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<div style="font-family:arial,helvetica;font-size:10pt;color:black">-----Original Message-----<br>
From: Judy <judy_boli@ecunet.org><br>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic@ecunet.org><br>
Sent: Sat, Aug 29, 2015 5:26 pm<br>
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 17B<br>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Dear Friends,</font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “What Comes Out of Your Mouth?” or “What’s on the Inside?” or “Breath Mints Won’t Help!” and deals with the gospel (Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, [16], 21-23).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here it is: </font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; tab-stops: center 3.0in right 6.0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">This morning, we heard Jesus talking about what makes us unclean, and I’d like us to think about the implications of his teachings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the part of the Bible immediately before our Gospel begins, the Pharisees had just criticized Jesus for allowing his disciples to eat without washing their hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus responded with the statement we heard in the gospel- it’s not what you put into your mouth that makes you unclean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s what comes out of your mouth that makes you unclean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know He’s right!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do our household shopping once a week, and- WOW!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You should see the huge number of products for bad breath- mints, pocket packs, pocket mist, mouthwash, special toothpaste, tongue scrapers on those shelves!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Guess what, friends?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re really not going to help that much, except maybe the tongue scraper, since the cause of most bad breath is a rotten tooth, a gum disease, an infection, an illness, or that garlic you had at dinner!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A breath mint or its equivalent just won’t cut it, because the source of the problem is deep inside your body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know how deodorant won’t help if someone hasn’t showered or bathed for a week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve got to clean up the inside before we worry about the outside.</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; tab-stops: center 3.0in right 6.0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">What’s true with bad breath and deodorant is true with a sinful heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What we put in our mouths won’t affect the state of our souls any more than breath mints will clean up seriously bad breath or deodorant will clean up a filthy body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve got to clean up from the inside out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s what comes out of our mouths that signify what’s on the inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what comes out of your mouth?</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; tab-stops: center 3.0in right 6.0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Do you have a bad habit of using God’s name in vain?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is so very easy to pick up this habit- saying “Oh, Lord!” or such phrases.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What does the commandment say?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You wouldn’t use your mother’s name that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I still remember from my teaching days how many fights either started or almost started because of the way someone was talking about someone else’s mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So- watch your mouth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ancient Israelites didn’t even speak the name of God- they considered it too holy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can learn from them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’ve got a bad habit in this regard, break it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only use God’s name with the highest reverence, respect, and honor.</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; tab-stops: center 3.0in right 6.0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">What about other kinds of swearing that do not use God’s name in vain?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are they sinful?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That depends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the words are used to describe another person or as a weapon against that person, then they are very sinful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If, however, they are simply part of your vocabulary or used to express anger at someTHING (not someONE)- they may or may not project the image you want, but they’re probably not sinful.</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; tab-stops: center 3.0in right 6.0in;"><font color="#000000"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Most times when someone continually uses God’s name in vain or swears casually, it usually signifies a bad habit, not a sinful, poisonous heart; however there’s other poisonous nasty verbiage that comes out of our mouths far too often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gossip; put-downs; lies; swearing AT people; labeling people as bad, stupid, ugly, etc.- these seriously show a heart problem, not coronary artery disease but poisoned spirit disease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These kinds of remarks have heart-roots of jealousy, anger, hatred, poor self-esteem, desire to look better than others, and other negative emotions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Molefi Asante reminds us, “There are two things over which you have complete dominion, authority, and control- your mind and your mouth.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s right, and you get control of your mouth by getting control of your mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t think evil thoughts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t dwell on negatives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember </span>the old Cherokee who was telling his grandson about a fight that constantly goes on inside himself. It’s a fight between two wolves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One is evil: full of anger, envy, regret, guilt, false pride, resentment, inferiority, superiority, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other is good: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather “Grand-daddy, which wolf wins?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The old Cherokee thought for a minute and then replied simply, “The one that I feed.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t feed the negatives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you find yourself dwelling on such thoughts, take charge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go for a walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wash the dishes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listen to some music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read your Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Say your prayers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Call a friend on the phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Change the content of your thoughts from negatives to positives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s exactly what St. Paul meant when he taught the <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Philippians (4:8) “Finally, my friends- keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don't ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise.”</span></font></font></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Why bother to watch your mouth?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because when evil words come out, they can never be recalled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They can be explained, forgiven, maybe if you’re lucky forgotten- but when they’re out, they’re out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to close with a story I’ve told many times before, but it explains so very well why we’ve simply got to think before we speak and keep Jesus in control of our lips.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>There was a little boy with a bad temper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, to shut his mouth and hammer a nail in the back fence. The first day the boy drove 37 nails into the fence. Gradually the number of nails he was pounding into the fence dwindled down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it, and the father suggested that now the boy should pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said, “You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can put a knife in a person and draw it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It won't matter how many times you say “I'm sorry,” the wound is still there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while we’re thinking of such things, you know who gets the worst of our poison?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those we especially love- our family and dear friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How we act at home and with those we love is the true test of what’s in our hearts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So remember Jesus warning, it’s not what you put into your mouth that makes you unclean, but what comes out of your mouth- because it shows the state of your heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>May God bless us as we clean up our hearts and watch our mouths.</font></font></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes; tab-stops: .25in;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American wisdom statements are posted on our parish’s web site under “Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: </font><a target="_blank" href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org/"><u><font color="#0000ff" face="Times New Roman" size="3"></font></u></a><u><font color="#0000ff" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><a href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org" target="_blank">http://www.stpaulsepisag.org</a></font></u><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> .</font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Blessed preaching,</font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Judy Boli</font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">St. Paul's Episcopal Church</font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Saginaw, Michigan</font></div>
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