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<div style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="3">Sermon for Christ, the King Sunday - Part 1 of 2</font></div>
<div style="color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">Dear Friends,</span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica;"><font color="#000000" face="arial, helvetica" size="3" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></font></span>
<div style="color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="3" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Jesus, the Christ Is Lord” or “Those Four-Letter Words!” and deals with the concept of Christ, the King.</font><font size="3" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </font><font size="3" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Here it is:</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; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Our previous cat was named Astrophe (from the word Cat-Astrophe!).</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">As she aged and got sicker with kidney disease, and I knew the time had come to have her euthanized, I asked the veterinarian how to pick our next cat.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">The doctor said to gently pick up the kitten I think I like and hold it like a baby on its back.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">If it didn’t struggle- it had a good chance of being a happy, loving animal companion.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">She reminded me that both dogs and cats are much happier if their humans are at the top of the “pecking order.”</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">She explained that animals without a leader live confused, frustrating, sometimes aggressive lives.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Sounds a lot like people to me- I think we also need a leader- and for me, that leader is Jesus.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">I guess this is why Christ the King Sunday really speaks to me.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">A life with only “self” in charge has real possibilities of being a sad, confused life. </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Example- a reporter once asked Marilyn Monroe if she believed in astrology.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">She replied, “Sure, I believe in everything a little bit.”</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">You remember the tragic end of her searching life was suicide.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">My challenge to you today is- don’t believe in just a little bit of everything- astrology, psychics, rabbits’ feet, luck.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Give your life to God- totally, completely, no holding back.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Jesus said, “I am the Way, I am Truth, and I am Life.”</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">A song we haven’t sung in a really long time speaks to me about a minute-by-minute Christ-the-King centered life.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">The song is “God Is in Charge,” and I’d like us to focus on it this morning.</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; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">You remember the song.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">It starts: “Be still my soul, for God is in charge.”</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">A life with God in charge is a life in which our priorities are clear.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">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.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">We can put our troubles in God’s hands and leave them there.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">We know what we will do and what we won’t do, because we have Jesus to guide us.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">How do you get to that point in your relationship with God?</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">You put him first.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Don’t let God be an afterthought.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Discipline yourself.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Start everyday with prayer and spiritual reading or listening.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Talk to him through the day.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Close each day by evaluating it- confess your sins and put your life in God’s hands as you drift off to sleep.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Our Old Testament lesson is from Daniel. 7.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">In Daniel 6, the Bible tells us how Daniel was in the lions’ den because of his determination to follow God’s way.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">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!</font></div>
<span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica;"><font color="#000000" face="arial, helvetica" size="3" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></font></span>
<div style="color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Next we sing, “Open Thou my mind, for God is in charge.”</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Did you notice- this matches what many Episcopalians say mentally just before the gospel is read: “May your words be in my mind…”</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">If Jesus is really your Lord, he starts by being Lord of your mind.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Our minds are like computers- junk in, junk out; poison in, poison out.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">The while ago 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.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">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.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">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.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">You know I said- “Yes,” so the message was gone and my computer remained uncontaminated- thank God!</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Don’t let spiritual viruses into your mind.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">All evil and destructive actions start in our minds.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Stop those thoughts of revenge, desiring something or someone you know you shouldn’t have, hatred, greed, worry when they first start.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Give them to God and think about something positive.</font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </font><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Put God in charge of your mind.</font></div>
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<div style="color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </font><font color="#000000">[continued in Part 2]</font></span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font 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="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; color: blue; cursor: pointer;"><u><font color="#0000ff" face="Times New Roman" size="3"></font></u></a><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><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 face="Times New Roman" size="3"> .</font></div>
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<div style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">Blessed preaching,</span></div>
<span style="font-size: 13.3333px;"><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3"></font></span>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Judy Boli</font></div>
<div style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><font color="#000000" size="3">JUDY.BOLI@ecunet.org, </font></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">St. Paul's Episcopal Church</span></div>
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<div style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; 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;">-- from </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">the Google Group "Propertalk" @ Ecunet</span></div>
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