St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Saginaw, MI, a Jubilee Ministry Center, is an inclusive, thinking person's church where everybody is somebody and Jesus Christ is Lord. We are a Gospel Community of Christians committed to building strong, holy lives; reaching out in love to others; strengthening justice and compassion throughout our community; and winning souls for Christ and his Church.
A Center for Jubilee Ministry Un Centro de Liberacion
Rector: The Rev. Judith Boli Deacon: The Rev. Joan Kemp Parish Administrator: Mrs. Ellen Williams Sr. Warden: Dr. Caroline Scott Jr.Warden: Mr. William Crimp Clerk of the Vestry: Ms. Donna Motton Director of Outreach Ministries: Mr. Grady Holmes Outreach Minister: Dr. Jim Benjamin
Thoughts for Sermons:
Draft sermon for Sunday, November 22, 2009, is at the end of this web page.
Do you want to make your sermons more inclusive? Short, thought-provoking wisdom statements by African-Americans are near the end of this web page.
For additions to the above statements, sermon feedback, etc., please e-mail me at:
Thought for the Week: “When praying, don't give God instructions – just report for duty.” (Anonymous)
Schedule
Sunday
8 & 11 A.M.: Holy Communion Services
9:30 A.M.: Sunday School for children, teens, and adults
1 P.M.: Dinner at St. Paul's- we feed the hungry.
2nd Sunday at 9:20 AM- vestry meetings
1 P.M.: Healthy Futures- every last Sunday of the month (a health clinic for the un and under-insured)
Weekdays
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: Sandwich Ministry (2 P.M. until bag lunches are gone)
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday: Pantry Ministry (10AM- 3 PM)
Wednesday (noon): Holy Eucharist with healing and adult Bible study- all welcome!
Saturday: Intergenerational Choir- "Voices of Joy" (12:30)
Transportation is available for all worship and fellowship activities by calling (989)799-2189.
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OUTREACH MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES
Each month, St. Paul's Church feeds approximately 1,000 people and distributes groceries to about 300 families. Our food costs average about $400 per month.
Ministry Needs:
Food or the money to buy it. (Every penny donated goes to feed the hungry. None goes for overhead. Checks can be made out to Dinner-at-St.Paul's.)
Volunteers- Church or business groups to host a Sunday (4-5 people needed plusfood to feed about 125 people from 1-2 PM).
Your prayers for our ministry and the people we serve!
If you would like to participate with us in this ministry, please call me at 989-799-2189 or e-mail me at: jboli@charter.net
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Thought-provoking Wisdom Statements by African-Americans:
“Your crown has already been bought and paid for. All you have to do is put it on your head.” (James Baldwin)
“Marriage in a nutshell is leave, cleave, and become one.” (Dr. Tony Evans)
“It's easy to be independent when you've got money. But to be independent when you haven't got a thing--that's the Lord's test.” (Mahalia Jackson)
“Education is less a matter of knowing certain things than of knowing how to learn and taking advantage of the opportunities to do so. The person who ‘gets an education’ and does not continue to learn has merely punched a ticket and makes a mockery of true wisdom and knowledge.” (Colin Powell)
Sermon for Sunday, November 22, 2009
Title: “Jesus, the Christ Is Lord” or “Those Four-Letter Words!”
Some years ago after we had to have our cat Astrophe euthanized, I asked the veterinarian how to pick our next cat. The doctor said to gently pick up the kitten I think I like and hold it like a baby on its back. If it didn’t struggle- it had a good chance of being a happy, loving animal companion. She reminded me that both dogs and cats are much happier if their humans are at the top of the “pecking order.” She explained that animals without a leader live confused, frustrating, sometimes aggressive lives. Sounds a lot like people to me- I think we also need a leader- and for me, that leader is Jesus. I guess this is why Christ the King Sunday really speaks to me. A life with only “self” in charge has real possibilities of being a sad, confused life. Example- a reporter once asked Marilyn Monroe if she believed in astrology. She replied, “Sure, I believe in everything a little bit.” You remember the tragic end of her searching life was suicide. My challenge to you today is- don’t believe in just a little bit of everything- astrology, psychics, rabbits’ feet, luck. Give your life to God- totally, completely, no holding back. Jesus said, “I am the Way, I am Truth, and I am Life.” A song we haven’t sung in a really long time speaks to me about a minute-by-minute Christ-the-King centered life. The song is “God Is in Charge,” and I’d like us to focus on it this morning.
You remember the song. It starts: “Be still my soul, for God is in charge.” A life with God in charge is a life in which our priorities are clear. If God is in charge, we won’t have many frustrating, panic-stricken times when we worry about what to do next, because we’ll be in close touch with our Heavenly Dad- so we can follow his direction and trust him to lead us. We can put our troubles in God’s hands and leave them there. We know what we will do and what we won’t do, because we have Jesus to guide us. How do you get to that point in your relationship with God? You put him first. Don’t let God be an afterthought. Discipline yourself. Start everyday with prayer and spiritual reading or listening. Talk to him through the day. Close each day by evaluating it- confess your sins and put your life in God’s hands as you drift off to sleep. Our Old Testament lesson is from Daniel. 7. In Daniel 6, the Bible tells us how Daniel was in the lions’ den because of his determination to follow God’s way. If we place God first in our lives, we can have as much peace as Daniel did in that den of lions because- we don’t know our future, but we surely know who holds our future in his hands, and that’s our Heavenly Father!
Next we sing, “Open Thou my mind, for God is in charge.” Did you notice- this matches what many Episcopalians say mentally just before the gospel is read: “May your words be in my mind…” If Jesus is really your Lord, he starts by being Lord of your mind. Our minds are like computers- junk in, junk out; poison in, poison out. The other day a friend sent me an email that had an attachment with a virus- designed to destroy the guts of my computer when I opened the attachment. Yes, she is still my friend- she didn’t know her computer was infected any more than we know when we pass our colds on to others. When I clicked to open the attachment, my anti-virus software warned me- asking if I wanted to immediately delete the message without opening it. You know I said- “Yes,” so the message was gone and my computer remained uncontaminated- thank God! Don’t let spiritual viruses into your mind. All evil and destructive actions start in our minds. Stop those thoughts of revenge, desiring something or someone you know you shouldn’t have, hatred, greed, worry when they first start. Give them to God and think about something positive. Put God in charge of your mind.
The next verse is, “Open Thou my lips, for God is in charge.” Once again it matches our statement before the gospel: “May your words be in my mind and on my lips…” It’s our lips, our mouths, that build up or tear down. Do you remember in the Acts of the Apostles when John Mark was the teen-age apprentice scheduled to go with Paul and Barnabus on one of their missionary voyages? John Mark got homesick and cut out on them, leaving only Paul and Barnabus to do the work. When Paul was planning the next trip, John Mark wanted another chance. Paul’s answer was basically, “No way John Mark! You had your chance and blew it. Not with me again!” It was Barnabus, whose name means “Son of Encouragement” who put his arm around John Mark and communicated that he was forgiven. I can just hear him saying, “Son, don’t listen to Paul- he’s just upset. God has a great place for you in Kingdom work. Why don’t you come with me on my next trip. Paul can take Silas.” Actually, that’s what happened. Barnabus reclaimed John Mark for the Kingdom. John Mark was probably the person who went on to write the first recorded gospel (Mark), which turned out to be a prototype for the other gospels. So perhaps: no Barnabus- no gospels. Be a person of encouragement. One of the best ways to know the degree to which you have allowed Jesus to be your Lord is by watching what comes out of your mouth. If someone angers or frustrates you, especially a person of lower power- like a child, do you cuss at them or talk to them as Jesus would? Another test- what do you say when you’re driving and another car cuts in front of you? Put God in charge of your lips.
The last verse- “Open Thou my heart, for God is in charge” again matches our pre-gospel statement: “May your words be in my mind and on my lips and in my heart.” Are you hard-hearted, cold-hearted, “cool”-ie- nothing gets to you? The prayer that I challenge you to say every morning (if you dare) when you first awaken is, “Dear Lord, may the things that break your heart also break mine.” Then be open to other people- their pain, the injustices they face. Don’t see people as numbers, but see every single person as God’s kid- your sister or brother enslaved by sin, disease, discrimination, abuse, neglect, hunger, loneliness- all the many evils that afflict us. Then open your life to touch other lives. If you love Jesus, prove it. Your love will start in your mind, but then flow through your lips and your actions- WWJD. I’m going to close with a story. A young couple got married and went on their honeymoon. When they got back, the bride immediately called her mother. “Well,” said her mother, “So how was the honeymoon, darlin?” “Oh, mama,” she replied, “The honeymoon was wonderful! So romantic...!” Suddenly she burst out crying. “But, mama, as soon as we returned, Sam started using the most horrible language - things I'd never heard before! I mean, all these awful four-letter words! You've got to take me home... PLEASE MAMA!” “Sarah, Sarah,” her mother said, “calm down! You need to stay with your husband and work this out. Now, tell me, what could be so awful? WHAT four-letter words?” “Please don't make me tell you, mama,” wept the daughter, “I'm so embarrassed, they're just too awful! COME GET ME, PLEASE!!” “Darlin, baby, you must tell me what has you so upset. Tell your Mama these horrible four-letter words!” Still sobbing, the bride said, “Oh, Mama... he used words like: dust, wash, iron, cook...” “I'll pick you up in twenty minutes,” said the mother. God uses only one four-letter word, and he truly expects us to live it. You know God’s four-letter-word? “L-O-V-E!” What would Jesus, our king do? Love! What did Jesus, our king do? Love!
May God bless us as we follow our Lord and King- King Jesus! Amen.
