Ken Wratten at St

Ken Wratten at St. Stephen̵= 7;s San Jose

September 13, 2009; 15 Pentecost; Proper 19; Family Sunday

James 3:1-12<= /p>

Are w= ild tigers dangerous? What about lightning bolts in the sky?<= /p>

What = are some other dangerous things that we need to be careful of?

Some = dangerous things are big, and we can tell they are dangerous just by looking at them. But some really small things can be dangerous too. =

I have something in my hand that could destroy this whole building; or a city; or a whole forest. (Show match).

IR= 17;m sure you all know that it is very dangerous to play with matches. Fire is n= ot something you should ever play with. You have to be very careful because a = fire can get big so quickly that you can’t control it. <= /p>

(Show picture of Station Fire near LA)

Start= ed 8/26/09; size now 250 sq mi; 2 firemen killed; 80 dwellings; cause arson

&= nbsp; Someone was not careful, or even set the fire on purpose.

This = fire got so big, so fast, that the fire fighters couldn’t control it. It is still only 81% contained.

None = of you is carrying a match in your pocket. But all of you are carrying something t= hat can be even more dangerous than a match. I invite you to stick out y= our tongue and look at it. Go ahead… Does your tongue look dangerous?

It can’t burn down a building, but it can make somebody feel very sad, or embarrassed, or like they don’t have any friends. Words can make peop= le so sad they don’t even like themselves anymore.

The b= ook of James in the Bible says this about our tongue;

̶= 0;The tongue is the most evil part of the body. It pollutes the whole person. It = sets a person’s whole way of life on fire.” Did you know you were carrying around something so dangerous? But we don’t have to use our tongues for evil things. We can decide to say nice things. What are good th= ings you can say to someone?

(I lo= ve you. Can I help you? You look nice. etc.)

James= wrote that we should be careful with what we say, and always use our tongues to s= ay words that help other people, and not hurt them.

Thank= you. Please take your seats.

Aren&= #8217;t those of us who are older really lucky that when we grew older, we don̵= 7;t have this problem of starting forest fires with our tongues anymore? Of cou= rse we actually learn over time to do it even better; to use double entendre, o= r be passive aggressive, or decide something is a ‘white lie’ instea= d of a real lie. Remember what people used to say if somebody said something bad= to them? “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words… will n= ever hurt me.” Is that true? Of course not. Words can hurt a lot.

EXAMP= LE: You’re fat; you’re skin and bones; I don’t like you anymore; you’= ;re ugly; I’m going to spend time today with my BEST friend (which you are not). Familiar?

Ephes= ians 4:29, “Let everything you say be kind and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.” Paul is saying that being Christian means that our words should be chosen to encourage people; = even people we disagree with, or don’t like, or who have hurt us with their words, or when we are tired, or when we are angry, or when that person is a pest. We need to remind ourselves in all those times that God expects us to= be an encouragement through our words and our works.

Being Christian isn’t just about believing in your heart that Jesus is God’s son, and that God loves you. Being Christian is also about your= behavior. And James reminds us that a very important piece of your behavior is how you use your tongue. Talking with kindness and caring tells other people that y= ou are living for God and not for yourself. And when you talk that way, you= can know that you are acting like Christ, which is our goal as Christians. = The words you use need to show that you care for God and for other people. May = God always help you use a kind and helpful tongue; one that never starts fires.= Amen.