[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Easter sermon preached on Facebook live video: “You Can’t Have Easter Power with a Good Friday Attitude!”

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-----Original Message-----
From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sun, Apr 12, 2020 9:23 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Easter sermon preached on Facebook live video: “You Can’t Have Easter Power with a Good Friday Attitude!”

Dear Friends, The name of Sunday’ssermon is “You Can’t Have Easter Power with a Good Friday Attitude!”  It is based on the gospel (John 20:1-18).  Here it is. Happy Easter on this glorious day ofour Lord’s resurrection!  Lent is doneand Easter is here!  It seems like justyesterday we were getting our Lenten ashes. Did you hear about the little boy who asked his pastor what “ashes toashes, dust to dust” meant?  “Ah!” saidthe pastor.  It means we all come fromdust and we all go to dust.”  “Well,”said the child, “you’d better get over to my house right away and look under mybed, because there’s someone there who’s either coming or going!”  We areall aware of how atrociously painful Jesus’ last days were, but- if you thinkabout it, his friends had also lived in crisis. Did you notice how the Gospel of John tells us about the awful realityMary Magdalene experienced as she struggled to move from Good Friday tragedy toEaster Sunday delight?  The entire weekhad been unbelievably bad for all of Jesus’ friends- actually going fromterrible to worse.  They’d watchedeveryone turn against him; with even his disciples leaving him to face hisworst times alone. They saw the trial, the beatings, the mocking, the torture,his execution, and his burial.  Worseyet, because the Sabbath was approaching, they couldn’t even give Jesus aproper burial- he had to be just quickly placed in the grave and locked in witha huge stone.  Early Sunday morning, Marywent to see the body of Jesus.  Thescripture didn’t say why, maybe she went to anoint the body as the other womendid.  Maybe she just couldn’t sleep.  Whatever- when she got there, the stone wasrolled away and the body was gone- only the grave clothes were there- carefullyfolded and placed on the floor.  Maryassumed that the body had been moved, so she started to cry. Everything seemedhopeless, but then Jesus called her name and Easter was the new reality.That’swhat happened- Jesus is alive, but what’s it to you?   Let’s be honest with each other.  Really- what difference does it make in yourlife as you worry your way through the coronavirus quarantine?  People are starting to snap at each other-all stuck in the same house.  Domesticabuse is rising alarmingly.  How will youpay your bills?  How will you keep foodin the house?  How will you even find thefood and other necessities in the stores? Will you or someone you love catch it? To make it all worse, we can’t even go to church!Theanswer to this question is in my suggestion on Good Friday.  Do you remember our St. Paul’s tradition-counting down the last 10 seconds of Jesus suffering just before he died?  At ten seconds to three o’clock, we startcounting: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0- and shout “It is accomplished!” becausethat’s what Jesus said.  He didn’t say,“It’s over.”  He said, “ACCOMPLISHED!”  So I ask you, what’s accomplished?  The war with evil was won.  The entire universe was reclaimed from theforces of chaos, destruction, and evil- yes, including viruses; heaven had beenclaimed, and the forces of God and good and life had won.  God is in charge.  Ifyou’re serious about Jesus, my question to you is- are you living as if God andgood and life are in charge; or are you living as if evil and death are incharge?  Does everything seem hopeless,like it did to Mary? Is your attitude Good Friday negative or an Easter lifepositive?  Are you on the winning side,or are you on the losing side, and how can you tell?1.     GoodFriday attitude- I can’t stand this COVID-19 life another minute!  Easter attitude- I’ll do it day at a time,live like Jesus wants me to, and work to maintain my serenity.2.     GoodFriday attitude- the perspective is defense; Easter attitude- the perspectiveis offense!3.     GoodFriday attitude - I don’t get mad; I get even! Easter attitude- drop it; don’t let hatred poison your spirit; give theproblem to God and leave it there (i.e. God says, “Vengeance is mine; I willrepay- and God does a much better job than we ever could and can even getspiritual growth in the lives of our enemies.).4.     GoodFriday attitude– you only go around once in life so I’ll go out and socializeif I want (and forget about everyone else)! Easter attitude- I’ll do the loving thing.  We’ll get through this.5.     GoodFriday attitude- I can’t take it!  I’vegot to have something (alcohol, TV, all day sports or video games, drugs,nicotine, food, etc.) to make it through this mess!  Easter attitude- God can get you throughanything!6.     GoodFriday attitude- we will probably die from this, so I might as well do what Iwant!  Easter attitude- Jesus is thefirstfruit; so death is new birth into heaven.So,are you on the winning side?  If not, whynot get there!  Wishing won’t do it.  Living in the past won’t do it.  Making a decision to live as Jesus’ Easterpeople will.  In his book Teaching theElephant to Dance, James Belasco describes how trainers shackle youngelephants with heavy chains to deeply embedded stakes. In that way the elephantlearns to stay in its place. Older, powerful elephants never try to leave—eventhough they have the strength to pull the stake and walk away. Theirconditioning has limited their movements. With only a small metal braceletaround their foot attached to nothing, they stand in place. The stakes areactually gone!Don’tlet COVID-19 do this to you.  Don’t letthe coronavirus turn you into a negative, self-centered person!  Say your prayers at least 3 times a day, singholy songs, help your neighbor, love those God has put in your life.  With Jesus, we can do this!  The Risen Christ can give us the power.   We shall overcome!  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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