[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Easter 6G: “No Jesus- No Peace; Know Jesus- Know Peace”

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From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sat, May 25, 2019 7:05 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Easter 6G: “No Jesus- No Peace; Know Jesus- Know Peace”

DearFriends, ThisSunday’s sermon is entitled   “No Jesus- No Peace; Know Jesus- Know Peace” andis based on the gospel (John 14: 23-29). Here it is:   This morning, we heard Jesus promise peace to hisdisciples when he said, “I give you peace- the kind of peace that only I cangive.  It isn’t like the peace that thisworld can give.  So don’t be worried orafraid (John 14:27 ).  We’re not talking about “peace” as in “peaceand quiet.”  We’re not even talking about“peace” as in the absence of conflict. When we talk about “the peace of God” we’re talking about a deep senseof centeredness that comes from the sure knowledge that God is in charge andnothing can happen to me that God and I can’t handle.  God’s peace doesn’t mean the storms of lifewon’t hit.  It does mean we won’t beshipwrecked, because Jesus is at the helm. Do you remember how some years ago Fr. Bill and I used to go on cruises?  Some of the harbors our ship would dock in hadtreacherous entrances.  When we werecruising and approached such a harbor, our ship would slow down and a “pilotboat” would pull up along the side of the ship. A pilot (who was an expert on that particular harbor) would get out ofthe little boat and board our ship, go up to the bridge (where the captainguided the vessel) and take over the controls. He or she then would get us through the tight spots so the ship coulddock.  That’s what Jesus promises to dofor us when we face difficult times in our lives.  There’s a song I learned when I was a littlegirl (written by Edward Hopper) that points this out.  It goes like this: “Jesus, Savior, pilot me over life’s tempestuoussea.Unknown waves before me rollhiding rock and treacherous shoal.Chart and compass come from Thee.  Jesus, Savior, pilot me.”So- if Jesus promises peace,why are so many Christians nervous wrecks? What keeps us from claiming Jesus’ promise?  What interferes with our peace? WHAT INTERFERES? WE KEEP FIRING JESUS FROM HIS PILOT POSITION.  We keep grabbing the wheel from Jesus’ handsand steering our lives ourselves.  Eitherthat, or we have too many pilots competing with Jesus for the wheel of ourlives.  Did you hear about the young manwho was looking through the selection of valentines in a card shop?  “Excuse me,” he said to the clerk. “Do youhave any cards that say something like ‘For My One and Only True Love?’”  “Yes, we do,” said the clerk.  “Oh good!” says the young man, “I'd like six ofthem.”  That’s what we do to Jesus.  We tell him he’s our first Love, but then weplace ourselves and our money and our cars and all sorts of other things as hiscompetition.  To have God’s peace, Jesusmust be first in our lives. WHAT INTERFERES?  A BITTER,POISONED SPIRIT.  Why do you think Jesusreminds us in the Lord’s Prayer, “Forgive us our sins AS (i.e. the same way) weforgive those who sin against us”?  Apoisoned spirit blocks our peace. Forgive anybody you’re mad at. Your anger doesn’t hurt them; it only hurts you by poisoning your spiritand blocking your access to God and his peace. WHAT INTERFERES?  A COMPETITIVESPIRIT THAT IS FOREVER TRYING TO BE BETTER THAN SOMEONE ELSE.  We all have our own unique giftedness- thingswe do well and things we’re not so good at. Don’t compare yourself with someone else.  Be the best YOU can be.  This type of competitive spirit blocks our peace.   WHATINTERFERES?  BUSYNESS!  I got a conch shell on one of ourcruises.  If you put it up to your ear,you’d swear you’re listening to the ocean. Now, not everyone can hear a sound like the ocean?  Why? To hear, we have to stop and be still and really focus and then wait andlisten.  The same is true with ourrelationship with God.  No matter howbusy your life is, if you want God as your daily companion, if you want thepower, if you want the peace, if you want to do anything but rush through life-experience by experience, you’ve simply got to find a time to stop and focusand say your prayers and read something about the Word, and confess your sinsand listen to him as you organize your priorities for the day.  You know how some people force themselvesawake, stumble out of bed, and mutter, “Good Lord, it’s morning.”  Don’t you be that way.  When you open your eyes, don’t say, “GoodLord, it’s morning!”  Instead, say “Goodmorning, Lord.”  Then shut off the radio,shut off the TV, say your prayers, and give God your day.  You’ll notice the difference. WHAT INTERFERES? OUR SINFUL SELFISH NATURES.  Think of the shell again.  If youput it up to your ear and really listen, you’d swear you’re listening to theocean, but you’re not.  With all theoutside sounds muffled by the shell, what we actually hear is the rush and beatof our own blood- which sounds like the ocean. If we’re not careful, we live our lives this way- so full of ourselvesthat we think we’re listening to God but we’re actually only hearing our ownvoices.  Our way doesn’t bringpeace.  Only God’s way brings peace.  Listen to God. One of my favorite poems is “Footprints.” I like itbecause it reminds us how Jesus gives us his peace in difficult times.  As you recall, the poem goes like this:  “One night I dreamed I was walking along thebeach with my Lord.  Many scenes from mylife flashed across the sky.  In eachscene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints in the sand; other timesthere was only one.  This bothered me,because I noticed that during the difficult periods of my life, when I wassuffering from anguish, sorrow, or defeat, I could see only one set offootprints, so I said to the Lord, ‘You promised me, Lord, that if I followedyou, you would walk with me always.  ButI have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has been onlyone set of footprints in the sand.  Why,when I have needed you most, have you not been there for me?’  The Lord replied, ‘My precious, preciouschild!.  I would never leave you ordesert you!  The times when you see onlyone set of footprints in the sand- those are the times when I carried you.’ Last night when I wasputting the finishing touches on today’s sermon, I began to think how stupidand peace-destroying it would be to grab the wheel and try to steer ourselvesthrough life- forgetting about the charts and compass of the pilot in whosehands we have entrusted our lives.  Howstupid it would be, but how tempting it would be to do it my way.  And I thought of a parody I’d heard of theabove poem.  It goes like this:“One night I had a wondrous dream, One set of footprints there were seen, The footprints of my precious Lord, But mine were not along the shore. But then some stranger prints appeared, And I asked the Lord, ‘What have we here?’ Those prints are large and round and neat, ‘But Lord, they are too big for feet.’ ‘My child,’ He said in somber tones, ‘For miles I carried you alone. I challenged you to walk in faith, But you refused and made me wait. You disobeyed, you would not grow, The walk of faith, you would not know, So I got tired, I got fed up, And there I dropped you on your butt. Because in life, there comes a time, When one must fight, and one must climb. When one must rise and take a stand Or leave their butt prints in the sand.’”  My friends, only Jesus’ waybrings peace.  May God bless us as weclaim our heritage of peace. 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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