Sermon 4th January 2009
A happy new year to you!
Today, our Vicar, Cameron Barker, preaches - based on the reading from James 1 verse 1
Just as the crowded plane was ready for take off, the peace was shattered! A 5-year-old boy picked that exact moment to throw a major temper tantrum. No matter what his frustrated, embarrassed mother did to try and calm him down, the boy kept on screaming furiously, and kicking the seats around him
Then, from the rear of the plane, a smart-looking older man in an SAS uniform walked slowly up the aisle. The well-decorated soldier calmly took over from the flustered mother. He knelt down next to the boy, made eye-contact with him, pointed to his own chest, and whispered in his ear.
Instantly the boy calmed down. He took his mother's hand and quietly fastened his seat belt. Other passengers nodded their admiration at the soldier as he walked back to his seat. On his way, an air hostess asked him: 'Excuse me, sir, but can you please tell me what magic words you spoke to that little boy?'
The soldier smiled, and said: 'I just showed him my medals, and explained that they entitle me to throw one passenger out of the plane door on any flight I choose!'
Let's be honest: not many of us like being told what to do, by anybody! There are times, though, when, like that little boy, we don't have much choice but to do what we're told. Even when that is the case, we still don't like it. And so I do have to begin this year by giving you bad news. From now to the start of Lent we are all going to be told what to do!
Of course we will have rather more choice about how we respond to being told what to do than that boy did! But the fact remains that we will be told what to do – and we'll be told that by no-one less than God himself! This letter from James that we're beginning to study today is only 108 verses long. But it contains almost 60 direct instructions on how to live out the Christian life. And the author's clear, God-given intention was that his readers – which very much include us – should do just what he told them to do!
Welcome to the letter of James, then! There's much that can, and should be said by way of introduction to it. That's what today is mostly about, as we launch into our 2009 teaching programme. But probably the most important thing we each need to hear today is this: faith means next to nothing unless we put it into practice. That's so vital that I need to say it again: faith means next to nothing unless we put it into practice. It's the same as trying to separate a head from a body. If we do that, there can be no life. Well, in the same way, a faith that has no action attached to it is just as incapable of living. Faith without action is dead!
If you hear nothing else today, do take that away with you. Faith without action is dead. So, if you 'do' them, and are still looking for a New Year's resolution how about making that it? What about spending all of this year asking how what you are doing, and how you are doing it, is putting your faith into practice? Yes, that would be a major challenge for most of us to do; but I dare to suggest that there's nothing better that any one of us could do with our life this year. And so, to help us at least start out down that road, we will ask for a very practical faith-action response before the end of this series.
More details of that will follow, later today, and in the weeks to come. To be honest, though, chances are that we will all be challenged to take different kinds of practical action every week. And of course the hope is that this process won't just stop when we reach Lent! This is – or should be – a life-long learning-and-action cycle for any person of faith. And that shouldn't come as news to any church regular. The Christian faith has always been about not just hearing but also doing the word of God. Jesus himself often ended his teaching by challenging his hearers to put it into practice. Often that brought about the desired response – but not always: sometimes people walked away – as we too can choose to do.
But, make no mistake: the letter of James falls very solidly into the biblical pattern of the call for obedience to God's ways. In fact, James is often called the Amos of the New Testament. He's known as that because of the way that he followed the well-established Old Testament pattern, of preaching God's truth straight, and then demanding a practical response to it. That practical response was instant, total, and joyful obedience to God's ways. By the way, James' other nickname was 'Old Camel Knees', apparently! He earned that by the thick calluses on his knees that were the result of extended praying. You see, James also prayed for God to bring about that instant, total, and joyful Godly obedience that he had demanded from his readers. And there can be no better example than that for any would-be leader to follow.
However, I've got rather ahead of myself. It is important to know more about the person who wrote this letter, and why he wrote it. But first we have to tackle the controversy that surrounds this letter. If you know your Bible, or your church, history, you'll know that James almost didn't make it into the Bible at all! Prominent church figures, like Martin Luther in particular, were strongly minded that it shouldn't have done. He was quick to point out that Jesus barely features in this letter at all. He's mentioned in the first verse, and then never again. But this isn't a letter that tells us about who Jesus is, or what he did. It's purely about how we must respond to God's truth, by living it out in certain very practical ways.
James' main assumption was that his readers had already heard the message of Jesus. He took it that they knew all they needed to, and now needed to get on with living it. The challenge was how to live in the truth in the new, and very difficult circumstances that his original readers faced. It's hard to know exactly when this letter was written; but it could have been as early as 48 AD. What is for sure is that, by the time James wrote, the infant church was scattered to the four winds. Persecution had driven the believers from their home in Jerusalem. They had fled to a series of strange, and often hostile, places around the Mediterranean. Their task was to live out their faith for Jesus wherever they were.
So, in his letter, James just by-passed all the theology. He knew that his readers had been taught that, or could read it elsewhere. Instead, he went straight to the heart of the most important matter at hand: what does faith look like in the midst of change and turmoil. How can we honour God, make a difference, and live out the life-transforming good news about Jesus no matter what's going on around us. Well, like this; and this; and this, James wrote – as we will see in the coming weeks. And I, for one, am very glad that this letter did make it into the Bible, as it deserves to have done. I love the Gospel stories about the life of Jesus. I do enjoy a good wrestle with Paul's intellect. But I also need a very practical challenge like this, about how to live out my faith in any circumstances – and I bet that you do, too.
The other important dimension that James brings to us is this: this letter explodes the myth that any church is meant to be perfect! It's easy to perpetuate that one, especially when we are feeling unfairly done to by 'the church'. But the honest realism we see in James reminds us that the church really is a place for sinners. The only advantage we have over other imperfect people is that we can be honest about our shortcomings – with God, ourselves, and others – and be forgiven. Then we can help each other to find better ways to live: better ways like those demanded by James in his letter.
Yes, James spent some of his letter confronting sin. So there may well be uncomfortable moments ahead, for us all. But, in case you're now worried about that practical faith-action response, I can say that it's not primarily about sin! Of course we may want, and need, to take on board James' instructions about our own particular failings. But the specific faith-action response that we'll be looking for is to do with money. James did write about that topic too, along the lines that we are each responsible to God for how we use what He has given us. And, even though there is a credit crunch on, we will all be invited to review what we give to God's work through this church. The figures say not just that most of us have room for improvement, but also that one is needed if we are to avoid real financial trouble this year.
All the details about that are in a letter, that we'll each get, and be invited to respond to before the end of this series. Today I'll just say that James' key principle – that faith without action is dead – applies as much to our giving as to all other areas of our life. I'll then leave that with you, and round off this series introduction by talking a bit more about who James is. The short answer is that we can't be certain who wrote this letter. But the most convincing evidence points to it very likely having been written by none other than James, the brother of Jesus himself.
He appears in several places in New Testament, not least as the leader of the first church in Jerusalem. There's no time to delve into that evidence, or those appearances now. What I do want is to point out that James began his letter by making none of those claims. He could have laid it on thick, about his status as Jesus' brother, as a leader, an elder, or his reputation for wisdom. Instead, he chose to begin by writing this: “From James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
James called himself a slave – which is the literal Greek translation – because that’s what he had chosen to be for God. He chose to be a slave, with no rights of his own. That is what James chose to be, because he knew that he owed God the deepest debt of gratitude imaginable. James had no doubt that Jesus was God. He'd seen the risen Jesus with his own eyes. He also knew that, by his death and resurrection, Jesus had opened the way to heaven for him. So, in his greeting, james put Jesus alongside God – as his Lord, his master, the one he chose to serve as a slave. And, just as he had given his own life to living that out in practical ways, so James now called his readers to do just the same themselves.
Remember, for James, faith meant next to nothing unless it was put into practice. Remember, for James faith without action was dead. And so he wrote to instruct his readers – including us – on to live out what they believed, in very practical ways, in any and all circumstances. As we begin 2009, then, it's surely time to open our ears, to roll up our sleeves, and to do it! So let's now pray that we will ...
Today, our Vicar, Cameron Barker, preaches - based on the reading from James 1 verse 1
Just as the crowded plane was ready for take off, the peace was shattered! A 5-year-old boy picked that exact moment to throw a major temper tantrum. No matter what his frustrated, embarrassed mother did to try and calm him down, the boy kept on screaming furiously, and kicking the seats around him
Then, from the rear of the plane, a smart-looking older man in an SAS uniform walked slowly up the aisle. The well-decorated soldier calmly took over from the flustered mother. He knelt down next to the boy, made eye-contact with him, pointed to his own chest, and whispered in his ear.
Instantly the boy calmed down. He took his mother's hand and quietly fastened his seat belt. Other passengers nodded their admiration at the soldier as he walked back to his seat. On his way, an air hostess asked him: 'Excuse me, sir, but can you please tell me what magic words you spoke to that little boy?'
The soldier smiled, and said: 'I just showed him my medals, and explained that they entitle me to throw one passenger out of the plane door on any flight I choose!'
Let's be honest: not many of us like being told what to do, by anybody! There are times, though, when, like that little boy, we don't have much choice but to do what we're told. Even when that is the case, we still don't like it. And so I do have to begin this year by giving you bad news. From now to the start of Lent we are all going to be told what to do!
Of course we will have rather more choice about how we respond to being told what to do than that boy did! But the fact remains that we will be told what to do – and we'll be told that by no-one less than God himself! This letter from James that we're beginning to study today is only 108 verses long. But it contains almost 60 direct instructions on how to live out the Christian life. And the author's clear, God-given intention was that his readers – which very much include us – should do just what he told them to do!
Welcome to the letter of James, then! There's much that can, and should be said by way of introduction to it. That's what today is mostly about, as we launch into our 2009 teaching programme. But probably the most important thing we each need to hear today is this: faith means next to nothing unless we put it into practice. That's so vital that I need to say it again: faith means next to nothing unless we put it into practice. It's the same as trying to separate a head from a body. If we do that, there can be no life. Well, in the same way, a faith that has no action attached to it is just as incapable of living. Faith without action is dead!
If you hear nothing else today, do take that away with you. Faith without action is dead. So, if you 'do' them, and are still looking for a New Year's resolution how about making that it? What about spending all of this year asking how what you are doing, and how you are doing it, is putting your faith into practice? Yes, that would be a major challenge for most of us to do; but I dare to suggest that there's nothing better that any one of us could do with our life this year. And so, to help us at least start out down that road, we will ask for a very practical faith-action response before the end of this series.
More details of that will follow, later today, and in the weeks to come. To be honest, though, chances are that we will all be challenged to take different kinds of practical action every week. And of course the hope is that this process won't just stop when we reach Lent! This is – or should be – a life-long learning-and-action cycle for any person of faith. And that shouldn't come as news to any church regular. The Christian faith has always been about not just hearing but also doing the word of God. Jesus himself often ended his teaching by challenging his hearers to put it into practice. Often that brought about the desired response – but not always: sometimes people walked away – as we too can choose to do.
But, make no mistake: the letter of James falls very solidly into the biblical pattern of the call for obedience to God's ways. In fact, James is often called the Amos of the New Testament. He's known as that because of the way that he followed the well-established Old Testament pattern, of preaching God's truth straight, and then demanding a practical response to it. That practical response was instant, total, and joyful obedience to God's ways. By the way, James' other nickname was 'Old Camel Knees', apparently! He earned that by the thick calluses on his knees that were the result of extended praying. You see, James also prayed for God to bring about that instant, total, and joyful Godly obedience that he had demanded from his readers. And there can be no better example than that for any would-be leader to follow.
However, I've got rather ahead of myself. It is important to know more about the person who wrote this letter, and why he wrote it. But first we have to tackle the controversy that surrounds this letter. If you know your Bible, or your church, history, you'll know that James almost didn't make it into the Bible at all! Prominent church figures, like Martin Luther in particular, were strongly minded that it shouldn't have done. He was quick to point out that Jesus barely features in this letter at all. He's mentioned in the first verse, and then never again. But this isn't a letter that tells us about who Jesus is, or what he did. It's purely about how we must respond to God's truth, by living it out in certain very practical ways.
James' main assumption was that his readers had already heard the message of Jesus. He took it that they knew all they needed to, and now needed to get on with living it. The challenge was how to live in the truth in the new, and very difficult circumstances that his original readers faced. It's hard to know exactly when this letter was written; but it could have been as early as 48 AD. What is for sure is that, by the time James wrote, the infant church was scattered to the four winds. Persecution had driven the believers from their home in Jerusalem. They had fled to a series of strange, and often hostile, places around the Mediterranean. Their task was to live out their faith for Jesus wherever they were.
So, in his letter, James just by-passed all the theology. He knew that his readers had been taught that, or could read it elsewhere. Instead, he went straight to the heart of the most important matter at hand: what does faith look like in the midst of change and turmoil. How can we honour God, make a difference, and live out the life-transforming good news about Jesus no matter what's going on around us. Well, like this; and this; and this, James wrote – as we will see in the coming weeks. And I, for one, am very glad that this letter did make it into the Bible, as it deserves to have done. I love the Gospel stories about the life of Jesus. I do enjoy a good wrestle with Paul's intellect. But I also need a very practical challenge like this, about how to live out my faith in any circumstances – and I bet that you do, too.
The other important dimension that James brings to us is this: this letter explodes the myth that any church is meant to be perfect! It's easy to perpetuate that one, especially when we are feeling unfairly done to by 'the church'. But the honest realism we see in James reminds us that the church really is a place for sinners. The only advantage we have over other imperfect people is that we can be honest about our shortcomings – with God, ourselves, and others – and be forgiven. Then we can help each other to find better ways to live: better ways like those demanded by James in his letter.
Yes, James spent some of his letter confronting sin. So there may well be uncomfortable moments ahead, for us all. But, in case you're now worried about that practical faith-action response, I can say that it's not primarily about sin! Of course we may want, and need, to take on board James' instructions about our own particular failings. But the specific faith-action response that we'll be looking for is to do with money. James did write about that topic too, along the lines that we are each responsible to God for how we use what He has given us. And, even though there is a credit crunch on, we will all be invited to review what we give to God's work through this church. The figures say not just that most of us have room for improvement, but also that one is needed if we are to avoid real financial trouble this year.
All the details about that are in a letter, that we'll each get, and be invited to respond to before the end of this series. Today I'll just say that James' key principle – that faith without action is dead – applies as much to our giving as to all other areas of our life. I'll then leave that with you, and round off this series introduction by talking a bit more about who James is. The short answer is that we can't be certain who wrote this letter. But the most convincing evidence points to it very likely having been written by none other than James, the brother of Jesus himself.
He appears in several places in New Testament, not least as the leader of the first church in Jerusalem. There's no time to delve into that evidence, or those appearances now. What I do want is to point out that James began his letter by making none of those claims. He could have laid it on thick, about his status as Jesus' brother, as a leader, an elder, or his reputation for wisdom. Instead, he chose to begin by writing this: “From James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
James called himself a slave – which is the literal Greek translation – because that’s what he had chosen to be for God. He chose to be a slave, with no rights of his own. That is what James chose to be, because he knew that he owed God the deepest debt of gratitude imaginable. James had no doubt that Jesus was God. He'd seen the risen Jesus with his own eyes. He also knew that, by his death and resurrection, Jesus had opened the way to heaven for him. So, in his greeting, james put Jesus alongside God – as his Lord, his master, the one he chose to serve as a slave. And, just as he had given his own life to living that out in practical ways, so James now called his readers to do just the same themselves.
Remember, for James, faith meant next to nothing unless it was put into practice. Remember, for James faith without action was dead. And so he wrote to instruct his readers – including us – on to live out what they believed, in very practical ways, in any and all circumstances. As we begin 2009, then, it's surely time to open our ears, to roll up our sleeves, and to do it! So let's now pray that we will ...
posted by Parish Administrator at 12:31 pm
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