A number of years ago when I was preaching every Sunday, to the same congregation and could not use “recycled sermons,” I decided early on that it was best to be guided by the lectionary in choosing a Scripture passage for the sermon. Otherwise I spent hours going through Scripture,
looking for just the right text.
So when I found this passage from James in the lectionary for today, I thought, great…short, simple,we are to listen to God’s Word and then live it out!
Hearing and Doing the Word
19 You must understand this, my beloved:* let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. 21Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. 23For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves* in a mirror; 24for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. 25But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.
26 If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. 27Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Simple and direct commands - “Look after orphans and widows” - Expand on this to volunteer at the community center, serve on the board of the homeless shelter, go on a mission trip, teach an ESL class, build a house with Habitat - This
- Feeds my love of lists and organization
- Something for everyone to do.
- Opportunity for me to affirm the life and mission of this congregation, who hear God’s word, and act on it.
However, as I read and re-read the passage, I began to feel a bit uncomfortable
- The danger of a “look at me” faith – look at what I or my church has done
- The danger of believing that we are blessed by what we do - if we write a check, volunteer, serve, go, we will be blessed,
But, if we do not do those things? Is there no blessing?
- The danger of reducing our faith to a list of things to be done, our accomplishments
- The danger of individualizing our faith, when the heart of the gospel, of Jesus’ life is community, life together.
Of course, this passage, with its short, direct instructions fits nicely into our “bullet point” culture, which places great value on no waiting, instant communication, multi tasking. But is the Christian community intended to fit neatly into the culture that surrounds it?
I don’t think we need to discard this passage but to see it in a larger context of the gospel where we hear other voices from Scripture.
Psalm 131 (or another person to read, a mother)
Mark 3:13-15
There is the doing, acting out our faith - we hear in James words and we are good at that.
There is the speaking about our faith, and we are fairly good at that.
There is the being with Jesus, the Holy One - We hear in the words of the Psalm and Mark, and we are not so good at being - with ourselves, others, God.
Perhaps learn something about being from community of those who were with, accompanied Jesus (Spanish translation of word).
What did it mean for that community (men, women, children) to accompany Jesus? To be with Jesus?
We use our imagination and we see walking dusty, rock- strewn paths, climbing hills, crossing the Sea of Galilee
- Sharing meals
- Listening to Jesus’ stories of a shepherd who went searching for one lost sheep and a woman who rejoiced at finding her lost coin
- Watching as Jesus healed the man born blind, people crowded around Jesus to be healed, feeding of 5000, with some loaves of bread and a few fish
- Wondering at the way Jesus reached out to and accepted women as real people, and played with children waiting as Jesus went into hills to pray, early morning, late evening,
A busy time, yet peace, purpose.
Instead of the violence, injustice, fear in their world shaping and forming their lives, their lives were shaped by Jesus’ words and stories and very being.
Learn from our sisters and brothers in places like Guatemala being with one another.
Very busy people, working in the fields and kitchen from long before the sun rises, to late evening hours;
Hard, physical labor; few of the conveniences that we have -
There is little that is “automatic” “instant” or disposable” –
No one I know thinks about a day off or a week vacation.
There is always work to be done.
Perhaps it is because of this constant stream of things to do that people are generally willing to take time out.
Rather than being completely focused on the task at hand, striving to finish everything on the to- do list as quickly as possible in order to relax later on -
Daily life is filled with times of relaxation and conversation -
Always time to enjoy a cafecito with a friend or to greet a neighbor or colleague with a kiss on the cheek;
Virtually any time or place provides a good opportunity to converse with friends and acquaintances.
Work is never considered more urgent or important than human interaction.
Guatemalan Christians live out the psalm – they give their worries, anxieties, needs, problems – as well as their praise and thanksgiving to God,
and rest in God’s care for them
as a child rests in her mother’s arms, been fed, dry, safe.
How are we to be with, to accompany Jesus?
We cannot walk the dusty, rock-strewn pathways of Nazareth with Jesus or share meals with that community, but we do have the stories of Jesus; we have his words, the parables. We know of the life of Jesus.
We can allow those stories, that life to fill and shape and mold our lives instead of the violence and strife that is all around us.
We do not live in Latin America or Africa where life just seems to be lived at a slower pace,
but we can decide at what pace to live our lives.
We can decide that some things do not need to get done, and so carve out a space to simply be.
We can focus not so much on our list of things to be done, but on the people around us.
We can give our anxieties to God, and rest in God’s love for us.
We will continue to have our list of things to do - help build a house with Habitat, donate our goods and time, serve a meal, teach an ESL class, visit a shut-in -
Living, acting out the Word – and we are called to do that!
Can we also hear other voices (in Scripture?)?
A Guatemalan sister, or a colleague, who says, come and sit a while with me.
The psalmist holding before us the image of a child resting content in her Mother’s arms, and says we can rest in God’s care.
Jesus saying to us, come and be with me.
Our lives may be shaped and formed by, not byso that our going and serving and giving grows out of that time and relationship.
Benediction:
Go now to into your world, be about the work that God calls you to do
And be still, entrusting your life and the lives of all you love, into God’s care.
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