[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Facebook live video sermon for Easter 5A: "Happy Mothers' Day" or "Ring Around the Roses"

[joeparrish at compuserve.com]

Further explanation was that cats had been seen as evil and were exterminated, leading to an explosion of the rat population, on which the contaminated fleas proliferated. 

the BlackDeath wasn’t caused by bad air.  It wascaused by germs that were on the fleas that were on the rats that were all overthe place. 

A very excellent Mothers Day sermon follows below:

(Forwarded) 
-----Original Message-----
From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sun, May 10, 2020 6:01 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Facebook live video sermon for Easter 5A: "Happy Mothers' Day" or "Ring Around the Roses"

Dear Friends,
Today's Facebook live video sermon is based on the gospel, John 14:6.
HappyMothers’ Day!  Did you hear Jesus saythat he is the way, the truth, and the life? It’s that last promise, fullness of life that I’d like us to think aboutthis morning.  Do you have fullness oflife right now?  Are you accessing allthat life has to offer, or are you sidetracked? If we’re old hands at walking with Christ, or if we’re newcomers, or ifperhaps we haven’t really started yet, let’s invest some time this morningexamining our lives to see if there are any possibilities we’re missing. Thebest example I could think of to illustrate accessing Jesus’ Way, Truth, andLife is an old nursery rhyme. Do you remember the strange song we chanted aschildren- “Ring Around the Roses?  ”Yes-you did hear me right- Ring Around the Roses.” I used it as an example a couple of years ago, but I’m going to refreshyour memory about where it comes from. Either I never knew or I had forgotten. It comes from the 1600’s when a terrible disease, the Black Death, wassweeping through Europe, just like COVID-19 is doing to our world now.  The reason it was called the Black Death wasthat huge black splotches covered the bodies of the sick.  Apparently this disease started in Englandwith just a few deaths, but within a few years it was killing huge numbers of people.  Doctors were convinced it was caused by badair, so when someone got sick, the sick person would join hands with other sickpeople and circle around and around a bed of roses or other flowers withbeautiful scents.  If someone was toosick to walk, the doctor would stuff rose petals into his or her pocket, bringthe petals into the sickroom, and then place the flowers under the patient’snose so the smell from the flowers would purify the bad air that the sickperson had in his or her lungs.  If someonewas on their deathbed, the doctor would burn some rose petals and then placethe ashes under the nose of the dying person, hoping that the patient wouldsneeze, thus forcing all the bad air out of their lungs.  On top of that, every day someone was hiredto push the body cart through the streets collecting all the dead bodies frompeople who had succumbed to the illness the previous night.  As he pushed, he sang, “Ring around theroses.  A pocket full of posies.  Ashes, ashes, we all fall down!”  Unfortunately, hardly anyone got better fromthis treatment.  Do you know why?  Because they had the wrong cause- the BlackDeath wasn’t caused by bad air.  It wascaused by germs that were on the fleas that were on the rats that were all overthe place.  You can’t cure a diseasecaused by germs if you have people breathe nice-smelling air. Nowthe people in that century can be excused for making that mistake.  They didn’t know anything about germs, didn’thave microscopes, and were doing the best they could.  Regardless of how well-meaning they were,however, people died.  Do you know wemake the same mistake?  How many peoplemake the wrong diagnoses about how to make decisions that are life-empowering?  They rely on everything and everybody fordecision-making except for God- in spite of the fact that Jesus promised; “I amLIFE.”  They live by their ownpreconceived ideas of truth instead of living the TRUTH as Jesus proclaimed itto be.  Just because we sit in a pewevery Sunday doesn’t make us immune from being brainwashed by our culture tofollow its set of so-called truths.   Letme tell you about one of the biggest, most incorrect diagnoses, successfulbrainwashing our culture has accomplished- the meaning of Mothers’ Day.  Do you know how Mothers’ Day started?  Happy Mothers’ Day!  Do you know how Mothers’ Day started?  Listen to how amazingly their long-agosituation matches ours today!  The firstknown suggestion that the USA should observe a Mothers’ Day came in 1872.  It was proposed by Mrs. Julia Ward Howe inresponse to the human destruction of the Civil War.  Her purpose for suggesting Mothers’ Day wasto stop wars; as women- protect our husbands and families and children fromwar.  She and her husband wrote an anti-slaverynewspaper and she wrote the Battle Hymn of the Republic (“Mine eyes have seenthe glory of the coming of the Lord: He is trampling out the vintage where thegrapes of wrath are stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of Histerrible swift sword: His truth is marching on. (Chorus) Glory, glory,hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah! His truth ismarching on.”)  Dr. Martin Luther Kingoften quoted from this hymn.  He endedhis “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech with part of it: “Well, I don't knowwhat will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn'tmatter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop…Mine eyes have seenthe glory of the coming of the Lord.”  Soyou see- the real meaning of Mothers’ Day wasn’t about beautiful cards(although I love them), taking Mom out to dinner at a wonderful restaurant (becauseof COVID-19 we’ll have to do take-out), or buying a lovely gift to show her howmuch you care (and I’m surely not one to turn down presents).  Ladies- it was about sticking together tofind a way to protect our husbands and families and children from war.   We’reliving through a war right now- a war with a virus that could destroy ourfamilies, our faith, and our lives.  Howdo we defeat the enemy and protect those we love and ourselves?   
   - Listen to the experts.  Socially isolate yourselves so you don’t catch it and don’t spread it.  This is not the time to start talking about your rights.  This is not the time to have an attitude and talk about what they can’t make you do.  Since we’re all in the same boat, you don’t have the right to go in your small cabin and cut a hole in your part of the deck.  That’s how we all drown and go down like “Ring Around the Rosie,” and some of those who die because you gave them a hug or wouldn’t wear a mask just might be those you love the most.  “Oh, I don’t have the virus, so I can’t give it to anyone.”  How do you know you don’t have it? 25-50 % of infected people have no symptoms. 
   - It’s not enough just to protect our bodies.  We must protect our souls.  How are you handling the stress.  Do you sometimes get to the breaking point and just lose it?  Please don’t.  And don’t lean on alcohol or other substances, including food or tv or gambling, to keep it together.  Specifically,
   
   - Do you swear at your children or loved ones?  Never again!
   - Are you argumentative?  Don’t try to win.  If anyone wins, everyone loses.  Solve and resolve the problem.
   - Do you say things like “I brought you into this world- I can take you out of this world!  You’re not God.  Don’t talk like you are.
    
   - Get something positive out of this COVID-19 crisis for yourself and your family.  Use the extra home-time to pass on Jesus’ values to your children.
   
   - Bring back dinner around the kitchen or dining room table- NO TV, CELL PHONES, EAR BUDS.  Pray with your children before bedtime and in the morning.  
   - Don’t stick up for your children when they are wrong, just because someone else is criticizing them.
   - Talk and listen! Talk and listen!  Talk and listen!  And LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!
 HappyMothers’ Day.  May we ladies enjoy thegoodies, but may all of us remember, it’s about PEACE, LOVE, AND THE ABSENCE OFWAR IN ALL ITS FORMS.  Jesus said, “Blessedare the peacemakers.  May God bless usall as we serve as his precious peacemakers.
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