<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></head><body><font face="sans-serif">Forwarded: </font><div><br></div><div style="font-size:100%;color:#000000"><!-- originalMessage --><div>-------- Original message --------</div><div>From: Judy <judy_boli@ecunet.org> </div><div>Date: 9/22/18 9:34 PM (GMT-05:00) </div><div>To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic@ecunet.org> </div><div>Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 20B: “Prayer Changes Thing’s Sometimes” or “Selfish Praying” </div><div><br></div></div><div dir="ltr">
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Dear
Friends,</font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font size="3"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman">This
Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Prayer Changes Thing’s Sometimes” or “Selfish
Praying” and deals with all the lessons.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Here it is: <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></font></font></font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Did you hear the story
about a little girl who hated to do her homework?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She had a rather comprehensive math test
coming up and was feeling rather stressed.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>As you can guess- she put off her studying until the last minute and
then worked just enough to hopefully pass the test.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That night, her father was going past her
room just as she was saying her bedtime prayers, and this is what he heard: “Now
I lay me down to rest, and hope to pass tomorrow's test. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If I should die before I wake, that's one less
test I have to take.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Amen.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Somehow, that’s not exactly what God expects
in our prayers.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Did you hear the rather
strange statement in our epistle reading from the book of James (4:3)?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>James talks about “selfish prayers.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He says, “Your prayers are not answered
because you pray for selfish reasons”- that’s a different concept!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Selfish reasons- what could he possibly be
talking about?</font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Actually, we can get a
clue from our Bible lessons today.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>First
of all- the Old Testament Jeremiah lesson: Jeremiah’s enemies were out to get
him- actually not just get him- but KILL him.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Human nature, under those kinds of circumstances, craves revenge.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Did you notice Jeremiah’s prayer?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Jeremiah didn’t ask God to put his enemies
into his own hands.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He put his enemies
in God’s hands and asked him to do the revenge.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Remember, God did say, “Vengeance is mine.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I will repay” (12:19).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He trusted God to “teach them a thing or
two.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Jeremiah did not take God’s
privileges into his own hands.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He was
not selfish.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He trusted God to take care
of his enemies.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Sometimes our
selfishness takes the form of holding on to revenge when it is God’s job, not
ours.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>So if you are quick to tell people
a thing or two and get revenge, even in small ways, don’t be surprised when
your prayers are not answered.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>James
predicted it.</font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">The Psalm (1:6) has
another clue about how our selfish attitudes get in the way of answered
prayers.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The caption reads, “The Lord
protects everyone who follows Him, but the wicked follow a road that leads to
ruin.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We are so tempted to ignore God’s
way and follow our own path; then when things start to go badly for us, we pray
that God will protect us from the consequences of our behavior.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I’ve said it so many times- why don’t you say
it with me, “You can’t pray yourself out of consequences you behave yourself
into.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If we self-centeredly do our own
thing, we should not be surprised when our prayers go unanswered.</font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Another clue about a
type of selfish attitude that interferes with our prayers is in today’s Gospel
(Mark 9:34-37) when Jesus caught the disciples arguing about who was the
greatest.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Our society teaches us to be
competitive, not with ourselves- but with others.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>As soon as a child is old enough to
understand, he or she is taught to try to be better than the other
children.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>In fact, parents are not at
all happy if another child is smarter, better looking, more athletic, more you-name-it
than their child.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The truth is- Jesus
says we are not to try to be better than someone else.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The Christian doctrine of creation teaches us
that we are all amazingly and beautifully different from each other.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Remember the statement the Rev. Lynn Collins
made a long time ago we invited her from New York as our Absalom Jones
preacher? <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She said, “Our God must surely
love variety; he made so much of it!”- and isn’t that true!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Yet, instead of appreciating each other’s
giftedness, we struggle to be better than they are.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>God does not intend for us to try to be the
greatest.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He does want us to compete
against ourselves and be the best WE can be.</font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">So when James reminds
us that our selfish motivations keep our prayers unanswered, these Bible
passages clue us into exactly what types of behaviors he’s talking about:</font></p>
<ol type="1" style="margin-top:0in" start="1">
<li style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;">Selfishly usurping God’s privilege by taking
care of our own revenge;</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;">Selfishly living our lives our own way
instead of God’s way; and</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;">Selfishly trying to be greater than others
instead of encouraging others and trying to be the best we can be.</li>
</ol>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Unfortunately, if we’re
not careful, our prayers can sound like a child’s Christmas list of
“gimme’s.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Did you hear the story of the
young lady who had just broken up with her boyfriend?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She wrote him this letter.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“Dearest Jimmy, no words could ever express
the great unhappiness I've felt since breaking our engagement.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Please say you'll take me back. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>No one could ever take your place in my heart,
so please forgive me. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I love you! I love
you! I love you!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Yours forever, Marie.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>P.S. And congratulations on winning the state
lottery.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I hate to say it, but we must
sound a lot like Marie when we pray to God.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>The Rev. Dr. Tony Evans’ thought for the week is good advice: “Do you
pray for what you want or what God wants?<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Your motivation determines the answer you will receive from heaven.”</font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Now that we’ve seen how
NOT to pray, I’d like to make a suggestion of a way to pray, especially before
you go to bed, that works to prevent a selfish perspective while praying.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I learned it from Fr. Henri Stines, past
rector of Grace Church, Detroit, and now with his Lord in heaven.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is a way of praying using your
hand.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I’ve shared it with you before,
but many of my friends had forgotten it, so I figured it was time to share it
again.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If you pray this way each
evening, you will almost certainly not pray selfishly.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Please turn to page four of your bulletin for
the diagram.</font></p>
<ol type="1" style="margin-top:0in" start="1">
<li style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;">ADORATION: start with your thumb.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Since your thumb is the part of your
hands that allows it to grasp easily, it is perhaps your most important
finger.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The most important part of
your prayers should be adoration- when you tell God how wonderful he
is.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>What lover isn’t constantly
telling his beloved about her beautiful eyes or lovely smile or gorgeous
something?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Think back through your
day and tell God how fantastic his sunset was or how touching that little
child’s smile is or how amazing the relationship of his people is or how
miraculous the works of his doctors are.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;">CONFESSION: next is your pointer finger.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is the finger you use to accuse
your neighbor of sin.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>You notice,
when you point your finger at someone else, you have three fingers
pointing back at you reminding you of your sins.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The next part of your prayer should be
confession.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>List your sins of the
day and ask God to forgive you.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;">THANKSGIVING: after that comes your third
finger- your longest finger, the finger people use to “give other people
the finger.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That finger should
never be involved in cursing other people; it should be our reminder to
thank God for our many blessings.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>List the blessings you received that day and thank God for
them.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Be specific.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;">INTERCESSION: next comes our ring
finger.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s the finger we use for
our engagement and wedding rings, signs of our relationship with
others.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It reminds us to pray for
others.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Again be specific.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;">PETITION: finally comes our smallest
finger.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This small finger reminds
us to pray for ourselves.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Because
it is smallest and last, it helps us remember to not be too self-centered.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;">OBLATION: at last use both of your hands to
offer yourself to God, and go peacefully to sleep.</li>
</ol>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">May God bless us in our
daily prayers so they truly bring us closer to our precious Lord.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Amen.</font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><font color="#000000">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 href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org/"><u><font color="#0000ff">http://www.stpaulsepisag.org</font></u></a></font><font color="#000000" size="3">
.</font></font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Blessed
preaching,</font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Judy
Boli</font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">St.
Paul's Episcopal Church</font></p>
<p style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">Saginaw,
Michigan</font></p>
</div>
<p></p>
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