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<div style="color: black; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Sermon for Christ, the King Sunday - Part 2 of 2</span></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </font><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">From: </font></span><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">JUDY.BOLI@ecunet.org</span></font></div>
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<div style="color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000">The next verse is, “Open Thou my lips, for God is in charge.”</font><font color="#000000"> </font><font color="#000000">Once again it matches our statement before the gospel: “May your words be in my mind and on my lips…”</font><font color="#000000"> </font><font color="#000000">It’s our lips, our mouths, that build up or tear down.</font><font color="#000000"> </font><font color="#000000">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?</font><font color="#000000"> </font><font color="#000000">John Mark got homesick and cut out on them, leaving only Paul and Barnabus to do the work.</font><font color="#000000"> </font><font color="#000000">When Paul was planning the next trip, John Mark wanted another chance.</font><font color="#000000"> </font><font color="#000000">Paul’s answer was basically, “No way John Mark!</font><font color="#000000"> </font><font color="#000000">You had your chance and blew it.</font><font color="#000000"> </font><font color="#000000">Not with me again!”</font><font color="#000000"> </font><font color="#000000">It was Barnabus, whose name means “Son of Encouragement” who put his arm around John Mark and communicated that he was forgiven.</font><font color="#000000"> </font><font color="#000000">I can just hear him saying, “Son, don’t listen to Paul- he’s just upset.</font><font color="#000000"> </font><font color="#000000">God has a great place for you in Kingdom work.</font><font color="#000000"> </font><font color="#000000">Why don’t you come with me on my next trip.</font><font color="#000000"> </font><font color="#000000">Paul can take Silas.”</font><font color="#000000"> </font><font color="#000000">Actually, that’s what happened.</font><font color="#000000"> </font><font color="#000000">Barnabus reclaimed John Mark for the Kingdom.</font><font color="#000000"> </font><font color="#000000">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.</font><font color="#000000"> </font><font color="#000000">So perhaps: no Barnabus- no gospels.</font><font color="#000000"> </font><font color="#000000">Be a person of encouragement.</font><font color="#000000"> </font><font color="#000000">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.</font><font color="#000000"> </font><font color="#000000">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?</font><font color="#000000"> </font><font color="#000000">Another test- what do you say when you’re driving and another car cuts in front of you?</font><font color="#000000"> </font><font color="#000000">Put God in charge of your lips.</font></font></span></div>
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<div style="color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">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.”</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Are you hard-hearted, cold-hearted, “cool”-ie- nothing gets to you?</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">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.”</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Then be open to other people- their pain, the injustices they face.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">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.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Then open your life to touch other lives.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">If you love Jesus, prove it.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Your love will start in your mind, but then flow through your lips and your actions- WWJD.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">I’m going to close with a story.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">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, darling?”</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">“Oh, mama,” she replied, “The honeymoon was wonderful! So romantic...!”</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">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!”</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">“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?”</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">“Please don't make me tell you, mama,” wept the daughter, “I'm so embarrassed, they're just too awful! COME GET ME, PLEASE!!”</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">“Darling, baby, you must tell me what has you so upset. Tell your Mama these horrible four-letter words!”</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Still sobbing, the bride said, “Oh, Mama... he used words like: dust, wash, iron, cook...”</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">“I'll pick you up in twenty minutes,” said the mother.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">God uses only one four-letter word, and he truly expects us to live it.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">You know God’s four-letter-word?</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">“L-O-V-E!”</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">What would Jesus, our king do?</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Love!</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">What did Jesus, our king do?</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Love!</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font></div>
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<div style="color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">May God bless us as we follow our Lord and King- King Jesus!</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Amen.</font></div>
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<div style="color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </font><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">[END]</font></div>
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<div style="color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><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/" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;"><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" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;">http://www.stpaulsepisag.org</a></font></u><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> .</font></div>
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<div style="color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">Blessed preaching,</span></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3" style="color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Judy Boli</font><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.3333px;"> </font></div>
<div style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: medium;">JUDY.BOLI@ecunet.org</span></div>
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<div style="color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">St. Paul's Episcopal Church</font></div>
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<div style="color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Saginaw, Michigan</font></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">-- </span><br style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Propertalk" group.</span><br style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to</span><a target="_blank" href="mailto:propertalk.topic+unsubscribe@ecunet.org" style="color: blue; font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; cursor: pointer; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">propertalk.topic+unsubscribe@ecunet.org</a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span></div>
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