[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Lent 4A

[Joe Parrish]

Forwarded: 



-----Original Message-----
From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sat, Mar 25, 2017 5:57 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Lent 4A



Dear Friends,
 
This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “The Egg, the Carrot,and the Coffee” or “Once I Was Blind, but Now I See” and deals with all thelessons.  Here it is: 
 
Whenthe prophet Isaiah quoted God as saying, “My ways are not your ways, and mythoughts are not your thoughts,” his words really describe today’s Biblelessons.  In each one, we find Godchoosing someone to do His work- someone we probably wouldn’t dream ofchoosing.  In the Old Testament lesson (1stSamuel 16: 1-13), we listen as Jesse shows off all of his sons to the prophetSamuel- actually ALMOST all of his sons. One by one, they paraded before the prophet, and one by one- Samuelsaid- “No, this isn’t the person God has chosen to be king.”  Remember, it was only when pressed that Jesse“remembered” one more son- just a kid. That kid grew to be the mighty King David, the greatest king Israel had everseen; the root from whom the messiah, Jesus, developed.
 
Did you hear the true story ofthe lady and the blind man (sent in to Ann Landers and published in theWashington Post October 13, 1998)?  Mrs. Smith wasstark-naked and just about to step into the shower when the doorbell rang. Shehollered, “Who is it?” He shouted back, “It's the blind man.” She figured itwas safe, so she opened the door. He looked at her in shock and asked, “Wheredo you want me to hang these blinds, lady?”
 
Thenthere was the blind man in today’s gospel (John 9: 1-38) - not a man hired tohang window shades, but a person with the handicapping condition ofblindness.  Everyone knew a blind man wasuseless, yet he was the person who taught the learned Pharisees a thing or two.  When he said in verse 25: “Once I was blind,but now I see,” his wisdom in recognizing who Jesus was put the ignorance ofthe Pharisees to shame.
 
Finallythere was Paul, who wrote the wise advice to the Ephesian Church(Ephesians 5:15-16)reminding them to “act like people with good sense and not like fools.  These are evil times, so make every minutecount.”  Who was Paul to tell anyone whatto do?  As you recall, he was a mass murderer.  He had as many Christians as possibleexecuted.  In fact, he was the one whoheld the coats while Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was stoned todeath.  He reminds me of another personwho wrote something- actually one of our favorite hymns- John Newton, theauthor of “Amazing Grace.”  As Paul was amurderer, so was John Newton.  Hecaptained slave ships, throwing sick and dying Africans overboard so theywouldn’t inconvenience his sailors.  Helater was converted and became a priest in England in our own AnglicanCommunion.  His friendship was one of theinfluences that converted William Wilberforce and then convinced him as aChristian man to work in the English government to abolish the slavetrade.  Wilberforce was the prime personto get the slave trade stopped.
 
Whyam I telling you about these people? Because each one speaks to us about how God can use everyone.  Perhaps you are (or you know) a discouragedDavid- someone whose family disrespects them over and over, someone whoseself-concept is down around their knees. Tell them (or yourself) that out of little acorns, mighty oak treesgrow, so forget about what other people say and be all that you can be.
 
Orperhaps you have a handicapping condition. Maybe you (or someone you love) are too fat, thin, crippled, slow inschool, old, young, etc.  Recall how theblind man taught the Pharisees a thing or two and remember that God doesn’tmake junk.  Don’t worry about what youcan’t do.  Focus on what you can do forthe Lord.
 
Orperhaps you (or someone you love) are a Paul or a John Newton.  You’ve done some heavy sinning and think Godcan’t use a sinner like you.  You mayeven have heard people say they’re too sinful to set foot in church.  Remember that John Newton didn’t stopcaptaining slave ships as soon as he was converted.  His awareness of sin grew on him until hegave his whole life to Jesus, was ordained, wrote “Amazing Grace,” anddiscipled William Wilberforce to overcome slavery in the British Isles.
 
Inclosing, I’m going to remind you of a story I’ve told a number of times. Adaughter complained to her father about her life and how things were so hardfor her. Maybe she was like David and not respected by her family.  Maybe she was like the blind man and had ahandicapping condition of some sort. Perhaps she had made some bad choices and was now living through theconsequences of her behavior.  Whatever-she told him that she did not know how she was going to make it and wanted togive up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as soon as oneproblem was solved, a new one arose.  Shehad decided that her fate was to lead a disappointing life and that her lot inlife was to never succeed at anything. Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots withwater and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In one heplaced a carrot, in the second he placed an egg, and in the last he placedground coffee beans. He let them boil for about twenty minutes, then fishedeverything out of the boiling water. Turning to her he asked. "Darling, what do you see?"  "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," shereplied. He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did andnoted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. Afterpulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked herto sip the coffee. She smiled as she tasted it and smelled its rich aroma. Shehumbly asked. "What does it mean Father?"  He explained that each of them had faced thesame adversity, boiling water, but each reacted differently. The carrot went instrong, hard, and unrelenting. But after being subjected to the boiling water,it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell hadprotected its liquid interior. But after sitting through the boiling water, itsinside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After theywere in the boiling water, they had changed the water. 
            
Likethe carrot, do adverse circumstances weaken you, make you lose your commitmentto God, and give up?  Or like the egg, doadverse circumstances harden you and make you unloving and evil?  I hope not. I hope you are like the coffee beans. I hope your faith and love and commitment enrich those adversecircumstances by the power of the Spirit until they are transformed into asweet-smelling gift to our Lord. 
 
For anyone who isinterested, this sermon and updated African-American wisdom statements areposted 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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