[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 10C: “God’s Plumb Line- How Do You Measure Up?” or “Remember the Yo-Yo”

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From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sat, Jul 13, 2019 8:28 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 10C: “God’s Plumb Line- How Do You Measure Up?” or “Remember the Yo-Yo”

Dear Friends, This Sunday’s sermon is entitled  “God’s Plumb Line- How Do You Measure Up?” or“Remember the Yo-Yo” and is based on the Old Testament lesson (Amos 7: 7-17).  Here it is:   Do you remember these things?  (Show congregation a yo-yo.)  When I was a little girl, I loved them.  I practiced and practiced.  My friends and I held competitions in my backyard, and all of us dreamed we’d someday make the big time and go to one of thereal competitions and be famous.  Isthere anyone else here who loved yo-yos too? Why am I showing you this? Because, if I let the string totally out so the yo-yo hangs down, itlooks like a plumb line.  You know what aplumb line is, don’t you.  When a builderis making a wall, he or she holds a plumb line against that wall to see if it’sstraight.  If it is- fine; if not- thatwall needs to be torn down so the building won’t fall down at a laterdate.  Why am I telling you about this?  Because in our Old Testament lesson, we heardthat God held a plumb line up to his people and found they didn’t measureup.  You know what he saw?  Just like a yo-yo, they were up and down, upand down, fine and terrible, fine and terrible! What was God looking for?  In theparable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus reminds us that we must love the LORD ourGod with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind and also we must love ourneighbor as much as we love ourselves. Next week we’ll probably examine that plumb line in terms of loving God,but this week we’ll measure our lives against the plumb line of loving ourneighbors as much as we love ourselves.   Those of you who have raised children or are raisingthem now- do you remember asking your child to clean his or her room?  Have you ever had your child say that theroom was clean, so you came in to inspect it and looked under the bed andWOW!  Everything that had been misplacedwas now stuffed under the bed.  When youasked your child about it, what did he or she say?  “But mom, dad- just said I had to clean myroom.  You didn’t say I had to clean undermy bed!”  They were looking for an“out.”  In the parable of the GoodSamaritan, that’s exactly what the lawyer was trying to find- an “out”?  When he asked Jesus exactly who his neighborwas, what he really wanted to know was- not who he WAS but who he WASN’T, whodidn’t count, who he didn’t have to love (i.e. for whom he didn’t need to havecompassion). How did Jesus answer the question, “Who is myneighbor?”  As you know, Jews were theenemies of Samaritans.  Jews feltsuperior to them to the extent that if the shadow of a Samaritan fell on a Jew,he would wash it off and be unclean until he had scrubbed.  By telling a story in which a Samaritan cameto the aid of the enemy of his people, Jesus was saying that your neighbor isanyone who needs your help, anyone who needs your compassion- even yourenemy.  Did you notice the “Thought forthe Week” (Leonard Sweet) on the back of the bulletin:            Ironrule--Do to others before they do to you- our society at its worst.            Silverrule--do to others as they do to you- the norm for our society.            Goldenrule--do to others as you would have them do to you- our society at its best.            Titaniumrule--do to others as Jesus has done to you- what Jesus expects.  This is what the Good Samaritan did- hetreated the one in need as God in his mercy treats each one of us.  That’s a heavy expectation! Let’s get that plumb line out again, but this time,check it against your own life.  So- whois the neighbor God has placed in your life? Who is a pain?  Who grindsyou?  Who asks for favors you don’t feellike giving?  Who acts superior, prettieror more handsome, smarter, more holy? Who borrows your things and doesn’t return them?  Who gossips about you, instigates, lies aboutyou?  Who has bad breath and smells upyour car or house?  Who is unfair,unkind, unpleasant?  Who is dirty, ugly,different, disliked?  Who’s stingy anddoesn’t share- always getting, but never giving?  Who is unlovable?  There- that’s the neighbor God placed in yourlife.  That’s the person God intends foryou to love, to treat with compassion, to treat with the Titanium rule--do toothers as Jesus has done to you.  Onemistake we often make in trying to live by the expectations of the GoodSamaritan is we look in the wrong place. We expect to find a neighbor in terrible circumstances- we know how todeal with crisis.  It’s the everydayliving like a Christian that’s so hard. Here’s an example of a plain, every-day experience of somebody taking arisk and being a compassionate neighbor. You know Dan Rather- the former CBS news anchor?  Well, he told of the time he had an eventfulelevator ride in a large Florida hotel: “After having flown in late during thenight, I am now up early to go downstairs and make a speech before severalthousand people. I am not in a good mood. In the elevator I feel all eyes onme. ‘Didn’t any of these people’s mothers teach them that it’s rude to stare?’I am thinking. Soon the elevator reaches the lobby. As it empties, a womangently takes hold of my sleeve. ‘Mr. Rather,’ she says quietly, ‘I don’t meanto intrude.’ ‘Then why are you?’ I think to myself. She looks around; makingsure no one else is listening. ‘I don’t want this to be embarrassing. But yourfly is unzipped and a piece of your shirt-tail is sticking out through it,’ shesays. Then she smiles and strides away.” Now, which of these on the elevator was a friend to Dan Rather?   So who in your life needs to hear about an unzippedfly?  Who needs a listening ear or ahug?  Who needs a ride or a friend?  Is it risky? Of course- but there’s that plumb line again and the question about “dowe measure up?”  Final thoughts.....People are unreasonable, illogical, andself-centered.             Lovethem anyway. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfishulterior motives.             Dogood anyway. If you are successful, you will win false friendsand true enemies.             Succeedanyway. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.             Behonest and frank anyway. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.             Dogood anyway. The biggest people with the biggest ideas can beshot down by the smallest people with the smallest pride.             Thinkbig anyway. People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for some underdogs anyway. What you spent years building may be destroyedovernight.             Buildanyway. Give the world the best you have and you'll getkicked in the teeth.             Givethe world the best you have anyway! —Reader's Digest  Jesus said, “Love the LORD your God with all yourheart, soul, strength, and mind and love your neighbor as much as you loveyourself.”  Here’s that plumb lineagain.  May God bless us with power andendurance as we struggle to live what we believe. For anyone whois interested, 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 BoliSt. Paul's Episcopal ChurchSaginaw, Michigan-- 
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