[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 23C: “Your Family- ‘Fly Like a Butterfly and Sting Like a Bee?’” (Mohammed Ali)

[joeparrish]

Forwarded: Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
-------- Original message --------From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org> Date: 12/10/2019  8:51 pm  (GMT-04:00) To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org> Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 23C: “Your Family- ‘Fly Like a Butterfly and Sting Like a Bee?’” (Mohammed Ali) 

Dear Friends,

 

This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Your Family- ‘Fly
Like a Butterfly and Sting Like a Bee?’” (Mohammed Ali) and is based on all the
lessons.  Here it is:  

 

An Internet friend, The Rev.
Brian Stoffregen (Faith
 Lutheran Church,
Marysville, CA) often tells his people that what they
believe is important, but the real question is, “What difference does it make
that you believe?”  In other words, what
difference does it make to your neighbors, your co-workers, your friends, and
your family that you are a Christian? 
I’d like us to examine that thought, especially the aspect of
family.  What difference does it make to
your family that you’re a Christian?

 

You know, when Jesus says to love one another
as much as he has loved us (John 13:
 34), it’s not optional- notice in the next chapter Jesus says: “If
you love me, you will do as I command” (John 14: 15).  When he
says to love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves, he’s not simply talking
about doing what is best for those in need at church or in our feeding ministry
or in distant lands.  Love is easy in the
abstract.  Sometimes it’s easier to love
people we don’t know very well or those who don’t know us very well.  Our first obligation is to those we live
with- those nearest and dearest to us. 
How do we do this?  As usual, the
Bible offers insight.

 

In today’s Old Testament
lesson, notice how loyal Ruth was to her mother-in-law, Naomi.  There was no way she was going to let Naomi
undertake that dangerous trip back to her country of origin by herself.  Regardless of the cost- she was determined to
go with her.  Just as nothing can separate
us from God, nothing was going to separate Naomi from Ruth.  Whatever they faced in life, they were going
to face it together.  There’s the
first tip for us from the Bible- stick with your loved ones- don’t let them
face difficulties alone.  

 

The next tip comes from 2nd
Timothy 2:14b: “With God as your witness, you must warn them not to argue about
words. These arguments don't help anyone. In fact, they ruin everyone who
listens to them.”  In plain English- watch
your mouth.  How often have you heard
people talk about their significant other to friends?  Don’t do that!  Build each other up.  Don’t spread family negatives unless it is
necessary for the healing of one of the members, and then do so in the right
context.

 

Another tip for loving
family members- remember to say thank-you; express your appreciation and
gratitude.  Did you notice how it was the stranger who
returned to thank Jesus for curing him from leprosy?  Only one out of ten lepers expressed
thankfulness, and that person was a foreigner. 
Our culture teaches us to take blessings for granted, especially from
those we love.  Have an attitude of
gratitude.  The next time you talk to
your loved ones, tell them you love them and thank them for all they do for
you.  Don’t be like the nine ungrateful
lepers.  Be like the one with a thankful
spirit.

 

Still another tip comes from
the baptismal covenant and a portion of scripture not in our lessons today- I
Corinthians 13.  We have an awful
tendency to treat those we live with worse than we would ever treat even a
perfect stranger?  We let it all hang
out- we speak with rudeness and annoyance, we give people the “silent
treatment”- expecting them to read our minds, we use “put-downs” and say
cutting things.  A few years ago, Forward
Day by Day shared a wise statement: “Words are easy to spill, but hard to
clean up.”  Our baptismal promises
include one to “respect the dignity of every human being.”  We easily keep this promise with strangers,
but let our Lord and Savior down when relating to our own family members.  St.
  Paul gives thoughtful advice when he writes in I
Corinthians (13: 4-8): “Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful,
proud, or rude.  Love isn't selfish or
quick tempered.  It doesn't keep a record
of wrongs that others do.  Love rejoices
in the truth, but not in evil.  Love is
always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting.  Love never fails!”

 

What if none of this
works?  What if your family is more like
a group of enemies than loved ones? Remember Mohammed Ali (one of the world’s
greatest boxers) who said his fists could “fly like a butterfly and sting like a
bee?”  Your family is like that bee,
ready to sting you whenever you let your guard down.  You continue to treat them with Christian
love (doing what’s best for them), but you really are getting tired of being
stung.  How do you take it?  How do you maintain your Christian attitude
in the face of such persecution or trials? 
Let me share a story Fr. Mike Houle (retired, former rector of St.
Mark’s Episcopal Church, Bridgeport) told some time ago.  A child and her father were on the way to her
piano lesson when a bee flew in the car. 
The little girl started to scream, because if there’s anything that
child was afraid of more than anything else- it was bees!  “Daddy! 
Daddy!” she cried.  “Please save
me! That bee’s going to sting me!”  With
that, the bee landed right on the little girl’s arm.  The father grabbed the bee and held it in his
hand until the bee discharged its poison and stinger in the father’s hand, then
opened his hand and let the insect go. 
“Don’t be afraid, dear,” the father said.  Bees only have one stinger, and since it
stung me, it can’t hurt you.”  That’s
what Jesus did for us.  As long as we
forgive our enemies, they can’t truly hurt us.

 

Thank God, most family
situations aren’t like that.  They’re
just full of the normal human ups and downs. 
How does God expect us to walk through these positive and negative times
with our families?  With the harvest
season here and Halloween coming, you know we’re going to see lots of
pumpkins.  I challenge you to remember
this story and evaluate your walk with the Lord, especially in terms of your
love for that special neighbor whom God placed in your life as a family
member.  A lady had recently been
baptized. One of her co-workers asked her what it was like to be a
Christian.  She was caught off guard and
didn't know how to answer, but when she looked up she saw a Jack-o-lantern on
the desk and answered: “It's like being a
pumpkin.”  The worker asked her to
explain that one. “Well, God picks you from the patch and brings you in and
washes off all the dirt on the outside that you got from being around all the
other pumpkins. Then he cuts off the top and takes all the yucky stuff out from
inside. He removes all those seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then he carves
you a new smiling face and puts his light inside of you to shine for all to
see.”

 

May the Light of Christ shine through our lives for all to see,
especially those nearest to us.  Amen.

 

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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