[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 7B

[Joe Parrish]

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-----Original Message-----
From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sat, Jun 23, 2012 7:15 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 7B


Dear Friends,

This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “David and Goliath” or “What Storm?”
or “Be All that You Can Be!” and deals the the Old Testament Lesson
(1st Samuel 17:32-39) and the Gospel (Mark 4: 35- 41).  Here it is:

Today we heard two of my very favorite Bible stories: “David and
Goliath” and “Jesus Calms the Storm”.  Both of these episodes- one in
the life of Mighty King David and one in the life of Mighty King
Jesus.  Let me ask you a question- Do you have any storms, any
Goliaths, any evil giants in your life?  Paul did.  His very precious
Christian sisters and brothers in Corinth were telling disrespectful
lies about him.  Have you ever had people you love and trust lie about
you or stop respecting you?  That’s a storm. That’s a giant.  Then
there’s the psalmist talking about how wonderful it is when kinfolk
live in peace.  We know that doesn’t always happen.  Have you ever had
discord, hatred in your own family- relationships, even marriages
falling apart?  That’s a storm.  That’s a giant.  Other possible
storms: financial troubles, kid troubles, job troubles, education
troubles, housing troubles, chronic illness troubles, addictions, car
troubles, self-doubt, fear, panic-attacks.  We just finished listing a
few of the possible personal troubles.  What about trouble on a larger
scale- terrorists, gang violence, racism, sexism, ageism, global
warming.  If you will open your mind to God’s word this morning, these
two stories contain gems of wisdom for dealing with storms, giants,
evil.

FIRST GEM: DON’T PANIC.  GOD IS IN CHARGE.  What was Jesus doing while
the disciples were panicking as they tried to ride out the storm?
Sure, he was asleep.  When they woke him up, you could almost hear him
say, “What storm?”  What kind of attitude did little David have as he
faced the huge Goliath?  Look at 1st Samuel 17: 47: “The LORD doesn't
need swords or spears to save his people. The LORD always wins his
battles.”  The prophet Zechariah reminds us (4:6b): “’Not by might,
nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord.”  God is in charge,
but there’s one problem with this truth.  Remember how we pray “Your
Kingdom come” in the Lord’s prayer.  Just be sure you’re on God’s
side, and you haven’t tried to make God be on your side.  God will
win- so if your life isn’t working out as you wish, check it out.  Are
you living God’s way or are you making excuses why your way is best.
Be sure the giants in your life aren’t being used by God to get you to
change your ways.  Be sure they aren’t the natural consequences of
your actions.  Once you’re sure that you’re on God’s side, take Jesus’
example and relax, sleep even through the storm.  Give your worries
(even the gigantic ones) to God.  There’s no point in both of you
being up all night, and God’s going to be up anyway.

SECOND GEM: BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE.  DON’T TRY TO BE SOMEBODY ELSE.
When King Saul tried to get David to wear his armor and use his
weapons, David was wise enough to use the tools HE was comfortable
with- his slingshot and five smooth stones.  Don’t try to be someone
else.  Be yourself.  Claim your own history, your own spiritual
gifts.  Wishing forever won’t make you richer or poorer, fatter or
thinner, darker or lighter, older or younger.  Wishing won’t change
who your parents are or how they treated you.  Wishing won’t change
how some people treat you or undo the mistakes you’ve made in the
past.  Use the tools you have so you and God can overcome those giants
you face.  Those parts of your life that simply “grind” you- they can
destroy you or they can become part of your own unique spiritual and
personal power.  When a small grain of sand gets inside an oyster
shell, the oyster has two choices.  He can simply decide life is no
longer worth living, or else he can do the best he can with what he
has.  As time passes, the oyster’s body encases the irritant with
layer after layer of a smooth coating, so the oyster can continue
functioning.  What’s the result?  What started as a problem has become
a pearl.  Sometimes God heals the negatives in our lives, as Jesus
calmed the storm.  Other times, he uses the negatives to produce
pearls to enrich our lives and those of others.  If good Christians
had never faced awful problems and made huge mistakes in their lives,
who could God use to help other people in similar difficulties?  The
apostle Paul asked God three times to heal him from an infirmity.
God’s answer: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made
perfect in weakness.”  Accept who you are, improve what you can and
give God the rest to use to help others.

THIRD GEM: DON’T JUST SIT THERE!  THINK AND ACT OUTSIDE THE BOX.
Isn’t that what David did when he agreed to fight the giant?
Goliath’s statement was correct- whoever heard of a boy with a
slingshot being sent to fight a man who has the latest weapons?
Wishing won’t make it so- only prayer and action will change our lives
and the lives of those we love.  What’s your most powerful weapon?
Holy Communion.  The Christians in the Book of Acts received Holy
Communion at least once a week- every Sunday.  Are we better, more
spiritually mature than they are?  Use the power of your Holy
Communion to start the changes you want to make in your life.  Use the
power of your Holy Communion to face those giants down and ride out
whatever storm the devil puts in your path.  So what is it that God
wants you to do?  What changes in your life need to be made?  What do
you need to give up, start up, strengthen up?  I’m going to close with
a story by Bruce Thielemann (“Tide Riding”) that shows how Satan
thinks outside the box, so we must also.  “Once Satan called to him
all the emissaries of hell and said he wanted to send one of them to
earth to aid women and men in the ruination of their souls. He asked
which one would want to go. One creature came forward and said, ‘I
will go.’  Satan said, ‘If I send you, what will you tell the children
of Earth?’  The creature said, ‘I will tell them that there is no
heaven.’ Satan said, ‘They will not believe you, for there is a bit of
heaven in every human heart.  In the end everyone knows that right and
good must have the victory. You may not go.’

Then another came forward, meaner and more foul than the first.  Satan
said, ‘If I send you, what will you tell the children of Earth?’ She
said, ‘I will tell them there is no hell.’  Satan looked at her and
said, ‘Oh, no; they will not believe you, for in every human heart
there's a thing called conscience, an inner voice which testifies to
the truth that not only will good be triumphant, but that evil will be
defeated. You may not go.’

Then one last creature came forward, this one from the pit of hell
itself.  Satan said to him, ‘And if I send you, what will you say to
women and men to aid them in the destruction of their souls?’ ‘That’s
easy!’ he said. ‘I will tell them there is no hurry.’  Satan said,
‘Go!’”

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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