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Grace mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and

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Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Father Timothy Farley only preached safe sermons Father Farley is the

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main character in a cleverly titled movie called Mass Appeal. Actor

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Jack Lemmon plays the part of Father Farley.

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He's a people-pleasing priest who serves in a well-to-do suburban

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parish. Father Farley drives a Mercedes

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he enjoys fine wine, and he lives to be loved by his parishioners.

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But above all father Farley only preaches safe sermons.

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There's one scene in the movie where father Farley fills the pulpit

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and it begins to preach a message on persecution a serious topic.

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He asked the congregation to think about a time when they saw someone

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being persecuted and yet did nothing about it.

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Before he can get us a few minutes though into his message.

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There is a

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cough from the piers someone else clears their throat.

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There's a shifting in the seats one lady whose well-dressed even leave

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the nave all together.

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Sensing that maybe he struck a nerve father Farley well massages his

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message a little bit.

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He says what I realize there's some cases of persecution where there's

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only so much that can be done.

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Father Farley though notices, they're still distress in the pews.

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He sees someone in the front row a gentleman look at his watch in an

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obvious way so father Farley edits even more.

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So now I'm certainly not trying to create a sense of guilt guilt is

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something that will we want to avoid.

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As Father Farley's sermon goes on we find that it is utterly

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meaningless,

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meaningless but safe.

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Do people need

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safe sermons?

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Does Jesus preach safe sermons?

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Today has a focus on a portion of Jesus Sermon on the Mount we hear

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him preach to a group of people that perhaps had an earful of

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safe sermons.

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They've heard competing voices when it comes to all sorts of things

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things like anger and adultery and divorce and oaths.

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Just in today's Gospel reading four times

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Jesus says you have heard

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that it was said.

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You have heard that it was said who are these people

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that this group has been listening to.

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Well most likely not the Old Testament scriptures.

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It's interested in Matthew's gospel in particular when Jesus quotes

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the Old Testament.

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He doesn't introduce that quote from the words

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we just heard. You have heard that it was said that's not what he says

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instead.

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Jesus says either it is written or have you not read.

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And then Jesus will go on to quote the Old Testament scriptures.

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But not here.

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Now the voices of the people were listening to were not from the Old

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Testament itself, but from interpretations you have heard that it was

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said.

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By the competing voices of Jewish religious leaders with their

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opinions of what's right, and what's wrong.

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So Jesus goes on preaching his not so safe sermon addressing what

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they've heard said with but I say to you.

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In Greek it's αλλά σας λέω he meant but I myself say to you never mind

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what you heard

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listen to me.

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And so Jesus goes on you have heard murder is taking a life.

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But I say to you whoever is angry with angry with his brother is

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liable to judgment. You have heard adultery is an outward act but I say

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to you there is an inner adultery an adultery of a heart, lust.

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You have heard divorce was not that big of a deal.

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You just need that certificate for divorce.

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But I say to you divorce is a big deal it is a severing of a sacred union.

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You have heard that it was said you can take an oath in fact oaths can

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to be ranked in order of importance.

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But I say to you do not take an oath at all either let your yes be yes

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or your no no.

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People don't need safe sermons.

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Jesus didn't preach safe sermon.

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We preachers and we future preachers know what's safe sermons are

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don't we?

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I'm afraid there's a little bit of Father Farley in each one of us.

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Don't offend, please people in the pews a don't mention gender issues

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or life issues, racism or politics from the pulpit and most of all

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never ever ever preach a sermon on money.

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And yet all week long

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these are the very things that God's people are hearing all sorts of

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competing voices talk about.

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In the news the movies on TVs in presidential debates at the gym

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around the water cooler.

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You have heard that it was said a marriage of something other than

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that lifelong union between a man and a woman that you have heard that

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that unborn child really isn't fully a person you've heard that racism

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is okay and acceptable and permissible.

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You have heard that our hope lies and who we elect this November you have

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heard that money reigns supreme.

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And then

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after over 10.000 minutes each week of hearing

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competing voices each voice sharing what they think is right and

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what's wrong.

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We pastors have about 20 minutes

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to preach.

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To say you have heard that it was said.

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But I say to you,

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αλλά σας λέω. Amen. But I say to you

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And when I say to you what we say to our hearers may be much different

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than what they've heard said.

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And yet what I say to you is it simply repeating back what God has

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first said in his word.

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What I say to you is that word of law.

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What I say to you is that word of gospel Jesus crucified and risen for

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your forgiveness and life and salvation.

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What I say to you is how to live out that baptismal identity that you

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have as a child of God.

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What I say to you is not giving offense for the sake of offending, no

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what I say to you is true spoken in love.

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Fellow creatures,

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how can we expect our but I say to you sermons

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to ever really penetrate.

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To penetrate their the ears and minds and the hearts in the very

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lives of the people of God.

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But if there's coughs from the pews, shifting in seat, what if we

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striking a nerve or what if people walk out altogether?

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I wonder if Martin Luther ever asked those sorts of questions?

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Questions about whether his words would ever really penetrate? Whether

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his words that he preached would ever really make a difference.

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If Luther's prayer life is any indication that I think that he most

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certainly did have those sorts of questions.

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How many of you have a copy of of this hanging in your house or in

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your church or Sacristy?

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It's a copy of Luther's Sacristy prayer at Ascension

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where I serve

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we appropriately I suppose have a copy of it hanging in the Sacristy.

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It's a prayer that I prayed.

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It's a prayer that my predecessor before me prayed.

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It's a prayer that the pastor before him for 8 and I know that because

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his name is on the back of the frame.

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It's a prayer that our fathers and grandfathers and great-grandfathers

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in the ministry have prayed for centuries.

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It's appropriate that we reflect on those same words and even pray

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those same words as brothers now in ministry.

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Luther writes Luther prays.

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Oh Lord

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God your father in Heaven.

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I'm indeed unworthy of the office and Ministry and to which I'm to

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make known your glory and to nurture and serve this congregation.

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But since you have appointed me to be a pastor and a teacher and the

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people are in need of teaching and the instruction. O Lord, you know,

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they have heard competing voices.

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Be my helper

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and let your Holy Angels attend to me.

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And then if you are pleased to accomplish anything through me to your

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glory not to mine or to the praise of men grant me out of your pure

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grace and mercy. A right understanding of your word that I might

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diligently perform it.

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Oh Lord, Jesus Christ, son of the Living God.

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Shepherd and Bishop of our souls send your holy spirit that he may

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work with me to will and to do through your Divine srength according to

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your good pleasure. Ameen.

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How can we preach but I say to you?

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How can our voices ever be spoke to her be heard above those other

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competing voices?

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Luther knew,

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Luther prayed

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send your Holy Spirit.

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Send your Holy Spirit that he may work with me to will and to do your

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good pleasure.

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And as Luther wrote those words

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and as he prayed those words

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I wonder if you had other words in mind other words from scripture.

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Words that sort of relate to the weather that we're having this

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morning where it's from Isaiah 55 that promise is a rain in the snow

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and maybe we can even at as the sleet falls from heaven.

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It does not return but waters the Earth.

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My word so it shall go out from my mouth and accomplish the thing for

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which I sent it.

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So empowered by the Holy Spirit

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we can speak into the lives of our hearers.

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Hearers that have heard all sorts of different things said we can proclaim but I

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say to you.

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Christ died, Christ has risen Christ will come again.

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But I say to you, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the

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Son and of the Holy Spirit.

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But I say to you,

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take and eat Christ true Body given for you his True Blood shed for you.

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But I say to you as a servant of Christ and by his authority

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I therefore forgive you all your sins.

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Lord

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forgive us

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when were Father Farleys.

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Deliver us from safe sermons. Grant to us Lord

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your Holy Spirit

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that when people in the pews here I say but I say to you

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they hear the voice of truth.

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The voice of your word

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the voice of their Savior.

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Amen.