[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon- Easter: "Claim Life!"

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-----Original Message-----
From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sat, Apr 20, 2019 6:19 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon- Easter: "Claim Life!"

DearFriends, ThisSunday’s sermon is entitled “Easter- Claim Life!” and is based on the gospel (John20:1-18).  Here it is:   Happy Easter!  Did anyone get achocolate bunny yet today?  A chocolateegg?  A chocolate ANYTHING?  We’ve got very small Easter baskets for ourchildren- fun stuff.  Yes, as you know, Ilove chocolate, but that’s not what Easter really is.  Don’t settle for the play Easter- the one withchocolate bunnies and cream eggs and jelly beans and baskets.  Enjoy that one, but claim the real thing, theEaster with resurrection power!  Let’slook at what happened, and then let’s see what it might mean for your life ifyou will just allow God to work.. We are all aware of how atrociously painful Jesus’ last days were, but-if you think about it, his friends had also lived in crisis.  The entire week had been unbelievably bad forall of Jesus’ friends- actually going from terrible to worse.  They’d watched everyone turn against him;with even his disciples leaving him to face his worst times alone. They saw thetrial, the beatings, the mocking, the torture, his execution, and hisburial.  Worse yet, because the Sabbathwas approaching, they couldn’t even give Jesus a proper burial- his body had tobe just quickly placed in the grave and locked in with a huge stone.  Early Sunday morning, the women went toanoint the body of Jesus.  When they gotthere, the stone was rolled away, the body was gone, and the risen Christappeared to the very first disciple- Mary Magdaline! That’s what happened.  What’s itto you?  Let me tell you what Eastermeans to me.  It’s not just the door tothe tomb that’s open- LIFE is open! Check it out. From the word “OPEN:    
   - “O”- I have an open door to heaven!  I’ll see Fr. Bill again!  Thank you Jesus!
   - “P”- I have power for living and loving and overcoming now!  Thank you Jesus!
   - “E”- EVERYONE!  Jesus’ overcoming death and offering full, meaningful life is for everyone- just accept Him. Thank you Jesus!
   - “N”- Negatives can’t overwhelm me- can’t keep me stuck!  By the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we CAN OVERCOME! 
 So, are you an Easter person yet?  If not, why not become one!  Wishing won’t do it.  Living in the past won’t do it.  Making a decision to live as Jesus’ Easterpeople will.  Did you hear the story of the depressed man and hisfriend who tried to cheer him up?  Theman said to his friend: “Say, you look depressed. What are you thinkingabout?”  “My future,” was the quickanswer.  “What makes it look sohopeless?”  “My past.”  There- did I get you thinking? WE’RE NOT HOPELESS!  I’m going toclose with a story Easter, 2013.  Thefamous minister Norman Vincent Peale (who wrote The Power of Positive Thinking)once traveled to Hong Kong . As he passed alocal tattoo shop, he noticed some of the designs people could have tattooed ontheir bodies - a flag, a dagger, and various slogans. One slogan especiallycaught his eye: “Born to Lose.” He was curious and went inside to ask about it.“Do people really ask for that tattoo?” he asked. “Yes,” the ownerreplied.  Someone that very day had justasked for it, in fact. “Why in the world,” asked Dr. Peale, “would anyone wantto be branded with a saying like that?” The old man shrugged and said, “Before the tattoo is needled into thebody, that tattoo is already branded on the mind.”    One of our thoughts for the week said, “Life’s not the way it’ssupposed to be. It’s the way it is.  Theway you cope with it is what makes the difference” (Virginia Satir).  My friends- don’t let your past determineyour future!  Your past is the divingboard, God’s Easter power is the spring in the springboard to your future.  Easter power reminds us that the futurebelongs to God and you.  Think BIG!  If you can conceive it, and God wants you todo it, the sky’s the limit; and the Risen Christ can give you the power toovercome!  Jesus rose, so make Easterchoices and follow Him. For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updatedAfrican-American wisdom statements are posted on our parish’s web site under“Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: http://www.stpaulsepisag.org. Blessedpreaching,JudyBoliSt.Paul's Episcopal ChurchSaginaw,Michigan-- 
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