[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 5B

[Joe Parrish]

For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American wisdom statements are posted on our parish’s web site under “Sermons & Stuff”. The address is:http://www.stpaulsepisag.org .


I’m going to close with a very familiar story- almost a parable- that I use at just about every funeral- just used it at Ms. JoAnn Washington’s funeral last Monday, but it’s worth repeating.  This story illustrates using crises and mistakes for positives.  Before I retired from teaching, Mr. Spencer Porter was often the art teacher assigned to work with my fifth grade students.  He was one of the best art teachers I have ever seen.  If the youngsters were doing art on paper, he would start passing out the supplies, and you could bet that by the time the last student got a paper, some of the first students were already waving their hands.  “Mr. Porter,” they would say- “Mr. Porter, I messed up my paper.  I need a new one.”  Mr. Porter would answer, “Turn it over and use the back.”  Within a few minutes, the hands would start to wave again.  “Mr. Porter, Mr. Porter, I messed up the back too!” they would lament.  Spencer Porter’s answer- “I’m not giving you another paper.  Now is your chance to become an artist and really do art.  Look at your paper on the front, and look at your paper on the back, and figure out what you can turn your mistakes into.”  My friends, some of the most amazing artwork came from those students, because their “mistakes” forced them to think outside the box, be creative, and try new solutions to what they thought were impossible problems.  I only hope they are continuing to apply that kind of thinking to their lives today, and I hope we learn from their example.  The crises we face in our world today, plus those we face every day in the normal demands of living, require fresh, Godly, Gospel solutions and the sure knowledge that with God as our guide, mistakes are simply lessons- lessons to be learned and used for the Kingdom.     
             
            
             
      For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American wisdom statements are posted on our parish’s web site under “Sermons & Stuff”. The address is:             http://www.stpaulsepisag.org       .     
             
            
             
      Blessed preaching,     
             
      Judy Boli     
             
      St. Paul's Episcopal Church     
             
      Saginaw, Michigan





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