Sermon – Practice Your Faith Rev. Sandy Lacey September 01, 2024
I have heard the Epistle of James called “the Gospel . . . in blue jeans.” I am sure it is called that because of its practical nature – our faith in James is all about how we exercise it; James is concerned about what we do with our faith, rather than what we think or believe. We have learned in the church that the standard answer to any question is always, “Jesus!”; however, I would submit that there is another standard answer to most questions asked in the church. And that answer is “widows and orphans.” If you want to know the Prophets’ primary concern in the Hebrew Scriptures, and their primary indictment against the people, it is the tendency to forget the “widows and orphans” in their midst. In the Hebrew culture, widows and orphans are the ones with no status in the culture and the ones who are most vulnerable to violence, poverty, and starvation. Jesus, being a good Jew, is likewise concerned about the marginalized and vulnerable in the culture – the widows and orphans – because they are the ones who are hungry, thirsty, and in need of special attention. The N.T. Epistle writers echo Jesus’ concern and we hear it in today’s Scripture passage in James. Likewise, in our day, we are to be concerned about the most vulnerable in our culture and make sure we are “putting feet” to our faith by caring for them. The most vulnerable in our culture might be widows and orphans, or they might be immigrants, or really anyone who is marginalized/looked down upon in our culture. So, you fill in the blank as to who the marginalized are in today’s culture. James is concerned about the early Christians’ integrity – are they putting their faith into practice? They may hear what is right and good and they may know what is right and good; however, it seems that the listener has difficulty translating their faith into action. Sometimes the best intentions do not always lead to the best actions. It makes me think of the many times I have said, “yes, I’ll do that” and then never follow up. And the truth is that I simply could not force myself to get up from my couch to do it. Kind of like a “couch potato,” I get distracted by other things and my best intention never results in the action. I wonder if you can relate. Instead of “couch potatoes”, you can almost hear James call the people then and the people now “pew potatoes” as he describes the same tendency then and now of complacency and forgetfulness. We worship and we hear the right things. We know and believe the right things, but we seem to have difficulty getting up from the pew to do them. James says if you don’t act on what you know, then you have the tendency to forget at best; and at worst, you lead lives that are disingenuous. Integrity – where our words match our actions – is important to James. James’ instruction to move beyond just hearing to actual practice is not a unique instruction. We all need to put what we know into practice. In most schools of higher education, for example, there are requirements for practical expression of the theories we learn in class or from our assigned readings. Most college programs include an Internship requirement that encourages students to match what they learned in school to what happens in an ordinary work day. For instance, in my college social work program, I was required to attend open AA meetings and have conversations/interviews with clients who struggle with addiction as part of my class on drug/alcohol addiction. It helped to add depth and dimension to the pages in a book that I was required to read. The same was true for my Seminary education to become a pastor. The Epistle writer James appears to be especially concerned about this fundamental aspect of learning and faith development. In fact, it seems that James thought that being a follower of Christ requires a life-long internship program. As we think about James’ instruction to be doers of the Word, rather than hearers only, he reminds us of a few critical details. The first and most important thing that James reminds us is that everything comes from God – every good and perfect gift. Therefore, all of our responsibility and all of our determination to demonstrate what we believe must be grounded in gratitude for God’s blessings and gifts. It is not about us – it is about God and what God makes possible. Any activity we do must spring forth from God’s grace and not from some overdeveloped sense of ego. Any work we do is not about us and how noble we are – it is about God and how generous God is. Having gratitude for God’s generous gifts prompt us to demonstrate God’s love and mercy to others. We cannot help it – when we are grateful, we are compelled to give. Secondly, after we remember from where all good gifts come, James encourages us to get rid of those things in our lives that produce wickedness, anger, and ingratitude. He reminds us that the strategy for overcoming destructive anger is a quickness to listen, a slowness to speak, and a slowness to respond in anger. Instead of the usual tendency to half-heartedly listen until we get to impart our wisdom, we should reverse that and simply be quiet/shut up so that we can truly hear the concerns of the other person. That, in and of itself, reduces tension and diffuses anger. Wow, the world sure could use more of that these days! Thirdly, James encourages us to welcome the word. Sounds simplistic, does it not? But we cannot be doers of the word if we are not welcoming, if we do not accept God’s grace. Anne Lamott, famous Presbyterian author, talks about her acceptance finally of Jesus – she finally said out loud, “O.K., you can come in.” She had described Jesus’ movement in her life, his persistent prodding to let him in, as a slinking cat following her around until she grudgingly invited him in. Acceptance of God’s love and leadership in your life does not have to be a pretty story – in fact, that acceptance can take a long time and it can be an arduous journey. To move forward, however, God’s love and grace must be accepted. It is impossible to do the word if you are still avoiding and running from the word made flesh in Jesus. So, in order to be doers of the Word and not hearers only, we need to live in gratitude for God’s good gifts, we need to listen more and speak less, and we need to welcome the word in our lives. According to James, these things, along with demonstrating what we know to be true, will help us to not be forgetful and will help us have the kind of faith that cares for the vulnerable in our midst. For James, the lesson is integrity. How does your life match what you say and believe? And how does this community of faith live what we say to be true? For instance, is there a significant portion of our budget designated for helping and reaching out to others? If the consistent answer to most questions is widows and orphans, how are we doing as a community of faith in ministering to those in need around us? Do the things we do match what we say we believe? Rockledge Presbyterian’s mission statement is, Connecting in Christ to God, One Another, and the World. Are you actively engaged in the mission of this church? First, how are you connecting to God? Are you regularly participating in worship and Bible Study? Secondly, how are you connecting to one another? Are you calling folks, writing them, joining them in prayer and fellowship as your health allows? Thirdly, how are you connecting to the world? What are the service projects with which you are engaged? Be doers of the word and not just hearers only, James says. Actions really do speak louder than words! Don’t be a pew potato that merely hears the word. James says it will be like having to look over and over again in a mirror because you’ve forgotten what you look like. You are involved in a life-long internship program in which you are asked to demonstrate your faith. There is a famous saying that has been attributed to a number of different people, including St. Francis of Assisi – “preach the Gospel always and if necessary, use words.” Your faith formation depends on it. AMEN.
I have heard the Epistle of James called “the Gospel . . . in blue jeans.” I am sure it is called that because of its practical nature – our faith in James is all about how we exercise it; James is concerned about what we do with our faith, rather than what we think or believe. We have learned in the church that the standard answer to any question is always, “Jesus!”; however, I would submit that there is another standard answer to most questions asked in the church. And that answer is “widows and orphans.” If you want to know the Prophets’ primary concern in the Hebrew Scriptures, and their primary indictment against the people, it is the tendency to forget the “widows and orphans” in their midst. In the Hebrew culture, widows and orphans are the ones with no status in the culture and the ones who are most vulnerable to violence, poverty, and starvation. Jesus, being a good Jew, is likewise concerned about the marginalized and vulnerable in the culture – the widows and orphans – because they are the ones who are hungry, thirsty, and in need of special attention. The N.T. Epistle writers echo Jesus’ concern and we hear it in today’s Scripture passage in James. Likewise, in our day, we are to be concerned about the most vulnerable in our culture and make sure we are “putting feet” to our faith by caring for them. The most vulnerable in our culture might be widows and orphans, or they might be immigrants, or really anyone who is marginalized/looked down upon in our culture. So, you fill in the blank as to who the marginalized are in today’s culture. James is concerned about the early Christians’ integrity – are they putting their faith into practice? They may hear what is right and good and they may know what is right and good; however, it seems that the listener has difficulty translating their faith into action. Sometimes the best intentions do not always lead to the best actions. It makes me think of the many times I have said, “yes, I’ll do that” and then never follow up. And the truth is that I simply could not force myself to get up from my couch to do it. Kind of like a “couch potato,” I get distracted by other things and my best intention never results in the action. I wonder if you can relate. Instead of “couch potatoes”, you can almost hear James call the people then and the people now “pew potatoes” as he describes the same tendency then and now of complacency and forgetfulness. We worship and we hear the right things. We know and believe the right things, but we seem to have difficulty getting up from the pew to do them. James says if you don’t act on what you know, then you have the tendency to forget at best; and at worst, you lead lives that are disingenuous. Integrity – where our words match our actions – is important to James. James’ instruction to move beyond just hearing to actual practice is not a unique instruction. We all need to put what we know into practice. In most schools of higher education, for example, there are requirements for practical expression of the theories we learn in class or from our assigned readings. Most college programs include an Internship requirement that encourages students to match what they learned in school to what happens in an ordinary work day. For instance, in my college social work program, I was required to attend open AA meetings and have conversations/interviews with clients who struggle with addiction as part of my class on drug/alcohol addiction. It helped to add depth and dimension to the pages in a book that I was required to read. The same was true for my Seminary education to become a pastor. The Epistle writer James appears to be especially concerned about this fundamental aspect of learning and faith development. In fact, it seems that James thought that being a follower of Christ requires a life-long internship program. As we think about James’ instruction to be doers of the Word, rather than hearers only, he reminds us of a few critical details. The first and most important thing that James reminds us is that everything comes from God – every good and perfect gift. Therefore, all of our responsibility and all of our determination to demonstrate what we believe must be grounded in gratitude for God’s blessings and gifts. It is not about us – it is about God and what God makes possible. Any activity we do must spring forth from God’s grace and not from some overdeveloped sense of ego. Any work we do is not about us and how noble we are – it is about God and how generous God is. Having gratitude for God’s generous gifts prompt us to demonstrate God’s love and mercy to others. We cannot help it – when we are grateful, we are compelled to give. Secondly, after we remember from where all good gifts come, James encourages us to get rid of those things in our lives that produce wickedness, anger, and ingratitude. He reminds us that the strategy for overcoming destructive anger is a quickness to listen, a slowness to speak, and a slowness to respond in anger. Instead of the usual tendency to half-heartedly listen until we get to impart our wisdom, we should reverse that and simply be quiet/shut up so that we can truly hear the concerns of the other person. That, in and of itself, reduces tension and diffuses anger. Wow, the world sure could use more of that these days! Thirdly, James encourages us to welcome the word. Sounds simplistic, does it not? But we cannot be doers of the word if we are not welcoming, if we do not accept God’s grace. Anne Lamott, famous Presbyterian author, talks about her acceptance finally of Jesus – she finally said out loud, “O.K., you can come in.” She had described Jesus’ movement in her life, his persistent prodding to let him in, as a slinking cat following her around until she grudgingly invited him in. Acceptance of God’s love and leadership in your life does not have to be a pretty story – in fact, that acceptance can take a long time and it can be an arduous journey. To move forward, however, God’s love and grace must be accepted. It is impossible to do the word if you are still avoiding and running from the word made flesh in Jesus. So, in order to be doers of the Word and not hearers only, we need to live in gratitude for God’s good gifts, we need to listen more and speak less, and we need to welcome the word in our lives. According to James, these things, along with demonstrating what we know to be true, will help us to not be forgetful and will help us have the kind of faith that cares for the vulnerable in our midst. For James, the lesson is integrity. How does your life match what you say and believe? And how does this community of faith live what we say to be true? For instance, is there a significant portion of our budget designated for helping and reaching out to others? If the consistent answer to most questions is widows and orphans, how are we doing as a community of faith in ministering to those in need around us? Do the things we do match what we say we believe? Rockledge Presbyterian’s mission statement is, Connecting in Christ to God, One Another, and the World. Are you actively engaged in the mission of this church? First, how are you connecting to God? Are you regularly participating in worship and Bible Study? Secondly, how are you connecting to one another? Are you calling folks, writing them, joining them in prayer and fellowship as your health allows? Thirdly, how are you connecting to the world? What are the service projects with which you are engaged? Be doers of the word and not just hearers only, James says. Actions really do speak louder than words! Don’t be a pew potato that merely hears the word. James says it will be like having to look over and over again in a mirror because you’ve forgotten what you look like. You are involved in a life-long internship program in which you are asked to demonstrate your faith. There is a famous saying that has been attributed to a number of different people, including St. Francis of Assisi – “preach the Gospel always and if necessary, use words.” Your faith formation depends on it. AMEN.