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Proper 11A Scripture:
Isaiah 44:6-8
Psalm 86:11-17
Romans 8:12-25
Matthew 13:24-30,36-43
Notes from Fr. Cathie Caimano’s sermon:
Email from ‘visitor’ to St. Paul’s - is it REAL?
We live in a world where it is increasingly hard to tell!
Luckily, we’ve been preparing for this moment for 2,000 years!
Christians live in the Kingdom of God
Context clues, details, verification - GOOD NEWS
The email:
Context clues - church visit - (or at least that’s what they want you to think)
Details - scant!
Can be verified - hardly!
Good News - what does Paul say??
We live in the Kingdom of God. ‘Who hopes for what is seen?’
We live with love, forgiveness, peace, joy, all these are the MOST real things.
Email = NOT Good News! Explicitly fishing for personal and financial data.
‘Welcome to the real world’
Christians are criticized for this. Suffering is REAL
Paul:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.‘If it’s not good news, it’s not the end’. Suffering in context, so we are not overwhelmed with fear and despair.
If we believe in resurrection, we don’t believe suffering and death are permanent states. That changes our view of reality - and gives us HOPE.
It also helps us act/react out of our sense of what’s real (how do we respond without violence? How do we help direct others who have lost their view of reality?)
Sometimes it’s Good News, but still not real
Cute stories about dogs and celebrities - slim on details, can’t be verified
We can believe them as fiction
But this also shows how we know miracles are real (the heart in the chalice at the Eucharist)
Also - not all theology is Good and TRUE
Let’s apply this to the ‘scary’ Gospel - weeping and gnashing of teeth
Context clues: it’s a parable!
Details: farming. Wheat and weeds together
Verifiable: sure. It’s in the Bible! People were there when Jesus said it, then they told others, and it’s been written down for centuries.
Good News: there is a field! We all grow together. We’re called to turn towards what’s real: love, forgiveness, reconciliation, joy, eternal life.
Jesus is literally saying: this is the Kingdom of Heaven.
It’s our calling to see what’s real.
We’re glad you’re here, and we’re already praying for you.
In fact, if you have a prayer request, you can make it right here:
Join us for worship on Sundays at 10:30am: 930 South Main Street Salisbury, NC 28144.
But mostly, just know you belong here - as part of God’s family and this community.
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