Be doers of the word

Pastor Amy Dows
Glade United Church of Christ

(5/1) Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But 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.

The author of the book of James identifies himself only as a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the early church it was thought by some to have been written by the brother of Jesus. It was written later than most of Paul’s letters because, James calls out those who had distorted Paul’s message of love and faith, those who were twisting Paul’s words to justify their own lack of hard work in the mission of the church.

James’ message is not justification by works, but he does insist that righteousness involves action, not merely an understanding of the gospel message. In fact, the entire book of James is a practical application of the principles of the Sermon on the Mount. James was a pragmatist. He saw clearly that most people are not moved by theoretical argument but are looking for practical answers, for purpose and meaning, for direction in the ethical problems and challenges of life.

The book of James is more a set of written instructions than a letter and has even been referred to as a book of Proverbs wearing New Testament clothes. The instructions found there are practical and call for carrying out the gospel message in every aspect of life. These words served to warn the church against the tendency toward an abstract or theoretical practice of Christianity and challenged members of the church to do the hard work of actually living out their faith.

It's like the story of a young college graduate who was just starting out in what he hoped would be a promising career in sales. He was outgoing, witty, and enthusiastic. His company assigned him a territory in a rural area where his responsibility was to sell the latest in farm equipment to the farmers of the area. With great eagerness he memorized the company sales pitch and left his office to spread his message of better farming through better equipment.

His first two visits had not resulted in any sales, but he was certain that those two farmers had been listening intently as he had rattled off his litany of better yields, faster harvests, and bigger long-term profits as the result of updated equipment. He made notes in his customer database beside each name: Initial visit promising, return for follow-up visit.

As he got out of his car at his third stop, he saw a farmer sitting on his front porch gently rocking in his rocking chair. With eagerness, the young salesman bounded up the steps to the porch and exclaimed, "Howdy!"

"Howdy, yourself," came the response.

"Sir, can I show you a catalog of the most efficient and up-to-date farm equipment?"

"Nope," said the old farmer.

"Well, sir, don’t you want to know how to improve your farming methods?"

After a few minutes of uneasy silence, the thoughtful old farmer turned his head, looked the young salesman directly in the eye, and firmly said, "Son, I don’t farm half as good now as I already know how to farm."

In a similar way, the book of James reminds us of what we already know how to do but do not do.

When we look at the book of James, we already know the things it tells us to do. That’s its point. Knowing what to do is not as important as doing what we already know to do. What we hear and say is never as important as what we do. Actions speak louder than words.

Sometimes we view our faith as a haven of calm in a chaotic world - a retreat from the constant demands of modern life. And we all need respite from the chaos of the world at times. But, in this passage from James, those who hear and then promptly forget are contrasted with those who hear but then also act. Sometimes, we deceive ourselves into thinking that hearing without doing is enough. Faith is not an escape from the world but an invitation to carry out God’s will in the world.

James is aware that when we see our reflection in a mirror there are generally two things that can happen: we can see things we like about ourselves and decide to leave them unchanged, or we can see things we want to change. Likewise, looking into the mirror of the word of God enables us to see the ways we are succeeding in living into God’s will. When we look into that mirror, we can also see all the imperfections, the times we have fallen short, the times we have said yes but not done. But, if we forget what we see in the mirror, how will we ever live up to the reflection that God sees for us or correct the ways that reflection can be improved?

James is telling us not to glance in the mirror and then forget what we, as Christians, are supposed to look like. We are called to engage with the world, to be doers of God’s word, so we can provide a clear reflection of God’s love to the world.

Christian faith is more than a theory, more than a set of beliefs, more than a verbal profession of faith - it is action. According to the James, faith is the action of visiting orphans and widows, the action of helping those in need in our communities and around the world. It is everything that makes our faith concrete.

Glade United Church of Christ in Walkersville will partner with Jefferson United Church of Christ in Jefferson for a mission trip to Sunset Gap in Cosby, Tennessee from Sunday, July 31, to Friday, August 5. Sunset Gap is a Christian-based organization that unites people of all faiths by providing programs that contribute to the physical, social, economic, and spiritual growth of the Appalachian people. Currently, Sunset Gap combats food insecurities through their Food Pantry and help dollars stretch for customers purchasing clothing and household goods at the Thrift Store. Assistance with home repair is offered by national mission camp groups during the summer months. More information about Sunset Gat can be found at their website: www.sunsetgap.weebly.com

This is one way we are seeking to be doers and not just hearers of the word, and we invite anyone who is interested to be a part of this work through donations of needed items. Monetary donations will also be accepted for supplies and items for the Food Bank.