbers on it and, at the very least, say, ?Call 
me ? anytime, day or night, if you need help or reassurance, or just a 
friendly ear.?

	The amazing and joyful vocation given each of us is that even when we 
say, ?Oh God, why us? Why me?? we?re still supposed to say, ?Hello, how 
can I help? That looks heavy. You look tired. How long have you been 
standing in the rain? Have you eaten anything today?? And instantly, the 
shutters are lifted ? if we remember the baptismal vows of the past 
couple of Sundays. If I could imitate Gomer Pyle?s accent, which I 
can?t, I?d say, ?Shazzam! Well, Golly, Golly, Golly! You?re Jesus!?

	And we?d be right. The very best way to get to meet Jesus and everybody 
else is over the crust of a broken loaf. The quickest and most direct 
way to understand what the Bible takes nine hundred plus pages to say is 
to engage one another and to offer hospitality. ?Will you continue (will 
you be faithful) in ? (attending to) the breaking of the bread ?? 
another of those baptismal vows, not only referring to coming together 
in community to celebrate Eucharist, but also referring to sitting in 
the parish hall, or while standing waiting for something to happen.
	
One of the most extreme ways we?ve devised to humiliate and dehumanise 
people is to put them in solitary
confinement, to slide a tray through a narrow slit in a door and avoid 
eye or even hand contact. Conversely, one of the ways in which we?ve 
discovered we can bring an incredible feeling of dignity, and love, and 
respect is to look into someone?s eyes and say, ?Would you share with me 
what I have??
	
It seems so simple. The two who?d reached their home in Emmaus could 
hardly believe it ? a piece of bread? Several hours worth of Bible 
conversation were summed up in the most mundane thing from the dinner 
table ? yet the very staff of life.

	Some of you may remember on Palm Sunday, a group of young people, some 
of them holding hands and skipping down the side aisle after having left 
the altar rail, I think it was Kendrick who said a very audible, ?THAT 
was fun!?

	Somehow, he?d seen past all the words ? or maybe, in ways we can?t 
begin to explain, God had enabled him to
process everything that happened in the parish hall, and whatever went 
on with Patty and the others in the classroom ? all the things that he?d 
experienced in the hour plus that he?d been here were boiled down to 
something which opened his eyes and blew his mind. Jesus is fun! Jesus 
is here! And nothing was going to contain or diminish his enthusiasm at 
this recognition, at whatever level he appreciated it.

	Here?s the deal. Jesus is alive. Jesus is present. Jesus is patient and 
perceptive and He wants to get us out of whatever it is that may be 
making us feel draggy. Jesus wants us to be sufficiently alert that in 
the breaking of bread and coming together to share at the altar, and at 
the table in the parish hall, and at the table wherever we eat lunch, 
and at every table and counter ? Jesus wants us to discover how alive He 
is and how much He cares, so that we can leave here filled with 
excitement about telling people what?s happened to us.

	One of the neat things about the Gospel story this morning is the 
contrast between how the two men walked down hill from Jerusalem as if 
their feet and hearts were made of lead, and the way in which they 
simply flew out of their home in the village and raced back ? uphill all 
the way, at night ? in the very dark which they were afraid would 
endanger their guest ? through the city gate and right into the room 
where Jesus? other friends were.

	Think for a moment about what makes you the most weary. Then imagine 
what doing that task and moving on to the next one would be like if you 
took Jesus at His Broken-bread Word.

	How would you smile if you walked past a caf?, or a table in a 
restaurant, and saw someone split apart a roll or a piece of bread? 
Would it occur to you to think that God was blessing you with a reminder 
of Jesus? love? Would it cross your mind to say to someone else that, no 
matter how simple the fare, that sharing it ? not eating that bread 
alone ? is one of God?s most precious gifts.

Raymond Tallis, a retired M.D and Professor of Geriatric Medicine at 
Manchester University in Britain commented on the radio a couple of 
weeks ago that he felt that the most important thing that distinguished 
humans from other living animals is the fact that we sit down at a table 
with one another and eat, and share ? both food and the discoveries of 
the day. 3 That and the ability to point at things specifically are what 
excites Dr. Tallis as he thinks about who and what we are.

These are acts and abilities which Jesus accepted in His birth. Becoming 
fully human, He learned to eat with His family, with His friends, even 
with those with whom He had enormous difficulty. And right to the end He 
used His ability to point as He entrusted His mother and the so-called 
?beloved disciple? into each other?s care.

These are things of which we should be aware, so that we always remember 
to honour one another in the name of Jesus.

	That article about Alzheimer?s which I quoted at the beginning of the 
sermon ? it ends, ?This illness is a relentless, creeping monster, ever 
so slowly removing the loved one and replacing her with an alien being. 
The body is almost the same but the main difference, to me anyway, is in 
the eyes. Eyes speak without words. They sing without melody. They 
express feelings, fears, truths. They plead, jest, adore. They glow and 
burn. They crinkle and weep.

	?But dementia removes all this. The shutters start to descend. The 
window becomes obscure and eventually there will be no way of looking 
in.

	If it?s like this from the outside what the hell must it be like from 
the inside??

	And yet I?ve seen signs in which the eyes HAVE been made alive again, 
if only for an instant. They?ve been opened as I?ve said the words, ?The 
Body of Christ?, and the person, somehow, recognises and accepts Jesus? 
Presence. Even in this apparent darkness, I?m certain that the Light of 
Christ CAN and DOES penetrate, in ways we can?t explain.

	If we?re to follow Jesus, ALL of us have to take every opportunity we 
have to sit with people, to share with them ? I know this is difficult 
for Episcopalians ? but share with them in as direct a way as we can, 
the story of how we?ve encountered and been encountered by Jesus. And to 
invite them to look for the possibility of finding Jesus with them too. 
This must never be pushy. We simply have to share what has been given us 
? like those at the table of that house.


NOTES:

1 	Albert Einstein

2	?The shutters are coming down?:  Alzheimer's by Eyesometric ? April 
26, 2011 http://eyesometric.wordpress.com/2011/04/

3	?Belief?: 19th April, 2011. ?Joan Bakewell's guest is the physician, 
poet and philosopher, Raymond Tallis. He is Professor Emeritus of 
Geriatric medicine at Manchester University but has made his name as 
much outside the field of medicine as within it.? 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010745p



Robert P Morrison
Interim Vicar
The Episcopal Church of St Alban
PO Box 1556
Albany OR  97321   541-921-1076 (cell)



From chadwohl at satucket.com  Sun May  8 21:31:04 2011
From: chadwohl at satucket.com (Charles Wohlers)
Date: Sun, 8 May 2011 21:31:04 -0400
Subject: [Propertalk] READINGS for the FOURTH SUNDAY of EASTER
Message-ID: <F6D2465D97BF450BA4D25BD260C462E7@ThinkpadT60CCW>

The following are the readings for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, May 15, according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common Worship) lectionaries. All readings are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA, Canadian and C of E lectionaries are identical to the RCL for this day.



FIRST READING: Acts 2: 42 - 47 (RCL) 

Acts 2:42 (NRSV) They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 
43 Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. 


Acts 2: 14a, 36 - 41 (Roman Catholic) 

Acts 2:14 (NRSV) [On the day of Pentecost] Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, 
36 [L]et the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified." 
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" 38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him." 40 And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41 So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. 


Genesis 7 (alt. for C of E) 

Gene 7:1 (NRSV) Then the LORD said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you alone are righteous before me in this generation. 2 Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and its mate; and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and its mate; 3 and seven pairs of the birds of the air also, male and female, to keep their kind alive on the face of all the earth. 4 For in seven days I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground." 5 And Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him. 
6 Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came on the earth. 7 And Noah with his sons and his wife and his sons' wives went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood. 8 Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, 9 two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah. 10 And after seven days the waters of the flood came on the earth. 
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. 12 The rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. 13 On the very same day Noah with his sons, Shem and Ham and Ja'pheth, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons entered the ark, 14 they and every wild animal of every kind, and all domestic animals of every kind, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every bird of every kind--every bird, every winged creature. 15 They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. 16 And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the LORD shut him in. 
17 The flood continued forty days on the earth; and the waters increased, and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters swelled and increased greatly on the earth; and the ark floated on the face of the waters. 19 The waters swelled so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered; 20 the waters swelled above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep. 21 And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, domestic animals, wild animals, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all human beings; 22 everything on dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. 23 He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, human beings and animals and creeping things and birds of the air; they were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those that were with him in the ark. 24 And the waters swelled on the earth for one hundred fifty days. 


PSALM 23 (all) 

Psal 23:1 (NRSV) The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; 
he leads me beside still waters;  
3 he restores my soul. 
He leads me in right paths 
for his name's sake. 
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, 
I fear no evil; 
for you are with me; 
your rod and your staff-- 
they comfort me. 
5 You prepare a table before me 
in the presence of my enemies; 
you anoint my head with oil; 
my cup overflows. 
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me 
all the days of my life, 
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD 
my whole life long. 


23   Dominus regit me   (ECUSA BCP)
 
1   The Lord is my shepherd; *
  I shall not be in want.
 
2   He makes me lie down in green pastures *
  and leads me beside still waters.
 
3   He revives my soul *
  and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.
 
4   Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil; *
  for you are with me;
  your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
 
5   You spread a table before me in the presence of those
  who trouble me; *
  you have anointed my head with oil,
  and my cup is running over.
 
6   Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days
  of my life, *
  and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.


SECOND READING: 1 Peter 2: 19 - 25 (RCL) 
                                      1 Peter 2: 20b - 25 (Roman Catholic) 

1Pet 2:19 (NRSV) For it is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. 20 If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God's approval. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. 
22 "He committed no sin, 
and no deceit was found in his mouth." 
23 When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls. 

Note: If the Old Testament alternatives for C of E were used as the first reading, the Acts reading above should be used here. 


GOSPEL: John 10: 1 - 10 

John 10:1 (NRSV) "Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers." 6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 
7 So again Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 



Chad Wohlers
Woodbury, Vermont    USA
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu
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From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Sat May 14 08:37:47 2011
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 14 May 2011 08:37:47 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Finding Pasture
In-Reply-To: <000301cc11ae$c2d6cae0$488460a0$@comcast.net>
References: <000301cc11ae$c2d6cae0$488460a0$@comcast.net>
Message-ID: <8CDE04ADD5270C3-6F0-33D1@angweb-usd003.sysops.aol.com>


 Forwarded:

 


 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Frank Fisher <f.fisher.obl.osb at comcast.net>
To: SBA <SBA at SBAbbey.com>; sermonshop.sermons.topic <sermonshop.sermons.topic at ecunet.org>; PRCL-L <PRCL-L at LISTSERV.LOUISVILLE.EDU>; propertalk.topic <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>; midrash <midrash at joinhands.com>
Sent: Fri, May 13, 2011 4:45 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Finding Pasture


Here's my draft for Sunday using the Acts, Psalms, and John pericopes. 

PAX,


__

Frank R. Fisher, Obl OSB
www.ffisher.net
Interim Pastor
First Presbyterian Church of Kewanee, IL
www.fpckewanee.org
Elmira United Presbyterian Church
www.elmiraunited.org

aka

Brother Oscar Romero
Oblate of St. Benedict's Abbey
Bartonville, IL
www.SBAbbey.com


"When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so
that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice."-Cherokee proverb


_________________________

Baaaaaaa!
Baaaaaaa!

Your lips form those sounds
as you busily graze
 on the bright green spring grass.
For you're a sheep;
a four hoofed one
who busily follows your shepherd
across the gently rolling hills and valleys
of your corner of Judah.

Not too much in the way of thought
crosses your mind as you graze.
And that's just as well,
for our mind really isn't capable
of too much thought.
You know how to eat.
Your shepherd has no question about that at all.
For the way you gnaw plants
down to their very roots,
has him constantly leading you onward
in search of more fields
of green grass.

You also know how to follow.
The particular cry your shepherd makes
during your daily journeys
sticks readily in your mind.
And when ever you hear it
you gulp down a last bite of grass
and your little legs churn mightily
as they carry you after that sound.

It's a very good thing you do know
your shepherd's cry
and you know how to follow it.
For your only other talent
is getting lost.
Getting lost is actually
what you do best.
Your shepherd knows that
and always keeps an eye on you.
But even with his constant attention
you find ways to wander off.
Then,
when you're good and truly lost,
you panic.
And you throw yourself to the ground
in utter terror
while your impassioned bleats
proclaim your predicament
to everyone within earshot.

When do you manage to get lost,
your shepherd finds you.
He's a good sort.
That is,
he's good for a shepherd.
Most humans
wouldn't want to deal with him.
The nicest thing they'd call him
 is smelly.
But then they'd go on
to list his other features.
He's,
to put it mildly,
a bit of a thief.

Since he's always away on the hillside
he doesn't properly take care of his family.
And his morals are quite suspect.
In short,
like every other shepherd,
he's not considered to be
a member
of polite society.

But you like him anyway.
At least you like
where he leads you.
And after he's had a long day
keeping track of you
and the other sheep,
you're happy to follow his cry
back to the sheep fold.
On the way there
you meet lots of other flocks
with lots of other shepherds.
They're all part
of one big family.
And at night
they gather all their sheep together
where they can defend them
in the darkness.

During the night
the most important shepherd of all
is the gatekeeper.
And like you know your own shepherd's cry
the gatekeeper knows
his own shepherds.
When he sees them
he opens the gate
and lets them in
to a place of safety.
And he carefully guards against anyone
who might sneak over the walls
to harm you in the darkness.
Thanks to the gatekeeper
you
will come in
 to safety in the darkness
and go safely out in the light
to be led beside waters still
and pastures green.

Baaaaaaa!
Baaaaaaa!

Your lips form words
that may so some
seem somewhat like those sounds
as you busily graze  on the feast 
set before the Jerusalem community today.
For you're a sheep;
a two legged one,
who busily follows your shepherds
across the gently
 and not so gently
rolling hills and valleys of your life.

You've known many shepherds in your life.
Over the years
you've followed the cries
of wild eyed prophets
whom you eventually decided
were simply wildly insane,
scheming priests
whom you found to be in league
 with the Roman oppressors,
and traveling miracle workers
whose miracles
you discovered
mostly benefitted their purses.

For a long time,
it seemed,
you'd never find a shepherd
whose cry you could trust;
a shepherd
to whom you'd entrust your life;
a shepherd
who could truly lead you
toward green pastures
and still waters.
Then one day
you saw a commotion in the market place.
There were so many different people milling about
you thought at first
you'd discovered a riot.
But you saw no fear
on the faces of the crowd.
Instead
their expressions
were ones of rapt attention.
So you edged closer and closer
to see what all the excitement was about.

When you reached far enough into the crowd
to see what was happening,
you discovered a group of men and women
who were talking to the crowd.
They all seemed to be speaking
 in different languages.
That seemed a bit odd to you.
For they were obviously not wealthy
or highly educated.
But if their language struck you as strange
their message seemed even odder.

They were talking about a Galilean Jew
named Jesus of Nazareth.
This Jesus,
they proclaimed,
had been betrayed by the priests,
crucified by their Roman allies,
and after three days
resurrected from the dead
by the power of the Holy One of Israel.
At first you turned to walk away.
In fact you tried to leave the crowd many times.
For their words seemed to you
more empty cries
from evil shepherds
who were after something for themselves.

Yet there was something about their words
that made sense to you.
They rang true in your ears.
And you saw them perform signs and wonders
without demand for anything in return.
So you followed the crowd
as these people moved away
to where they were staying.


In a short time
you realized you'd found your shepherds;
shepherds who told you
how Jesus was the gatekeeper;
the gatekeeper
who protected sheep like you in the darkness of life,
and in the brightness of day
let them out
to graze beside green pastures
and drink safely from still waters.
You were baptized.
And you sold all that you had
and joined their community
where everything was held in common.
Everyone among you
and around you
received what they needed for life.
Day by day,
 you spent much time 
with your sisters and brothers in the temple,
you broke bread with them at home,
 and ate food with them with glad and generous hearts,
praising God
and having the goodwill of all the people.
 And day by day the Lord added to your  number
those who were being saved.

Baaaaaaa!
Baaaaaaa!

Your lips form words
that may so some
seem somewhat like those sounds
as you busily anticipate grazing  on the feast 
set before you at lunch time today.
For you're a sheep;
a two legged one,
who busily follows your shepherds
across the gently
 and not so gently
rolling hills and valleys of your life.

Over the course of your life
here in your community of believers,
you've followed an astounding variety of shepherds.
The cries of some of your shepherds led you truly,
and some did not.
For a little while
you've lived with the one standing before you today;
one who's more comfortable being called
a sheep wearing a sheep bell.
For he knows
he too is simply a sheep
like everyone
who seeks the Gatekeeper
of all sheep and shepherds. 

Now
you've come to the place
where work has begun
toward seeking the shepherd,
or sheep with a sheep bell,
who will lead you into the future.
Know this though
as you search,
the Gatekeeper has a woman or man,
who will lead you
in the Gatekeeper's ways.
There's one
who will lead you
as you search for the neighbors
 you're called to serve.
There's one
who will lead you
as you worship God
and break together the Gatekeeper's bread.
There's one whose cries
will lead you to pastures green
and waters still.

And to find that one,
seek first Jesus
the Gatekeeper.
For in Christ's fold
you will find yourselves held closely
in the midst of darkness.
And in Christ's fold
you will find the way to pasture
where life will be truly abundant.

To God alone be glory.

Amen.




 
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From eldan at bresnan.net  Sat May 14 10:57:16 2011
From: eldan at bresnan.net (Bob Eldan)
Date: Sat, 14 May 2011 08:57:16 -0600
Subject: [Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Finding Pasture
In-Reply-To: <8CDE04ADD5270C3-6F0-33D1@angweb-usd003.sysops.aol.com>
References: <000301cc11ae$c2d6cae0$488460a0$@comcast.net>
	<8CDE04ADD5270C3-6F0-33D1@angweb-usd003.sysops.aol.com>
Message-ID: <90935AE0D62C4DF894D72C4175863A70@BobPC>

In this story that Jesus tells some translations call it a "parable" (John 10:6).  Most call it a "figure of speech." In this story the usual word for parable is not used.  A parable is a comparison.  The actual word (paroimian) used here literally means a dark saying or a manner of speaking that conceals meaning.  The use of that word immediately tells us that there is something deeper here than a simple comparison, something much deeper than meets the eye.

Bob Eldan

http://preachingtip.com/ 
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From robertpmorrison at charter.net  Sat May 14 23:35:54 2011
From: robertpmorrison at charter.net (robertpmorrison at charter.net)
Date: Sat, 14 May 2011 23:35:54 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] 4 Easter a
Message-ID: <6018ab2f.7be26.12ff1b9776b.Webtop.44@charter.net>

I'm much later than I have been for a while, and am still working on 
revisions, but here's what I have so far.

Good rest and happy feasting tomorrow!

Bob


THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF ST. ALBAN, ALBANY    		         THE FOURTH 
SUNDAY OF EASTER - A
ACTS 2:42-47				      			        15th MAY, 2011
1 PETER 2:19-25						              	                 PSALM 23
JOHN 10:1-10

	?I long to create something
	that can?t be used to keep us passive:
	I want to write
	a script about pumping, how every pipe
	is joined
	to every other.? 1

	These words talk about deep feelings, about our longing to make a 
difference in the world. Not only do these lines from one of Adrienne 
Rich?s poems make us look to ourselves and our abilities, though. They 
also suggest that there?s someone outside of ourselves who can bring out 
the true potential within us. We have to look for and listen to that 
person, then. More than that, though, the whole poem actually describes 
the process of pumping water and draining sewage ? very basic 
necessities. This person outside of ourselves, therefore, is interested 
in things that are very practical, AND down-to-earth, and hopes that 
we?ll be just as aware. Finally, the poem describes the connectedness we 
all have with one another. Just as sheep in a pen are different, so are 
we, but what we do and how we go about it has an effect on everyone 
else.

	So, who are we in whom our Friend outside has such a personal interest?

	What defines us? Are we defined by what we do? Are we defined by voices 
we hear?

	Or are we defined by how we appear?

	Jesus talked of Himself when He described the way in which He cared for 
all of God?s sheep, no matter which fold they were in. He talked about 
Himself being the one whose voice the sheep knew and trusted ? but then 
He offered Himself as a sacrifice of love. What kind of a shepherd is 
that? How can we, the sheep of God, feel any degree of trust when the 
Shepherd gives Himself away for us?

	It?s a confusing world in which we live. These days it?s not easy to 
tell who DOES have the recognisable voice. We have to decide ? to whom 
do we listen these days? The person who posts on Facebook ?? The editor 
of ?The Democrat Herald?? The General Manager of a TV Network? For many 
in the world the last person to whom people listen is a religious 
figure.

	How about the producer of Broadway shows, though? Might we trust her or 
him?

Cameron Mackintosh, who brought to life such musicals as ?Les 
Mis?rables?, ?Phantom of the Opera?, ?Miss Saigon? and ?Cats?, has a new 
one running right now. Talking about it, he said, ?I looked into the pig 
and I saw the eyes of God.?

	Pigs get such a bad rap. But I find they?re among the sweetest animals 
I know ? especially roasted! Just kidding!

	Why DO we use them to refer to anyone whom we despise ? like Charlie 
Brown?s and Lucy van Pelt?s friend, who seems to be surrounded, 
perpetually, with a dust-storm. In that ?character?s first appearance on 
July 13, 1954, in a strip directly parodying the first chapter of ?Lord 
of the Flies?, he declares, ?I haven't got a name . . . People just call 
me things . . . Real insulting things.?? 2

	Charlie Brown was the only one to take him seriously, saying once, 
?Don?t think of it as dust. Just think of it as the dirt and dust of 
far-off lands blowing over here and settling on ?Pig-Pen!? It staggers 
the imagination! He may be carrying the soil that was trod upon by 
Solomon or Nebuchadnezzar or Genghis Khan!?

	Why do we pick on animals and people and brush them off as if they have 
no possible consequence for us, even for the whole of the human race? 
What makes us think that someone ? whomever we think we may choose ? 
what makes us think that we can tell whom to discard from life?

	When Jane Eyre begins to leave Thornfield Hall after it?s revealed that 
Rochester is already married, albeit to someone who?s seriously mentally 
ill; when Rochester talks to Jane, trying to convince her to stay, she 
replies:

	?And become nothing to you? Am I a machine without feelings? Do you 
think that because I am poor, obscure, plain and little that I am 
soulless and heartless? I have as much soul as you and full as much 
heart, ?? 3

	But back to Cameron Mackintosh. ??Look into her eyes,? (meaning the 
pig?s eyes,) says the man the New York Times described as the world?s 
most successful and powerful theatrical producer, ?and tell me that?s 
not like looking into the eyes of God.?? 4

	Back in 1947 life was really tough. Rationing was the norm for both 
staples and luxuries. Europe was struggling to deal with the devastating 
aftermath of the Second World War. People didn?t have much to cheer 
about. Then, on the 20th November, The Princess Elizabeth and Philip, 
The Duke of Edinburgh, were married. Mackintosh?s new musical is based 
on a movie, which, in turn, was based on a play, on the attempts of 
people throughout Britain to celebrate the royal occasion despite the 
economic austerity. ?Set in a Yorkshire town in 1947, it centres on a 
plot to kidnap a pig raised illegally by businessmen who wanted to 
slaughter her for a party to celebrate (the) wedding.?

	The link between the new musical and today?s economic climate wasn?t 
lost on people who were all agog over the celebration of the marriage of 
Catherine and William, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Their 
celebrations, and the accompanying fol-de-rol and trinket sales, may 
well have been geared to speak to the hardships we all face currently.

	Ask the people of Britain who they are and they may well find that 
they?ve been influenced by the events of the last three weeks that part 
of their identity will have been defined by the recent exchange of vows 
of Catherine and William. Their feelings and opinions about themselves 
may have been raised up several notches because of what was shared as 
national pageantry, just as was the identity of the British population 
in 1947 when William?s grandparent?s wed.

	Which takes us back to the question about looking into the pig and 
seeing the eye of God. And it adds to the question of whose the Voice 
for which we?re invited to listen.

	Pigs, sheep, the media, Broadway, society ? there are so many voices 
which seem to lay claim on our affection and devotion. There are so many 
voices which seem not only enticing but sensible. How DO we decide which 
is the Shepherd?s?  It?s all very well to have the Gospel verses recount 
Jesus? comment about His sheep recognising His voice, but we know it?s 
not that simple.

	Take two examples.

	This past week I saw the movie ?Sons of Perdition?. It?s about teenaged 
boys and what I consider the incredible dysfunctionality of families 
associated with the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day 
Saints, the cult group based on the land near the Utah-Arizona border. 
In that group ?men have plural wives, donate their property to the 
church and swear obedience to their prophet.?  5  Since 2003, the 
prophet has been Warren Jeffs. He claims absolute authority has been 
given him by God, and he exercises this absolutely. In that part of the 
world, his is the voice that MUST be followed.

	The second voice I heard was that of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who spoke 
in Tacoma on Friday night. He made no claims for himself. He spoke in 
clear terms about God as Creator. He talked about God sharing 
responsibility for life here with us. He talked about God?s pain 
whenever there was abuse and terror, and about God?s joy when people 
accepted responsibility for one another and gave of themselves 
compassionately without question.

	Two voices both heard this past week. Both talked of God. Both talked 
of having our physical and spiritual interests at heart, each seemingly 
at opposite ends of the spectrum from one another, however.

	If these seem extreme examples, I?m sure you can think of others whom 
you?ve heard. How DO we discover whose is the voice to which we listen?

	We all have minds and experiences to help us make our decisions, but 
let me suggest the example of the first verse of the first reading as 
one way which would seem to be able to help us filter through all the 
challenges and claims on our loyalty. What worked for the early Church 
should work for us ? immersing ourselves in what the apostles taught, 
and how they acted both in and outside of their worship meetings; 
devoting ourselves to receiving Christ in Communion and at other tables; 
and allowing prayer to infuse and inform our lives completely.

	Making this the central pivot of our lives WON?T make trouble 
disappear. Nor will it necessarily resolve any confusion about God?s 
Voice. For that we need to keep open ears. There IS one standard which 
may help us, though. No matter who we are and where we go, if anyone is 
treated as ?a machine without feelings; if anyone is made to feel that 
because he or she may appear ? I emphasise that ? APPEAR economically or 
physically poor, or obscure, or plain, or little ? if anyone is defined 
and treated as soulless and heartless; then the Voice of Jesus has NOT 
been heard.

	It?s when we see people being treated with love and dignity as 
individuals and equals that we know that Jesus? Voice is present. THAT 
is what should define us as Jesus? sheep.

NOTES:

1 	?Essential resources?- lines 17-22 by Adrienne Rich, from ?The fact 
of a Doorframe?, pages 202-3. W.W. Norton revised 1994. New York. Quoted 
in Verse and Voice 5.11.11 Sojourners 
http://blog.sojo.net/2011/05/11/voice-of-the-day-2011-05-11/

2	?Pig-Pen?, created by Charles M. Schulz. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig-Pen

3	Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bront?. The Movie, directed by Cary Fukunaga, 
starring Mia Wasikowska as Jane Eyre and Michael Fassbender as 
Rochester.  2011.

4	 ?Night Waves? with Philip Dodd. Interview with Cameron Mackintosh, 
producer. 13th April, 2011.   http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0106v04 
?Betty Blue Eyes? ?http://www.bettyblueeyesthemusical.com/  and Stuart 
Jeffries   guardian.co.uk,  Tuesday 12 April 2011 15.45 BST

5	See  http://www.sonsofperditionthemovie.com/ 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px1n4h5aYwo  and 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Jeffs



Robert P Morrison
Interim Vicar
The Episcopal Church of St Alban
PO Box 1556
Albany OR  97321   541-921-1076 (cell)



From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Sun May 15 01:34:21 2011
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sun, 15 May 2011 01:34:21 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] Good Shepherd sermon
Message-ID: <8CDE0D8E02995FB-820-314D@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>

http://tinyurl.com/64jv55x is our sermon on the Good Shepherd on John 10:1-10 for May 15.
Peace and Easter blessings,
Joe
St. John's Episcopal Church
Elizabeth, NJ


 


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From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Sun May 15 01:43:57 2011
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sun, 15 May 2011 01:43:57 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Easter 4A
In-Reply-To: <1f876c9f-5ea6-4910-b208-18d67aac84a6@c1g2000yqe.googlegroups.com>
References: <1f876c9f-5ea6-4910-b208-18d67aac84a6@c1g2000yqe.googlegroups.com>
Message-ID: <8CDE0DA3762F85B-820-314F@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>


 Forwarded:

 


 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sat, May 14, 2011 9:51 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Easter 4A


Dear Friends,

Sorry I didn?t post last week.  One of our wonderful young men (22
years old, college student, every Sunder worshiper) was shot and
killed the Sunday before, and my week was sadly very busy.  Tomorrow?s
sermon is entitled ?The Good Shepherd? and deals with the gospel (John
10:1-10). Here it is:

As you probably noticed in the bulletin, every fourth Sunday of Easter
is ?Good Shepherd Sunday,? so this morning almost all of the Bible
lessons refer in one way or another to Jesus as our Good Shepherd.
Now we don?t know anything about sheep and shepherds, but the people
in Jesus? time did- they were either farm people or knew farm people.
The image of Jesus as their Good Shepherd really spoke to them.  Let
me try to open Bible times and culture to you so it will speak to us
as well.

First of all, did you notice in today?s Gospel (John 10:1-10) that
Jesus said he was the ?Gate for the sheep? (verse 7)?  What in the
world was he talking about?  If we lived in Bible times, we would
understand right away.  Almost every town had a sheepfold or sheep-
pen, which was simply a small fenced-in area, often made of stone.
This sheepfold or sheep-pen had an opening, but usually no gate.  If a
shepherd wasn?t by a town, he made his own sheep-pen with bushes and
briars- again with an opening, but no gate.  When evening came, he
would gather all his sheep into the pen.  Problem: with an opening but
no gate, how was the shepherd going to keep the sheep in and the
wolves and thieves out?  Easily!  He slept in the opening himself so
anything or anybody attempting to go in or out would have to go over
him.  Sort of like when my children were early teen-agers many years
ago.  The youth group invited friends for a sleep-over downstairs,
with the boys sleeping in the common room and the girls sleeping in
the classroom-lounge.  I stupidly agreed to be one of the chaperones.
When all the chaperones decided we couldn?t stand it any longer, we
declared it was time for bed.  Our problem: all the boys were in love
with all the girls and vise-versa- how to keep them apart!  We
chaperones knew they were just waiting for us to go to sleep so they
could get together unsupervised!  What did we do?  Easy- I put my
sleeping bag in front of the door between the two rooms so no one
could get through, and we all had a good night?s sleep.  Same idea.
Jesus is your Good Shepherd and he is the Gate for your life.  Nothing
can get into your life that he can?t protect you from or support you
through.  Remind you of a song we sing?  ?Be Not Afraid, for God Is in
Charge!?

Now, if we are going to look at Jesus as the Good Shepherd, we?d also
better look at us as the sheep.  What do you know about sheep?  Three
words, all starting with ?s? will answer that question: ?stupid,
stubborn, and stinky.?  Trying to keep a bunch of sheep together would
be sort of like trying to take a bunch of toddlers to the zoo.
Haven?t you noticed preschool teachers hoping to keep their class
together by having a rope with each child holding on?  I don?t know if
it works for preschoolers, but sheep don?t hold ropes and where they
want to go, they go.  What they want to eat, they eat- poisonous or
not.  I remember taking one of my children to Bill Knapps Restaurant
(remember the good old days when it was still open?) and noticing that
my precious, spotless, sanitized toddler was chewing something.  When
I asked, I was told ?Oh, mama- gum from under the table!?  I almost
threw up!  Sheep are like that.  Unless the shepherd clears the
grazing field of poisonous weeds, they?ll eat them.  As their wool
gets longer, it smells like a kid?s sneakers or well-used socks.
Being compared to sheep is not really a compliment, but it?s probably
a valid comparison.  As with sheep and children, the hardest thing the
Shepherd has to protect us from is ourselves and our own foolishness.
How does Jesus do that?  Did you notice verses 2-4 tell us that the
Shepherd knows the sheep by name, they know his voice, and they follow
him.  Remember on the first Easter when Mary Magdalene was outside the
empty tomb weeping and she mistook the risen Christ for the gardener?
How did he get through to her?  Sure- he called her name- ?Mary,
Mary.?  That?s what he does for us.

But what if our lives are too busy to hear him?  Or, worse yet, what
if we don?t want to hear him?  You know the feeling when your
conscience says, ?Don?t do this or go with him or take that or use
this or participate in that or say what you?re about to say or do what
you?re about to do.?  You hear your conscience, but you sin anyway- go
for those forbidden fruits or let it all hang out or do the selfish
thing.  What then?  This is when our Good Shepherd becomes the
Passover Lamb.  Remember how- just before we receive Holy Communion-
the priest breaks the Holy Bread and says, ?Christ, our Passover, is
sacrificed for us.?  Jesus has become the ?Lamb of God who takes away
the sins of the world.?  There?s a parallel for this also in the world
of the shepherd.  Have you ever heard of Jeff Smith (1939- 2004), also
known as the Frugal Gourmet?  Many say he was TV's original celebrity
chef.  Anyway, in his book called ?The Frugal Gourmet Keeps the
Feast,? he tells about a conversation he had with a shepherd from the
Middle East.  He learned that very often during lambing season, the
shepherd would awaken to find a dead mother sheep with a live baby
lamb and another live mother sheep with a dead baby lamb.  The mother
sheep whose lamb has died has milk ready to feed a hungry lamb, but no
babies.  The lamb whose mother sheep has died is starving for lack of
milk.  Easily solved, you think.  Just let the orphan lamb suckle from
the childless mother sheep.  Great idea, but it won?t work; because
the mother sheep knows the orphan lamb doesn?t smell like her baby.
Do you know how the shepherd solves the problem?  He drains the blood
from the body of the dead lamb and washes the live orphan lamb with
that blood.  Now the orphan lamb smells like one of her own, and the
mother sheep will adopt the orphan and feed it.  That?s what God did
with us- washed us in the Blood of his Lamb- Jesus, the Christ, so we
could be adopted as sons and daughters of God and freed from our sins.

So, where are you in all of this?  Have you accepted Jesus as your
Good Shepherd?  If not, just invite him into your life right now and
then seal it at the altar as you come up for Communion?  Are you
allowing Jesus to be the Gatekeeper of your life, or do you keep
running after things that will destroy you?  Do you spend enough quiet
time with our Lord so you recognize his voice, or do you keep busy,
busy, busy with the radio blaring, the TV on, the video games popping,
the music blasting, or you?re on your cell phone talking or texting?
Finally, is Jesus not only your Good Shepherd, but your MODEL
Shepherd?  Do you just happily accept God?s blessings, keeping them to
yourself; or do you reach out and touch?  May God bless us as we
follow our Good Shepherd.

For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American
wisdom statements are posted on our parish web site. The address is:
http://www.stpaulsepisag.com .

Blessed preaching.
Judy Boli
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Saginaw, Michigan


 
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From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Sun May 15 01:51:40 2011
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sun, 15 May 2011 01:51:40 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] Good Shepherd sermon
In-Reply-To: <8CDE0D8E02995FB-820-314D@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>
References: <8CDE0D8E02995FB-820-314D@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>
Message-ID: <8CDE0DB4B6E4347-820-3154@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>

Forwarded:
 

 


 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Joe Parrish <joeparrish at compuserve.com>
To: Propertalk <Propertalk at stsams.org>
Cc: propertalk.topic <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>; sermonshop-sermons.topic <sermonshop-sermons.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sun, May 15, 2011 1:34 am
Subject: Good Shepherd sermon


http://tinyurl.com/64jv55x is our sermon on the Good Shepherd on John 10:1-10 for May 15.
Peace and Easter blessings,
Joe
St. John's Episcopal Church
Elizabeth, NJ


 


 
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From charles.wohlers at verizon.net  Sun May 15 20:46:30 2011
From: charles.wohlers at verizon.net (Charles Wohlers)
Date: Sun, 15 May 2011 20:46:30 -0400
Subject: [Propertalk] READINGS for the FIFTH SUNDAY of EASTER
Message-ID: <B7C47142A79746F1BBD0AD8E4F929556@cranmer>

The following are the readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, May 22, 
according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, 
Canadian BAS,and the Church of England (Common Worship) lectionaries. All 
readings are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the 
Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA, Canadian and C of E lectionaries 
are identical to the RCL for this day.



FIRST READING: Acts 7: 55-60   (RCL)

Acts 7:55 (NRSV) But filled with the Holy Spirit, he [Stephen] gazed into 
heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 
56 "Look," he said, "I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at 
the right hand of God!" 57 But they covered their ears, and with a loud 
shout all rushed together against him. 58 Then they dragged him out of the 
city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet 
of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, 
"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60 Then he knelt down and cried out in a 
loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said 
this, he died.


Acts 6: 1 - 7   (Roman Catholic)

Acts 6:1 (NRSV) Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in 
number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows 
were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. 2 And the twelve 
called together the whole community of the disciples and said, "It is not 
right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 
Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, 
full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, 4 while 
we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word." 
5 What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man 
full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Proch'orus, 
Nica'nor, Ti'mon, Par'menas, and Nicola'us, a proselyte of An'tioch. 6 They 
had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on 
them.
7 The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased 
greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the 
faith.


Genesis 8: 1 - 19   (alt. for C of E)

Gene 8:1 (NRSV) But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and all the 
domestic animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow 
over the earth, and the waters subsided; 2 the fountains of the deep and the 
windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was 
restrained, 3 and the waters gradually receded from the earth. At the end of 
one hundred fifty days the waters had abated; 4 and in the seventh month, on 
the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of 
Ar'arat. 5 The waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth 
month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains appeared.
6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had 
made 7 and sent out the raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were 
dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent out the dove from him, to see if the 
waters had subsided from the face of the ground; 9 but the dove found no 
place to set its foot, and it returned to him to the ark, for the waters 
were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took 
it and brought it into the ark with him. 10 He waited another seven days, 
and again he sent out the dove from the ark; 11 and the dove came back to 
him in the evening, and there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf; 
so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. 12 Then he waited 
another seven days, and sent out the dove; and it did not return to him any 
more.
13 In the six hundred first year, in the first month, the first day of the 
month, the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the 
covering of the ark, and looked, and saw that the face of the ground was 
drying. 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the 
earth was dry. 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 "Go out of the ark, you and your 
wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you. 17 Bring out with you 
every living thing that is with you of all flesh--birds and animals and 
every creeping thing that creeps on the earth--so that they may abound on 
the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth." 18 So Noah went out 
with his sons and his wife and his sons' wives. 19 And every animal, every 
creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out 
of the ark by families.


PSALM 31: 1 - 5, 15 - 16   (RCL)

Psal 31:1 (NRSV) In you, O LORD, I seek refuge;
do not let me ever be put to shame;
in your righteousness deliver me.
2 Incline your ear to me;
rescue me speedily.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me.
3 You are indeed my rock and my fortress;
for your name's sake lead me and guide me,
4 take me out of the net that is hidden for me,
for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.
6You hate those who pay regard to worthless idols,
but I trust in the LORD.
7 I will exult and rejoice in your steadfast love,
because you have seen my affliction;
you have taken heed of my adversities,
8 and have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
you have set my feet in a broad place.

15 My times are in your hand;
deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.
16 Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your steadfast love.


31   In te, Domine, speravi    (ECUSA BCP)

1   In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame; *
  deliver me in your righteousness.

2   Incline your ear to me; *
  make haste to deliver me.

3   Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe,
for you are my crag and my stronghold; *
  for the sake of your Name, lead me and guide me.

4   Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me, *
  for you are my tower of strength.

5   Into your hands I commend my spirit, *
  for you have redeemed me,
  O Lord, O God of truth.


15   My times are in your hand; *
  rescue me from the hand of my enemies,
  and from those who persecute me.

16   Make your face to shine upon your servant, *
  and in your loving-kindness save me.?



Psalm 33: 1 - 2, 4 - 5, 18 - 19, R. v. 22 (Roman Catholic)

Psal 33:1 (NRSV) Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous.
Praise befits the upright.
2 Praise the LORD with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings.

4 For the word of the LORD is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.

18 Truly the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 to deliver their soul from death,
and to keep them alive in famine.
22 Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.


NEW TESTAMENT: 1 Peter 2: 2 - 10   (RCL)
                                    1 Peter 2: 4 - 9   (Roman Catholic)

1Pet 2:1 (NRSV) 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, 
so that by it you may grow into salvation-- 3 if indeed you have tasted that 
the Lord is good.
4 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and 
precious in God's sight, and 5 like living stones, let yourselves be built 
into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual 
sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in 
scripture:
"See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious;
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."
7 To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe,
"The stone that the builders rejected
has become the very head of the corner,"
8 and
"A stone that makes them stumble,
and a rock that makes them fall."
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own 
people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you 
out of darkness into his marvelous light.
10 Once you were not a people,
but now you are God's people;
once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.

Note: If one of the Old Testament alternatives is used for the first 
reading, the Acts reading should be instead used here.


GOSPEL: John 14: 1 - 14   (RCL)
                  John 14: 1 - 12   (Roman Catholic)

John 14:1 (NRSV) "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, 
believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. 
If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for 
you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will 
take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you 
know the way to the place where I am going." 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we 
do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to 
him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father 
except through me. 7 If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now 
on you do know him and have seen him."
8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." 
9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you 
still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you 
say, "Show us the Father'? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and 
the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; 
but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in 
the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me 
because of the works themselves. 12 Very truly, I tell you, the one who 
believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do 
greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do 
whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 
14 If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.


Chad Wohlers
East Bridgewater, Mass.   USA
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu





From eldan at bresnan.net  Mon May 16 12:09:03 2011
From: eldan at bresnan.net (Bob Eldan)
Date: Mon, 16 May 2011 10:09:03 -0600
Subject: [Propertalk] believe?
Message-ID: <8B7D76464EF24E3984BF2CEECCE6D15A@BobPC>

In next Sunday's Gospel 5 times one form or another of the Greek word "pistis" is used.  The Greek word is unfortunately translated "belief"  or "believe" in the verb form.   It is an undesirable translation because "belief" in modern usage carries the luggage of cognitive acceptance, intellectual acceptance in our minds.  With that understanding it sounds like Jesus is telling us to just accept what he is saying.  However, the Greek word, which is sometimes translated "have faith," means to be in committed relationship.  It is very similar to the Old Testament concept of covenant with God.  To be in reciprocal kinship is different than simply "believing" God exists or even that Jesus is God.  This is not about creedal statements.  

Bob Eldan

http://preachingtip.com/  

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From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Sat May 21 14:44:34 2011
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 21 May 2011 14:44:34 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] Fwd: Sermon Resources for May 22 - Part 1
In-Reply-To: <6b0c69bdcf2082a3c237e197277f0f79@mail.churchmail.com>
References: <6b0c69bdcf2082a3c237e197277f0f79@mail.churchmail.com>
Message-ID: <8CDE5FE434F4909-820-417B@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>


Sermons for Easter 5: 

    John 14:1-14 - "A Haven for Troubled Hearts"
   1 Peter 2: 2-10 - "The Meals-on-Wheels Temple" by Leonard Sweet
 
John 14, the sermon titled "A Haven for Troubled Hearts" 
 
Eric Clapton, arguably the greatest living rock guitarist, wrote a heart wrenching song about the death of his four year old son. He fell from a 53rd-story window. Clapton took nine months off and when he returned his music had changed. The hardship had made his music softer, more powerful, and more reflective. You have perhaps heard the song he wrote about his son's death. It is a song of hope:
 
     Would you know my name if I saw you in heaven?
     Would it be the same if I saw you in heaven?
     I must be strong and carry on,
     'Cause I know I don't belong here in heaven.
 
     Would you hold my hand if I saw you in heaven?
     Would you help me stand if I saw you in heaven?
     I'll find my way through night and day,
     'Cause I know I just can't stay here in heaven.
 
     Time can bring you down, time can bend your knees.
     Time can break your heart, have you begging please, begging please.
     Beyond the door there's peace I'm sure,
     And I know there'll be no more tears in heaven.
 
Jesus has just had the Passover meal with his disciples. He has washed their feet in an act of servanthood. He has foretold his betrayal which Judas will soon perform. He has predicted Peter's denial. He has told them he is leaving. But he adds this word of hope: Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many rooms. I go to prepare a place for you and will come again and take you to myself. So that where I am, you may be also.
 
Hardship has a way of getting our attention. Pain slows us down. Very few us, after facing a trial, come out the same way we entered in. Jesus understood this and attempted to prepare his disciples for the road ahead.
 
The rest of this sermon following the outline above can be obtained by joining http://www.sermons.com/signup
_______________________
 
1 Peter 2,  the sermon titled "The Meals-on Wheels Temple" by Leonard Sweet 
 
I call the world we are living in TGIF. Anyone know what TGIF stands for? That?s right: ?Thank God It?s Friday? 
 
But I?ve re-acronymed TGIF as ?Twitter, Google, iPhone, Facebook.? So let me begin this morning with some TGIF questions:
 
Do you blog? If you do, do you blog with people on your block? 
 
Are any of your immediate neighbors your Facebook ?friends? or Twitter ?followers?? 
 
Do you connect with more people digitally than you do physically?
 
If the answer is ?no? to the first two and ?yes? to the third, then you are . . . pretty typical. The good news is that now absolutely no one need be cut off from contact with others in this electronic age of ?relationships.? The bad news is that if everything in our lives is part of some enormous ?social network,? how do we ever differentiate the devotedly ?personal? from the digitally ?social?? 
 
It is fun to have lots of Facebook friends. It is cool to have an entourage of Twitter ?followers.? But as important as these ?social media? are, there are times and places in our lives when a different kind of connectedness makes the difference between life and death.
 
Rising Spring waters have poured across those regions of our country graced by the presence of the Mississippi River. So much flooding, in fact, that whole communities have been forced to flee their homes. Adding insult to injury some have been put under water by the deliberate flooding of less populated areas to safeguard the survival of the larger cities. The only bright spot in these regional disasters and personal tragedies has been the out-pouring of local community care and support. 
 
I predict that one of the greatest stories of 2011 will turn out to be this one: Love and compassion have easily overwhelmed the water-power of the Mississippi?
 
The rest of the sermon can be found by joining Sermons.com. 
 
Click here:  http://www.sermons.com/signup or call 1-800-777-7731 to join.
 
_______________________
 
Taking Our Penalty

Friday night my wife and I went to a hockey game. It was between the Colorado Avalanche and the Mighty Ducks. Colorado's goalie got a penalty for "delay of game." A penalty in hockey means your team plays short-handed while you sit in the penalty box. 

Yet, during this penalty Colorado's goalie was still in the net. Do you know why? Because another player on his team was allowed to take the penalty for him. That other player was in the penalty box, suffering the consequences of what the goalie did, as if he was the one guilty of breaking the rules.

That's a picture of Christ. We broke the rules, we are the sinners, we have offended God's majesty, we have strayed from the Way, yet it is Christ who paid the penalty. The result? Through Christ and His cross we have a way to God and heaven and eternal life. Through Christ we are saved!

Adrian Dieleman, I Am the Way and the Truth and the Life 
_____________________________________

You Know Your Master Is There
 
There is a story told of a dying man who asked his Christian doctor to tell him something about the place to which he was going. As the doctor fumbled for a reply, he heard a scratching at the door, and he had his answer. 
 
"Do you hear that?" he asked his patient. "It's my dog. I left him downstairs, but he has grown impatient, and has come up and hears my voice. He has no notion what is inside this door, but he knows that I am here. Isn't it the same with you? You don't know what lies beyond the Door, but you know that your Master is there."

Alan Carr, Biblical Facts about a Place Called Heaven 
___________________________________

What?s With the Fork?
 
A woman was diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. As she was getting her things in order, she contacted her pastor and asked him to come to her house to discuss some of her final wishes.

She told him which songs she wanted sung at her funeral service, what Scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. She requested to be buried with her favorite Bible.

As the pastor prepared to leave, the woman suddenly remembered something else. "There's one more thing," she said excitedly.

"What's that?" said the pastor.

"This is important," the woman said. "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand."

The pastor stood looking at the woman, not knowing quite what to say.

The woman explained. "In all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part of the meal because I knew something better was coming?like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie.

"So, when people see me in that casket with a fork in my hand and they ask, 'What's with the fork?' I want you to tell them: 'Keep your fork. The best is yet to come!'"

Alan Carr, Biblical Facts about a Place Called Heaven
___________________________________


One Way Out


The year was 1275 BC, before Christ.  The land was Egypt.  The ruler was Pharaoh.  The leader of the Jews was Moses.  The Jews had been in slavery for four hundred years to the Egyptians, building their cities and pyramids. But God had sent the plagues, and now the Jewish nation was beginning their exodus from slavery.  And at this particular moment, they were stopped by a body of water, the Red Sea, the Red Sea, and the Egyptian chariots and horses were rapidly coming to attack and bring death and extinction.  It seemed there was no way out and then a miracle. Suddenly, before them, the Red Sea opened up and there was only one way. Only one way out.  Only one way to avoid death and extinction and that was through the Red Sea.

That paradigm, that visual image of only one way out of death and extinction is deeply woven into the theology of the Old Testament and New Testament.  I still can clearly see a picture poster from a Bible Series that I used to teach of a high piece of land on the left, a deep chasm in the middle and a high piece of land on the right. The high piece of land on the left represented Earth; the high piece on the right represented Heaven; and then there was a bridge in the form of a cross that went from Earth to Heaven.  It was only on the cross of Christ that we moved from Earth to Eternity.  It was the only way.  It is the only way.

Edward F. Markquart, Only One Way Out
__________________________________
 


 
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From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Sat May 21 14:44:43 2011
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 21 May 2011 14:44:43 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] Fwd: Sermon Resources for May 22 - Part 2
Message-ID: <8CDE5FE48A80427-820-417C@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>


Humor: The Peacemakers

Dawne Olson, a South Dakota mother of four, was preparing to give a talk on unity at her women's Bible study. She woke up early to type out the scripture verses. She wasn't quite finished when her four children began coming downstairs asking for breakfast. She could hear the children just around the corner in the kitchen as they rummaged through the refrigerator and cupboards for something to eat. At some point they discovered half of a toaster pastry on the counter from the night before. They all began screaming and fighting; each claiming the half-eaten Pop Tart.

As Dawne made a couple of futile attempts to quiet them down, she finished typing the verse in Matthew 5:9 that says, "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God." Taking her cue from scripture, she hollered into the kitchen above the noise, "Would somebody PLEASE be the peacemaker?!"

There was a moment's silence and then Garret, age 6, piped up, "I'll be the piece maker, Mom!"

Then to his brother and sisters he said: "Here's a piece for you and you, and a piece for you and one piece for me."

Needless to say, Dawne had her opening illustration on unity and peace for that evening's Bible study!

Billy D. Strayhorn, I Go to Prepare a Place for You
_____________________________________


Making Anyone Laugh

The great American humorist, Will Rogers, had the reputation that he could make anyone laugh. President Calvin Coolidge, on the other hand, had the reputation that he never laughed. Want to know what happened the time those two met? Rogers was invited to visit the White House and as was the custom, the president's assistant brought Rogers into the Oval Office. As was the custom as he entered, the assistant said, "President Coolidge, this is Will Rogers. Mr. Rogers, this is President Coolidge." To which Rogers leaned forward and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't catch the name." With that, President Coolidge cracked up and started laughing.

Don't you wish you were as quick on your feet as he was? Quick with a comeback, quick with just the right thing to say. Well, of all the things that Jesus said, some of the most significant are the words in today's Gospel reading, when Jesus says, "I am the way and the truth and the life."

Lee Griess, Return to the Lord, Your God, CSS Publishing Company, Inc 
_____________________________

An Evening Prayer
 
A century ago John Henry Newman wrote an evening prayer which expresses well the whole spirit in which we see the present in the light of that place which Christ has prepared for us:

Support us, O Lord, all the long day of this troubled life until the shadows lengthen, and the evening comes, when the busy fever of life is hushed, and our work is done. Then in thy mercy grant us a safe lodging, a holy rest, and peace at the last, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Dean Lueking, From Ashes to Holy Wind, CSS Publishing Company 
__________________________________________


When We Glimpse Paradise

In 1816, Lord Byron wrote a narrative poem that has become a classic. The poem is titled, "The Prisoner of Chillon," and it is the story of a man incarcerated in the dungeon at the Castle of Chillon near Lake Geneva, Switzerland.

The prisoner was in a narrow, cramped dungeon cell for such a long time that he began to think of it as home. He made friends with the spiders, insects, and mice that shared his cell. They were all inmates of the same dungeon and he was monarch of each race.

The years in the dark dungeon cell had taken their toll. He was no longer unhappy or uncomfortable. He had grown accustomed to his environment and came to think of his chains as friends.

One day a bird perched on the crevice of the ledge above and began to sing. It was the sweetest music he had ever heard. Suddenly, the desire to see the outside world overwhelmed him. He grabbed the walls of his cell, and began climbing and struggling up the wall so that he could look out of the little window. In that moment, he saw a world that he had forgotten?
 
The conclusion to this illustration and for many additional illustrations and sermons for Easter 5 can be accessed at www.Sermons.com.
 
 


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From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Sat May 21 14:48:19 2011
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 21 May 2011 14:48:19 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] Fwd: SermonWriter:  May 22 (Easter 5A) John 14:1-14
In-Reply-To: <1105378391806.1102494453531.1956.5.196103009@scheduler>
References: <1105378391806.1102494453531.1956.5.196103009@scheduler>
Message-ID: <8CDE5FEC91D43B5-820-4183@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>


THE FOLLOWING are SermonWriter materials for May 22 (Easter 5A). They focus on the Gospel lesson, John 14:1-14, where Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Believe in God, believe also in me."
 
To access those files, you MUST use the following links.  If clicking on the link fails to work, copy the link and paste it in the address window near the top of your browser.  Then hit the ENTER key or click GO.
 
Microsoft Word file:  
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/05-22km/John.14.1-14.doc
 
HTML file (web page): 
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/05-22km/John.14.1-14.htm
 
WordPerfect file:  
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/05-22km/John.14.1-14.wpd
 

 A TIP: If you want the Word or WordPerfect files, LEFT-CLICK on the link and see what happens.  That should bring up a dialog box that asks if you want to open the file or save it.  Choose OPEN.  Then save it wherever you like on your hard drive.

If that doesn't work, RIGHT-CLICK on the link.  You should get a sub-menu.  Hopefully, "Save Target As" will be one of the options.  Click on that.  Then save the file wherever you want on your hard drive.

     http://www.lectionary.org/ 
     
Dick Donovan

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From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Sat May 21 14:51:35 2011
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 21 May 2011 14:51:35 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] Fwd: SermonWriter:  May 22 (Easter 5A) Acts 7:55-60
In-Reply-To: <Rkg2VFJZNigzLEZaUUtIMjgwMjcwOTM@Dick>
References: <Rkg2VFJZNigzLEZaUUtIMjgwMjcwOTM@Dick>
Message-ID: <8CDE5FF3DE97D37-820-4185@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>


ACTS 7:55-60

These materials include the exegesis + a link to one sermon, a children's 
sermon, and a hymn list:

Microsoft Word file:
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/05-22km/Acts.7.55-60.EXEGESIS.doc

HTML file (web page):
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/05-22km/Acts.7.55-60.EXEGESIS.htm

WordPerfect file:
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/05-22km/Acts.7.55-60.EXEGESIS.wpd


A TIP: If you want the Word or WordPerfect files, LEFT-CLICK on the link and see 
what happens.

That should bring up a dialog box that asks if you want to open the file or save 
it.
Choose OPEN.  Then save it wherever you like on your hard drive.

If that doesn't work, RIGHT-CLICK on the link.  You should get a sub-menu.
Hopefully, "Save Target As" will be one of them.  Click on that.
Then save the file wherever you want on your hard drive.


www.lectionary.org

Dick Donovan


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From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Sun May 22 03:45:50 2011
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sun, 22 May 2011 03:45:50 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] Sermon for May 22 on John 14:1-14,
	"Knowing versus believing"
Message-ID: <8CDE66B67BEAB4A-820-430D@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>


 http://tiny.cc/o2bvy is our sermon for May 22 based on John 14:1-14, "Knowing versus believing".
Peace and Easter blessings,
Joe
St. John's Episcopal Church
Elizabeth, NJ

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From chadwohl at satucket.com  Sun May 22 21:50:48 2011
From: chadwohl at satucket.com (Charles Wohlers)
Date: Sun, 22 May 2011 21:50:48 -0400
Subject: [Propertalk] READINGS for the SIXTH SUNDAY of EASTER
Message-ID: <568AFFABCA9E40EEB2F7EFF8A5733B13@ThinkpadT60CCW>

The following are the readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 29, according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common Worship) lectionaries. All readings are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA, Canadian and C of E lectionaries are identical to the RCL for this day.


. 
FIRST READING: Acts 17: 22 - 31   (RCL) 

Acts 17:22 (NRSV) Then Paul stood in front of the Areop'agus and said, "Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. 23 For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, "To an unknown god." What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. 26 From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, 27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him--though indeed he is not far from each one of us. 28 For "In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, 
"For we too are his offspring."
29 Since we are God's offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. 30 While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead." 


Acts 8: 5 - 8, 14 - 17   (Roman Catholic) 

Acts 8:5 (NRSV) Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them. 6 The crowds with one accord listened eagerly to what was said by Philip, hearing and seeing the signs that he did, 7 for unclean spirits, crying with loud shrieks, came out of many who were possessed; and many others who were paralyzed or lame were cured. 8 So there was great joy in that city. 

14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit 16 (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 


Genesis 8: 20 - 9: 17   (alt. for C of E) 

Gene 8:20 (NRSV) Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And when the LORD smelled the pleasing odor, the LORD said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, for the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth; nor will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done. 
22 As long as the earth endures, 
seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, 
summer and winter, day and night, 
shall not cease." 9:1 God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. 2 The fear and dread of you shall rest on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the air, on everything that creeps on the ground, and on all the fish of the sea; into your hand they are delivered. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and just as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. 4 Only, you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5 For your own lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning: from every animal I will require it and from human beings, each one for the blood of another, I will require a reckoning for human life. 
6 Whoever sheds the blood of a human, 
by a human shall that person's blood be shed; 
for in his own image 
God made humankind. 
7 And you, be fruitful and multiply, abound on the earth and multiply in it." 
8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 "As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." 12 God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth." 17 God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth." 


PSALM 66: 8 - 20   (RCL) 
Psalm 66: 1 - 7, 16, 20   (Roman Catholic) 

Psal 66:1 (NRSV) Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; 
2 sing the glory of his name; 
give to him glorious praise. 
3 Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! 
Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you. 
4 All the earth worships you; 
they sing praises to you, 
sing praises to your name." [Se'lah] 
5 Come and see what God has done: 
he is awesome in his deeds among mortals. 
6 He turned the sea into dry land; 
they passed through the river on foot. 
There we rejoiced in him, 
7 who rules by his might forever, 
whose eyes keep watch on the nations-- 
let the rebellious not exalt themselves. [Se'lah] 
8 Bless our God, O peoples, 
let the sound of his praise be heard, 
9 who has kept us among the living, 
and has not let our feet slip. 
10 For you, O God, have tested us; 
you have tried us as silver is tried. 
11 You brought us into the net; 
you laid burdens on our backs; 
12 you let people ride over our heads; 
we went through fire and through water; 
yet you have brought us out to a spacious place. 
13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings; 
I will pay you my vows, 
14 those that my lips uttered 
and my mouth promised when I was in trouble. 
15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fatlings, 
with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams; 
I will make an offering of bulls and goats. [Se'lah] 
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, 
and I will tell what he has done for me. 
17 I cried aloud to him, 
and he was extolled with my tongue. 
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, 
the Lord would not have listened. 
19 But truly God has listened; 
he has given heed to the words of my prayer. 
20 Blessed be God, 
because he has not rejected my prayer 
or removed his steadfast love from me. 



SECOND READING: 1 Peter 3: 13 - 22   (RCL) 
                                      1 Peter 3: 15 - 18   (Roman Catholic) 

1Pet 3:13 (NRSV)  Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? 14 But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, 15 but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; 16 yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God's will, than to suffer for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, 20 who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. 21 And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you--not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him. 


GOSPEL: John 14: 15 - 21   (RCL, Roman Catholic) 

John 14:15 (NRSV) "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. 
18 "I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them." 



Chad Wohlers
Woodbury, Vermont    USA
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu
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From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Tue May 24 09:58:31 2011
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Tue, 24 May 2011 09:58:31 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] 6th of Easter: 1 Peter 3.8-22
In-Reply-To: <90823543FD5D4292BA7C97C26B5CFA97@HowardPC>
References: <90823543FD5D4292BA7C97C26B5CFA97@HowardPC>
Message-ID: <8CDE831CCD97962-E20-28B@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>

Forwarded:





-----Original Message-----
From: Fr HC Smith <howard.smith at anglican.org.au>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Tue, May 24, 2011 6:41 am
Subject: [propertalk.topic] 6th of Easter: 1 Peter 3.8-22


Friends,
Thanks Judy for your encouragement. (As an aside, I managed to get near your 
part of the world in 1991 when I had a great visit to the Diocese of 
Northern Michigan to study rural ministry).  This week there is a bit of 
overlap between the Australian lectionary and RCL - so here are a few 
thoughts on which to build a sermon.
Howard
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*    Today we continue learning from Peter how the Resurrection of Jesus can 
make a difference to us in the 21st century.  Today's reading from a NT 
letter in the name of Peter is thought to be the outline of a sermon for 
baptisms.
+    And one of the important things that Peter teaches us is that
    we, as baptised people, can make changes in the way we
    behave, and the way we live, because we are followers of the
    risen Lord Jesus, and share in his new life.
+    So what he tells us today is pretty important for the whole world in 
which we live:
    -    lots of people are fond of complaining about the terrible things 
that happen in our world:
    -    the awful violence and abuse people have to put up with,
    -    the injustice they feel that happens to them often,
    -    to say nothing of the terrible wars that go on between countries.
+    And people ask why doesn't someone do something about it?
    -    or even: why doesn't God do something about it?
+    Well Peter reminds us again today that God has already done
    something about it, and God has invited us to become partners
    in the whole process of making life better, more like God?s New World;
-    but sadly, too many human beings find excuses to make any effort to 
improve things.

*    Let's just have a quick look at what God says to us in Peter's letter:
+    We are told that the way forward for us, as baptised people, is:
    -    to agree with one another,
    -    to have love and concern for each other,
    -    to be kind and humble;
    -    to stop being hateful and insulting to other people especially when 
they are hateful and insult us!
+    Wow! that's quite a mouthful, and it even looks almost impossible;
    -    but I reckon that God wouldn't tell us to live like that if it
        were totally impossible; God only tells us to do things that are 
possible;
    -    mind you we probably need the help of the Holy Spirit, but it
        is still possible to get somewhere along the track.
+    So that makes me ask myself some hard questions:
    -    Why do I sometimes have to disagree with other people?
    -    Why am I sometimes unkind and proud?
    -    Why do I sometimes insult people?
+    And if I'm honest in my answers, I realise that when I behave
    like that  I'm contributing to the problems of the world, instead of 
helping God with the answers.
+    And if I can't get it right, then how can I demand that someone else 
should get it right?
+    So today Peter is inviting me, and you, to make a fresh start
    trying to find how to agree with people, how to be concerned
    for them, to love them, to be kind and to be humble, and to
    stop insulting people.
*    Perhaps this rural story might help us get the point:
*    "A farmer raised sheep, but on the farm next to him was one who raised 
wheat, children and large dogs.  The dogs were always scaring the sheep and 
sometimes even eating the baby lambs.
+    The sheep farmer didn?t know what to do.
+    He could shoot the dogs, or poison them, be nasty to his neighbour, or 
even take him to court.
+    He prayed about it.
    -    As soon as some new lambs were born, he gave one of the
        lambs to each of his neighbour?s children as a pet.
    -    They were thrilled.
+    Their father could no longer allow the dogs to run free or they
    would kill the lambs, so the dogs were tied up.
+    The two farmers became friends.
    -    Kindness and love made them winners."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Rev'd Dr H.C. Smith
Retired Anglican Priest
Orange NSW
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 



 
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From eldan at bresnan.net  Tue May 24 15:04:57 2011
From: eldan at bresnan.net (Bob Eldan)
Date: Tue, 24 May 2011 13:04:57 -0600
Subject: [Propertalk] Not left orphaned
Message-ID: <5C6C9E9F96D744498B3778153DFD4D8F@BobPC>

An idea on next Sunday's Gospel:



We are not left orphaned (John 14:18), in spite of the fact that we at times feel alone and abandoned due to life's ups and downs, life's achievements followed by misfortunes.  Not only is Jesus himself coming to us, he has left us an Advocate to be at our side.  This Advocate he calls "the Spirit of Truth."  However, we are mistaken if we suppose the Spirit is going to defend us by giving us truth in the sense of information, data, intellectual content or facts that we can shape into dogmas, dogmas that we can impose as a litmus test for being a true Christian.  As we scan this Gospel reading we see that the Spirit's veracity is not truth to the letter, but is intimately tied up with Jesus' commandments and love.  We can search all of the New Testament and we will only find one commandment ever given by Jesus.  In John 13:24, right before today's passage, so it is fresh in the reader's mind, Jesus says "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.  Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another."  That's the only time Jesus ever mentions a commandment from himself.  This commandment to love is the truth that holds up in the Spirit's court of law.  St. Augustine in the fourth century said "Love and do as you will."  In other words with love we will do the right thing.  Love creates a tight circle that is paradoxically tight and inclusive at that same time, never shunning or exclusive.  Jesus speaks of a circle of love.  He is in the Father, and we are in him and he is in us. (John 14:20)  Let us look around and search out the neglected and lonely and keep the commandment.  That's how we profess truth.  We are not left orphaned; and we do not orphan anyone else.



Bob Eldan

Lander Wyoming

http://preachingtip.com/ 
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From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Wed May 25 11:29:27 2011
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Wed, 25 May 2011 11:29:27 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Propertalk] Day1 Sermon - Acts 17:16-32
Message-ID: <8CDE907AB1A64A9-E20-F9A@angweb-usm003.sysops.aol.com>

The Rev. Hardy Kim is associate pastor for church growth at First Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, GA.
Young Leaders Series V: Proclaiming Christ in the New Areopagus
			
Acts 17:16-32
			
6th Sunday of Easter - Year A
			
May 29, 2011
http://day1.org/2922-young_leaders_series_v_proclaiming_christ_in_the_new_areopagus
 


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From chadwohl at satucket.com  Mon May 30 02:32:00 2011
From: chadwohl at satucket.com (Charles Wohlers)
Date: Sun, 29 May 2011 23:32:00 -0700
Subject: [Propertalk] READINGS for ASCENSION DAY
Message-ID: <03A6B5C9D1964DF994D4C0DB0AA10A84@ThinkpadT60CCW>

The following are the readings for Ascension Day, June 2, according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common Worship) lectionaries. All readings are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA, Canadian and C of E lectionaries are identical to the RCL for this day.



FIRST READING:  Acts 1: 1 - 11  (all)

Acts 1:1 (NRSV) In the first book, Theoph'ilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning 2 until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. "This," he said, "is what you have heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." 
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." 


Daniel 7: 9 - 14   (alt. for C of E)

Dani 7:9 (NRSV) As I watched, 
thrones were set in place, 
and an Ancient One Aram took his throne, 
his clothing was white as snow, 
and the hair of his head like pure wool; 
his throne was fiery flames, 
and its wheels were burning fire. 
10 A stream of fire issued 
and flowed out from his presence. 
A thousand thousands served him, 
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him. 
The court sat in judgment, 
and the books were opened. 
11 I watched then because of the noise of the arrogant words that the horn was speaking. And as I watched, the beast was put to death, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. 13 As I watched in the night visions, 
I saw one like a human being Aram 
coming with the clouds of heaven. 
And he came to the Ancient One Aram 
and was presented before him. 
14 To him was given dominion 
and glory and kingship, 
that all peoples, nations, and languages 
should serve him. 
His dominion is an everlasting dominion 
that shall not pass away, 
and his kingship is one 
that shall never be destroyed. 


PSALM 47  (all but Roman Catholic)
Psalm 47: 1 - 2, 5 - 8   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 47:1 (NRSV) Clap your hands, all you peoples; 
shout to God with loud songs of joy. 
2 For the LORD, the Most High, is awesome, 
a great king over all the earth. 
3 He subdued peoples under us, 
and nations under our feet. 
4 He chose our heritage for us, 
the pride of Jacob whom he loves. [Se'lah] 
5 God has gone up with a shout, 
the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. 
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises; 
sing praises to our King, sing praises. 
7 For God is the king of all the earth; 
sing praises with a psalm. 
8 God is king over the nations; 
God sits on his holy throne. 
9 The princes of the peoples gather 
as the people of the God of Abraham. 
For the shields of the earth belong to God; 
he is highly exalted. 

Note: Verse numbering in Roman Catholic bibles is one higher than the above


47   Omnes gentes, plaudite   (ECUSA BCP)
 
1   Clap your hands, all you peoples; *
 shout to God with a cry of joy.
 
2   For the Lord Most High is to be feared; *
 he is the great King over all the earth.
 
3   He subdues the peoples under us, *
 and the nations under our feet.
 
4   He chooses our inheritance for us, *
 the pride of Jacob whom he loves.
 
5   God has gone up with a shout, *
 the Lord with the sound of the ram's-horn.
 
6   Sing praises to God, sing praises; *
 sing praises to our King, sing praises.
 
7   For God is King of all the earth; *
 sing praises with all your skill.
 
8   God reigns over the nations; *
 God sits upon his holy throne.
 
9   The nobles of the peoples have gathered together *
 with the people of the God of Abraham.
 
10  The rulers of the earth belong to God, *
 and he is highly exalted.


Psalm 93   (alt. for RCL)

Psal 93:1 (NRSV) The LORD is king, he is robed in majesty; 
the LORD is robed, he is girded with strength. 
He has established the world; it shall never be moved; 
2 your throne is established from of old; 
you are from everlasting. 
3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, 
the floods have lifted up their voice; 
the floods lift up their roaring. 
4 More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters, 
more majestic than the waves of the sea, 
majestic on high is the LORD! 
5 Your decrees are very sure; 
holiness befits your house, 
O LORD, forevermore. 


93  Dominus regnavit  (ECUSA BCP)
 
1   The Lord is King;
he has put on splendid apparel; *
  the Lord has put on his apparel
  and girded himself with strength.
 
2   He has made the whole world so sure *
  that it cannot be moved;
 
3   Ever since the world began, your throne has been established; *
  you are from everlasting.
 
4   The waters have lifted up, O Lord,
the waters have lifted up their voice; *
  the waters have lifted up their pounding waves.
 
5   Mightier than the sound of many waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea, *
  mightier is the Lord who dwells on high.
 
6   Your testimonies are very sure, *
  and holiness adorns your house, O Lord,
  for ever and for evermore.


SECOND READING:   Ephesians 1: 15 - 23   (all)

Ephe 1:15 (NRSV) I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. 20 God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. 22 And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. 

Note: The Roman Catholic lectionary omits vs. 15 & 16; if one of the Old Testament alternatives is used for the first reading, the Acts reading should be used instead here.


GOSPEL:  Luke 24: 44 - 53   (RCL)

Luke 24:44 (NRSV) Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you--that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled." 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46 and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." 
50 Then he led them out as far as Beth'any, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; 53 and they were continually in the temple blessing God. 


Matthew 28: 16 - 20   (Roman Catholic)

Matt 28:16 (NRSV) Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." {Other ancient authorities add [Amen]} 


Chad Wohlers
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu
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From chadwohl at satucket.com  Mon May 30 02:37:01 2011
From: chadwohl at satucket.com (Charles Wohlers)
Date: Sun, 29 May 2011 23:37:01 -0700
Subject: [Propertalk] READINGS for the SEVENTH SUNDAY of EASTER
Message-ID: <1C445F13866849EFAB54B247CD26FED9@ThinkpadT60CCW>

The following are the readings for the Seventh Sunday of Easter, June 5, according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common Worship) lectionaries. All readings are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA, Canadian and C of E lectionaries are identical to the RCL for this day.



FIRST READING: Acts 1: 6 - 14 (RCL) 
                                Acts 1: 12 - 14 (Roman Catholic) 

Acts 1:1 (NRSV) In the first book, Theoph'ilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning 2 until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. "This," he said, "is what you have heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." 
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." 
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Ol'ivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away. 13 When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphae'us, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers. 


Ezekiel 36: 24 - 28 (alt. for C of E) 

Ezek 36:24 (NRSV) I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. 28 Then you shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. 


PSALM 68: 1 - 10, 32 - 35   (RCL) 

Psal 68:1 (NRSV) Let God rise up, let his enemies be scattered; 
let those who hate him flee before him. 
2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; 
as wax melts before the fire, 
let the wicked perish before God. 
3 But let the righteous be joyful; 
let them exult before God; 
let them be jubilant with joy. 
4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name; 
lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds -- 
his name is the LORD-- 
be exultant before him. 
5 Father of orphans and protector of widows 
is God in his holy habitation. 
6 God gives the desolate a home to live in; 
he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, 
but the rebellious live in a parched land. 
7 O God, when you went out before your people, 
when you marched through the wilderness, [Se'lah] 
8 the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain 
at the presence of God, the God of Sinai, 
at the presence of God, the God of Israel. 
9 Rain in abundance, O God, you showered abroad; 
you restored your heritage when it languished; 
10 your flock found a dwelling in it; 
in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy. 

32 Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth; 
sing praises to the Lord, [Se'lah] 
33 O rider in the heavens, the ancient heavens; 
listen, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice. 
34 Ascribe power to God, 
whose majesty is over Israel; 
and whose power is in the skies. 
35 Awesome is God in his sanctuary, 
the God of Israel; 
he gives power and strength to his people. 
Blessed be God! 


Psalm 27: 1, 4, 7 - 8 (Roman Catholic) 

Psal 27:1 (NRSV) The LORD is my light and my salvation; 
whom shall I fear? 
The LORD is the stronghold of my life; 
of whom shall I be afraid? 

4 One thing I asked of the LORD, 
that will I seek after: 
to live in the house of the LORD 
all the days of my life, 
to behold the beauty of the LORD, 
and to inquire in his temple. 
7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud, 
be gracious to me and answer me! 
8 "Come," my heart says, "seek his face!" 
Your face, LORD, do I seek. 



SECOND READING: 1 Peter 4: 12 - 14, 5: 6 - 11 (RCL) 
                                      1 Peter 4: 13 - 16 (Roman Catholic) 

1Pet 4:12 (NRSV) Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief maker. 16 Yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear this name. 

5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 8 Discipline yourselves, keep alert. {Or [be vigilant]} Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. 10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the power forever and ever. Amen. 

Note: If one of the Old Testament alternatives is used for the first reading, the Acts reading should be used instead here. 


GOSPEL: John 17: 1 - 11 (all) 

John 17:1 (NRSV) After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. 5 So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. 
6 "I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; 8 for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. 

Note: The Roman Catholic lectionary omits the second part of v. 11.


Chad Wohlers
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu
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From eldan at bresnan.net  Mon May 30 13:11:01 2011
From: eldan at bresnan.net (Bob Eldan)
Date: Mon, 30 May 2011 11:11:01 -0600
Subject: [Propertalk] Ascension on Sunday
Message-ID: <A70DF630760F4151844D1DDA6AC759E6@BobPC>

 Evidently the compilers of the lectionary put the story of the Ascension found in the Acts of the Apostles as the first reading on the 7th Sunday of Easter in case some congregations missed the feast on the Thursday prior.  My experience is that even some liturgical churches do nothing special on the Thursday.  And even if they did most parishioners will not have been in church on that day.  Therefore, we have a reference to the Ascension on Sunday.  Of course, the purists among us will want to look at the Gospel and leave the Ascension on Thursday.

Bob Eldan

http://preachingtip.com/ 
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