Will the stained glass be broken?
By Tony Hazen, Special to the Gazette
Friday, August 28, 2009
The writer of James has a way with words; I’m just not sure that they are words we Christians want to hear. The words are clear, concise, to the point and, well, simply put — words that can shake the rafters.
“We have received God’s word of truth so we might be the most important of all the things he made.”
We like that kind of talk. But we can’t seem to get the satisfaction we like because when we read on it says, “Do what God’s teaching says; when you only listen and do nothing, you are fooling yourselves.”
It sounds as if God expects more of Christians than to just sit and listen. It’s not about the words of the Bible; it’s about listening to the Word of God that is Jesus. It’s about hearing the reality of the presence of a living God working in the world; a God who isn’t looking for a group to get together and cuss and discuss the fine points of Jesus’ teachings to academically prove anything; but for those who will gather together to live what Jesus taught.
Yes, it is important that we know the Bible; its context and its meanings for today, but in each argument of the details I have never seen the love of God shared with a person in need.
This is one reason I believe that religion gets in the way of doing the work the Christian and the church is called to do. And in today’s world the needed work is plentiful; there is no time for “talking religion.” And what needs to be done can seem to be overwhelming but take the simplistic style of the writer in James 1:27, “Care for the orphans or widows who need help,...”
God knows that we cannot individually or as a single church take care of all the problems, but we can work toward a solution with the gifts and abilities that God has given us to use.
It could rock some churches off the very (physical) foundations where they rest if we would take James’ advice to heart. By this, I mean that if we would call on each other to go beyond the listening, and hold one another accountable to the task of being a disciple for Christ Jesus, churches would be dancing in joy and rejoicing with the goodness of the carrying on the work of Jesus in destroying the evil of hatred and greed in the world.
May we all listen with our hearts and act from the spirit of goodness that is from God.
• “Sunday Sermon” is a forum for Emporia area ministers to share their sermons, thoughts and observations. This week’s sermon is from the Rev. Tony Hazen, pastor at Lebo/Olivet United Methodist Church.