[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Easter 3B

[Joe Parrish]

-----Original Message-----
From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sat, Apr 21, 2012 10:13 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Easter 3B


Dear Friends,

Tomorrow’s sermon is entitled “He’s Alive!  Now What?” and deals the
gospel (Luke 24: 36b- 48) and the BCP Old Testament lesson (Micah 4:
1-5).  Here it is:

Happy Easter!  What do you mean- “Happy Easter!?”  Rite Aid has all
the Easter items in their half-off bin and now everything is about
Mothers’ Day!  In the secular world, yes- Easter is over; but we
Christians celebrate the Easter season and will be doing so for 36
more days.  It takes at least that long to get all the spiritual
meanings and understandings and power from this most holy season.  In
today’s gospel, we find the disciples hiding behind locked doors for
fear that the Roman soldiers would come for them and crucify them the
way they did Jesus.  As you recall, the disciples had been through a
ghastly week!  They had seen their beloved Friend and Teacher
betrayed, arrested, tortured, humiliated, executed- i.e. murdered, and
buried.  Then the women who went to the tomb to anoint the body
couldn’t find it.  This is where we pick up the story in our gospel.
While they were discussing this strange happening and wondering who
had stolen the body, Jesus stood among them.  He proved he was alive
by eating and having them touch him.  What a topsy-turvy world they
were living in!

You’ve heard me talk about our dearly-loved cat- Magnificat.  One of
his greatest delights is getting to the highest spot available- like a
panther in a tree.  A couple of years ago I took a picture of him
walking around the top of our cupboards- about 12 inches from the
ceiling.  At that time, he’d also been watching the top of the shower
stall in the bathroom, mewing and wiggling his butt like he’s going to
leap.  Finally he did.  There he was- on the thin, slippery top of the
shower with a wet, watery tub on one side and a long jump to the floor
on the other.  Talk about a pitiful cat!  Just before I rescued him,
he might have thought just what the disciples must have thought when
they saw the risen Christ- NOW WHAT!?  That’s what I want us to think
about in terms of Easter- now what?!  What impact does a Risen Christ
have on our lives?

The Rev. Rick Warren (Purpose Driven Life) talks about two kinds of
Christians- “worldly” Christians and “world-class” Christians.
“Worldly” Christians are really only interested in themselves- what’s
in it for them.  In terms of Easter, how does God bless us through the
Easter miracle?  That’s an easy answer- power for living now and
heaven when we die!  “World-class” Christians are also interested in
what they can do for God and other people.  I hope we are all world-
class Christians!  It is our holy mission as ambassadors of the Risen
Christ to fulfill God’s goals for this world.  The Old Testament
lesson (Micah 4: 1- 5) reminds us of one way we can serve the Risen
Christ- be peacemakers.  It’s so very easy to think that world peace
is beyond us- what can little old me or little old you do?  Check out
the thought for the week by Mother Teresa- “What can you do to promote
world peace? Go home and love your family.”

You know one of the best ways to be a peacemaker in your family?
Watch your mouth!  If we’re not careful, our words become swords and
spears that make those we love weep. How often have you heard people
talk about their significant other to friends?  Build each other up.
Don’t spread family negatives unless it is necessary for the healing
of one of the members, and then do so in the right context.

Another tip for using our words to spread peace in our family-
remember to say thank-you, express your appreciation and gratitude.
How often we take those we love for granted!

A final tip for using our words to spread peace in our family- we have
an awful tendency to treat those we live with worse than we would ever
treat even a perfect stranger?  We let it all hang out- we speak with
rudeness and annoyance, we give people the “silent treatment”-
expecting them to read our minds, we use “put-downs” and say cutting
things.  You’ve heard the old saying- “Words are easy to spill, but
hard to clean up.  Our baptismal promises include one to “respect the
dignity of every human being.”  We easily keep this promise with
strangers, but let our Lord and Savior down when relating to our own
family members.  St. Paul gives thoughtful advice when he writes in
1st Corinthians (13: 4-8)- we recited it every Sunday in Lent-  “Love
is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude.  Love
isn't selfish or quick tempered.  It doesn't keep a record of wrongs
that others do.  Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil.  Love is
always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting.  Love never fails!”

Why bother to watch your mouth?  Because when evil words come out,
they can never be recalled.  They can be explained, forgiven, maybe if
you’re lucky forgotten- but when they’re out, they’re out.  I want to
close with a story I’ve told before, but it explains so very well why
we’ve simply got to think before we speak and keep Jesus in control of
our lips.  There was a little boy with a bad temper.  His father gave
him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, to
hammer a nail in the back fence. The first day the boy drove 37 nails
into the fence. Gradually the number of nails he was pounding into the
fence dwindled down.  He discovered it was easier to hold his temper
than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when
the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it,
and the father suggested that now the boy should pull out one nail for
each day that he was able to hold his temper.  The days passed and the
young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were
gone.  The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.
He said, “You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the
fence.  The fence will never be the same. When you say things in
anger, they leave a scar just like this one.  You can put a knife in a
person and draw it out.  It won't matter how many times you say “I'm
sorry,” the wound is still there.  A verbal wound is as bad as a
physical one.”

As ambassadors of the Risen Christ, may God bless us as we strive to
be true peacemakers in our families.  Amen.

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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