Our current sermon series is focusing on the Biblical book of James. This is a fascinating letter filled with wisdom and insight. In fact, it is often considered the only wisdom book in the New Testament. However, the book has been the source of a lot of controversy. James encourages people to live their faith out loud. Faith is not a secret that people can somehow discover and tuck away like a magic key. Faith is about living life, making mistakes, and choosing to grow everyday. James makes it very clear that we are all walking this path of life. At times, we will choose to trust God. At other times, we will fall short and miss out on on the blessings God offers.
Some of the early leaders of the Protestant Reformation did not fully appreciate everything James said. They had been so badly hurt by the church they found the message of James too harsh. They thought James was telling people what they needed to do to get to heaven, and they couldn't hear the hope James was sharing. The church, at that time, had given people a great burden of fear, and it tainted how they saw God.
Today, James is still offering wisdom. There is a lot of hope that can be found in living and trusting in God. However, we still have a lot of baggage. Like the people long ago, if we don't understand God's Grace first, we will not be able to fully appreciate James' message. Our fears can make us see God as angry or unhappy, but that is not who God truly is. God is encouraging us to make mistakes and continue to learn. Christ will always be there to pick us up.
Last week, my youngest son turned four years old. He was delighted to play with his friends, eat birthday cake, and generally run around like a crazy man! :) We all had a great time celebrating. Looking back, it is hard for me to believe he is four years old. In many ways, the time has gone way too fast, but it is just as unbelievable to think that four years ago he was a newborn baby. Children are always learning and growing. It is exciting to see my boy climbing and doing the monkey bars, but it is just as amazing to hear him say that he is sorry for hurting someone else. He is not perfect, but he is wants to help others. He is doing the best he can in a messy world to find his own way of sharing God's blessings.
As an adult, I don't always look for new ways to grow. Instead, I will look for ways to prove that I am right. I hope we can all take a little insight from James. I also want to take some wisdom for children. We all need to be willing to grow. We all have the ability to make an impact, and we are all loved by God. Let's open our hearts to this love today!
Blessings!
Pastor Brian
