Fractured
Life is hard. But the New Testament book of James (written by the half-brother of Jesus), reminds us that suffering is a paradoxical gift that can show us any fractures in our faith. In other words, the fracturing of our world reveals the integrity or inauthenticity of our faith. God can use these trials to fulfill his mission to help us become complete, whole, integrated, and perfect. James doesn't really present any new theological information in his letter. Instead, he gets into the business of believers to challenge them on how they are living so that they no longer live lives that are fractured from what they believe and how they live.
Joy in the Fracture
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:2-5
Integrate our actions
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. James 1:22-25
Integrate Our Words
Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness James 3:5-9
Integrate Our Prayer
Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven." James 5:13-15
integrate our fights
“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
James 4:2-4:4
Praise sunday
On Sunday, September 2, we enjoyed a unique worship experience - Praise Sunday! We shared a beautiful morning spending additional time in worship led by one of our worship leaders, Alicia, and her friends and bandmates.
