Father Nissen's sermon, Sept 9

• In 1956 the movie Friendly Persuasion received six Academy Award nominations. It is a story of a family of Quakers during the civil war who oppose violence and stay true to their beliefs. As the Cold War ended, President Ronald Reagan gave Premier Mikhail Gorbachev a video of Friendly Persuasion.
• Read the letter of Philemon this week. St. Paul befriends a runaway slave, Onesimus, who then helps St. Paul in his church activities. He writes this letter asking the slave's master to take him back "on the basis of love" and using friendly persuasion.
  
• St. Paul says good things about the slave Onesimus. May we say good things about each other so we can keep the avenues open for communication and find God will for our lives. St. Paul reminds us that we are all on in Christ. This is "friendly persuasion."