This is getting posted many months late, but I like it enough that I thought it should still be shared even given the lateness. May you find a blessing in this sermon!
“Faith Is a Verb”
Sermon, Year B, Proper 17, August 30, 2015
Plymouth United Church of Christ, Eau Claire, WI
©2015 Rev. David J. Huber
Focus Scripture: James 1:17-27, Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Over the last couple of years I’ve been slowly growing more and more into the thought of not liking the word “Christian” so much as a description, or a way to talk about the faith that I proclaim or how I think of myself. Though that is what I am. But there is something about the word that is not as active as I would like it to be. To me, the word implies that the importance is on what I believe. THe precepts, the doctrine, the faith claims.
But the first Christians did not call themselves by that name. They called themselves “Followers of Jesus”. Or disciples or apostles of Jesus, or most commonly they called themselves “followers of The Way”. Words that described how they lived. The key words being “follower” or “disciple” are action words. Words about how they lived, not about the belief of abstract concepts. To be a follower of Jesus is to be a verb.
To live the way that Jesus would have us live.
There is the old question of, “If you were to be put on trial for being a Christian (or being a follower of Jesus) would there be enough evidence to convict you?”
Something to think about Would you life *show* what you believed? Were the hungry fed, were the prisoners released, were the suffering cared for, were the poor championed, did you treat your neighbors with love and fairness, did you share the good news and invite people to share in the good new with you, did you deal ethically with people at work and in the rest of your life, did you offer forgiveness, did you bridle your tongue, did you watch what you say, did you strive to lift up and not to destroy, did you live humbly, meekly, peacefully?
That’s why I like to say that I am a follower of Jesus, or a disciple of Jesus. I am trying to live like him. I want to live like Jesus did. And I certainly don’t do that well by any means. I stumble and fall and make mistakes, as we all do. But it is a striving to be more like Jesus wants us to be.
The writer of the letter of James is saying here that it is not enough to believe, to accept a set of belief statements, or to make intellectual assent to whatever you are “supposed” to believe. One has to live it. Go beyond the believing and live it.
Later in the letter, and we will read these words next week, he says that faith without works, he says, is dead. Not in this passage, but elsewhere in the letter. You’ll hear that in a few weeks.
He did say in this passage: “But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.”
He goes on to say, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror.”
It’s to be a disciple. A lived faith.
That’s what the church is about, discipleship. Everything we do is related to discipleship in one way or another, but this coming year we’re focusing on it specifically, with our discipleship plans and ideas. Connect - Grow - Love. To connect with others, to grow in faith, and to live the faith through acts of love. We’re focusing on it specifically this year.
And I want to mention that over the years, some people have wanted to remove this letter from the Bible or even to keep it out when the early Christians were deciding which ones to put into the New Testament. Martin Luther wasn’t a fan of it.
The reason being that this letter could be twisted into ways to turn our faith, to turn being a Jesus follower, into a never-ending attempt to earn God’s love by doing good works, and losing God’s love if we do bad works. That could be twisted, and has been twisted, into toxic religion of fear and anxiety.
But that is not the intent of the letter at all. The intent is to say, “Okay, now you’ve been baptised, you’ve made a faith claim, you’ve accepted God’s unconditional love: now go spread it to others! Don’t keep it yourself, don’t rest on your laurels, don’t think you’re done.” You have the salvation; but Jesus has called us to work for the realm of God, so go do stuff. Do it with a sense of joy, because we all already have God’s love. We are all loved by God unconditionally. Show your gratitude by living the way Jesus wants you to. Align yourself with God’s vision. Follow where Jesus has gone.
Jesus also said in the Gospel passage that it isn’t what goes into a person that defiles, it’s what comes out. What comes out, whether it be speech or action. Not about making sure you’re doing the proper rituals or following the rules to a T, with no regard how you live in community or toward others. But Jesus says it’s not failure to follow the rules or traditions that defile us, it’s what we say and do that can do it. As James said, “If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.”
Ouch. I say “ouch” because I know that applies to me. I don’t always bridle my tongue, and too many times have let it go very much unbridled in snarkiness, sarcasm, or just shutting down a conversation by shutting down the person.
So I made a New Year’s resolution coming into 2015 to bridle my tongue a lot better than I have been when I disagree with someone, or an idea, or see something that is so utterly ignorant it enrages me. Especially in online conversations where the consequences of unbridled tongue are much less, but in person as well. My heart, my spirit, were feeling the effects of the negativity. I think we see too much of that negative dialogue in our culture. Too much shouting and dehumanizing, and not enough conversation that leads somewhere helpful. We can disagree in positive ways; we can be angry in ways that don’t lash out to hurt others or demean or dehumanize; use that anger to build new ways of compassion instead of just destroying people.
I’ve not kept to that resolution like I’d like to. I’ve fallen. But I have faith that God loves me anyway, and that makes it easier to keep trying to live the way I want to live. That even if I fail, I don’t lose God’s love. God does not condemn me, God always forgives.
I also know that when I misbehave, I know that it does not mean I’ve lost God’s love, but it does mean that when I am misbehaving, I make it impossible for others to see God’s love coming through me, because it isn’t.
Being a Jesus follower really is about actions. Even if I wrote the most perfect four hundred page treatise proving the doctrine of the Trinity and believed every word of it, it’s worthless if I am not treating people, or the world, or my community, with respect and dignity.
Worthless if I don’t act like I believe it. Worthless if my belief has no positive impact on how I live as a disciple.
So you have some opportunities to live your discipleship.
Tuesday night you have a chance to be out doing and living discipleship: we’ll be serving watermelon and lemonade as part of our Tuesday night street ministry. This is a pretty low commitment, and not scary, opportunity. We will let the street ministry people be the ones in charge of praying with people, listening to their stories, helping them with water, food, clothing, and whatever needs they have. So you won’t have to do that. All you have to do is serve watermelon and lemonade, greet people with a smile, look them in the eye, tell them we’re doing this as an act of love and connection - there’s that word I’ve been using a lot lately! - with our community, and maybe chat a bit with them. It will expand your world, and that’s a good thing.
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God is to take care of widows and orphans - and in this case, people who are homeless.
Another way is to become part of a pastoral care ministry. I’d love to see us have a group of a few people, or even a lot of people, who would live their discipleship through prayer: praying for this congregation, praying for Eau Claire. Praying that God send us the people God has designated for us, praying for the success of our ministry, praying for the strength of our fellowship, that we beacons of light and hope in the Chippewa Valley. It would also be connecting with people, but does not have to be physical: not visiting per se, but I’d like to see each member of this congregation receive a phone call or a letter every three months from someone just to say “I’m thinking of you today, people are praying for you”. It would include something I’d like to see: connecting with people a year after a death, be it a spouse or a child or a parent, to call or write them to say “I know the first anniversary after the death is coming up - please know that you are in my prayers and thoughts.”
It’s a way for us to connect more closely within our fellowship - either by being the intentional connector, or being connected to.
And it’s a group that would never have to have a meeting, or a chairperson, or an annual report, or a secretary. It would take some reporting back to the office just to let us know what you’ve done, but that’s it.
If you’d like to be part of this ministry - being doers of the word - please drop the card in your bulletin in the offering plate.
It could include sending birthday cards, anniversary cards, get well cards. I’ve been sending birthday cards to people since I came here, but I’m thinking that would be good for someone or someones else to do - and I could send out cards on the anniversaries of your baptisms! I think that would be pretty cool, and a reminder to us who have been baptized that we don’t have just birthdays, but we also have re-birthdays. A reminder that on such and such a date, you took a vow (or perhaps later confirmed vows made on your behalf) to live by the Way of Jesus.
And today we celebrate a baptism! The entry of a person into the fellowship of the Church. That outward and visible sign of an inward invisible grace. A death to the self, and rebirth into the body of Christ that is the Church. Baptism is always a beginning of a journey. Whether it be a baby or an adult being baptised. It is the beginning of a journey into a life of faith. And just as the act of baptism is outward and public with the application of water and the words we speak, so also our faith is to be lived outward and public through acts of generosity, compassion, and love done in Jesus’ name as disciples.
So I challenge you to consider if the Spirit is leading you to help on Tuesday night or maybe on the pastoral care team. I also ask that as we come to the baptism today, pay attention to the words that we are saying. Pay attention to the words that we are saying in the baptismal covenant. Be mindful to what is being said, and ask yourself, “Have I been living up to that?” And don’t ask it in a way so that you beat yourself up for not living up to it. I never want people, and I don’t think God wants people, to beat ourselves up for making mistakes. Know that absolutely and for sure God loves you, God forgives you, and you always have God’s grace. But admit to where you could do better in living up to those vows, and let it change your heart.
And see where that takes you in your discipleship. See where that takes you as a follower of Jesus.
Amen.
“Faith Is a Verb”
Sermon, Year B, Proper 17, August 30, 2015
Plymouth United Church of Christ, Eau Claire, WI
©2015 Rev. David J. Huber
Focus Scripture: James 1:17-27, Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Over the last couple of years I’ve been slowly growing more and more into the thought of not liking the word “Christian” so much as a description, or a way to talk about the faith that I proclaim or how I think of myself. Though that is what I am. But there is something about the word that is not as active as I would like it to be. To me, the word implies that the importance is on what I believe. THe precepts, the doctrine, the faith claims.
But the first Christians did not call themselves by that name. They called themselves “Followers of Jesus”. Or disciples or apostles of Jesus, or most commonly they called themselves “followers of The Way”. Words that described how they lived. The key words being “follower” or “disciple” are action words. Words about how they lived, not about the belief of abstract concepts. To be a follower of Jesus is to be a verb.
To live the way that Jesus would have us live.
There is the old question of, “If you were to be put on trial for being a Christian (or being a follower of Jesus) would there be enough evidence to convict you?”
Something to think about Would you life *show* what you believed? Were the hungry fed, were the prisoners released, were the suffering cared for, were the poor championed, did you treat your neighbors with love and fairness, did you share the good news and invite people to share in the good new with you, did you deal ethically with people at work and in the rest of your life, did you offer forgiveness, did you bridle your tongue, did you watch what you say, did you strive to lift up and not to destroy, did you live humbly, meekly, peacefully?
That’s why I like to say that I am a follower of Jesus, or a disciple of Jesus. I am trying to live like him. I want to live like Jesus did. And I certainly don’t do that well by any means. I stumble and fall and make mistakes, as we all do. But it is a striving to be more like Jesus wants us to be.
The writer of the letter of James is saying here that it is not enough to believe, to accept a set of belief statements, or to make intellectual assent to whatever you are “supposed” to believe. One has to live it. Go beyond the believing and live it.
Later in the letter, and we will read these words next week, he says that faith without works, he says, is dead. Not in this passage, but elsewhere in the letter. You’ll hear that in a few weeks.
He did say in this passage: “But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.”
He goes on to say, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror.”
It’s to be a disciple. A lived faith.
That’s what the church is about, discipleship. Everything we do is related to discipleship in one way or another, but this coming year we’re focusing on it specifically, with our discipleship plans and ideas. Connect - Grow - Love. To connect with others, to grow in faith, and to live the faith through acts of love. We’re focusing on it specifically this year.
And I want to mention that over the years, some people have wanted to remove this letter from the Bible or even to keep it out when the early Christians were deciding which ones to put into the New Testament. Martin Luther wasn’t a fan of it.
The reason being that this letter could be twisted into ways to turn our faith, to turn being a Jesus follower, into a never-ending attempt to earn God’s love by doing good works, and losing God’s love if we do bad works. That could be twisted, and has been twisted, into toxic religion of fear and anxiety.
But that is not the intent of the letter at all. The intent is to say, “Okay, now you’ve been baptised, you’ve made a faith claim, you’ve accepted God’s unconditional love: now go spread it to others! Don’t keep it yourself, don’t rest on your laurels, don’t think you’re done.” You have the salvation; but Jesus has called us to work for the realm of God, so go do stuff. Do it with a sense of joy, because we all already have God’s love. We are all loved by God unconditionally. Show your gratitude by living the way Jesus wants you to. Align yourself with God’s vision. Follow where Jesus has gone.
Jesus also said in the Gospel passage that it isn’t what goes into a person that defiles, it’s what comes out. What comes out, whether it be speech or action. Not about making sure you’re doing the proper rituals or following the rules to a T, with no regard how you live in community or toward others. But Jesus says it’s not failure to follow the rules or traditions that defile us, it’s what we say and do that can do it. As James said, “If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.”
Ouch. I say “ouch” because I know that applies to me. I don’t always bridle my tongue, and too many times have let it go very much unbridled in snarkiness, sarcasm, or just shutting down a conversation by shutting down the person.
So I made a New Year’s resolution coming into 2015 to bridle my tongue a lot better than I have been when I disagree with someone, or an idea, or see something that is so utterly ignorant it enrages me. Especially in online conversations where the consequences of unbridled tongue are much less, but in person as well. My heart, my spirit, were feeling the effects of the negativity. I think we see too much of that negative dialogue in our culture. Too much shouting and dehumanizing, and not enough conversation that leads somewhere helpful. We can disagree in positive ways; we can be angry in ways that don’t lash out to hurt others or demean or dehumanize; use that anger to build new ways of compassion instead of just destroying people.
I’ve not kept to that resolution like I’d like to. I’ve fallen. But I have faith that God loves me anyway, and that makes it easier to keep trying to live the way I want to live. That even if I fail, I don’t lose God’s love. God does not condemn me, God always forgives.
I also know that when I misbehave, I know that it does not mean I’ve lost God’s love, but it does mean that when I am misbehaving, I make it impossible for others to see God’s love coming through me, because it isn’t.
Being a Jesus follower really is about actions. Even if I wrote the most perfect four hundred page treatise proving the doctrine of the Trinity and believed every word of it, it’s worthless if I am not treating people, or the world, or my community, with respect and dignity.
Worthless if I don’t act like I believe it. Worthless if my belief has no positive impact on how I live as a disciple.
So you have some opportunities to live your discipleship.
Tuesday night you have a chance to be out doing and living discipleship: we’ll be serving watermelon and lemonade as part of our Tuesday night street ministry. This is a pretty low commitment, and not scary, opportunity. We will let the street ministry people be the ones in charge of praying with people, listening to their stories, helping them with water, food, clothing, and whatever needs they have. So you won’t have to do that. All you have to do is serve watermelon and lemonade, greet people with a smile, look them in the eye, tell them we’re doing this as an act of love and connection - there’s that word I’ve been using a lot lately! - with our community, and maybe chat a bit with them. It will expand your world, and that’s a good thing.
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God is to take care of widows and orphans - and in this case, people who are homeless.
Another way is to become part of a pastoral care ministry. I’d love to see us have a group of a few people, or even a lot of people, who would live their discipleship through prayer: praying for this congregation, praying for Eau Claire. Praying that God send us the people God has designated for us, praying for the success of our ministry, praying for the strength of our fellowship, that we beacons of light and hope in the Chippewa Valley. It would also be connecting with people, but does not have to be physical: not visiting per se, but I’d like to see each member of this congregation receive a phone call or a letter every three months from someone just to say “I’m thinking of you today, people are praying for you”. It would include something I’d like to see: connecting with people a year after a death, be it a spouse or a child or a parent, to call or write them to say “I know the first anniversary after the death is coming up - please know that you are in my prayers and thoughts.”
It’s a way for us to connect more closely within our fellowship - either by being the intentional connector, or being connected to.
And it’s a group that would never have to have a meeting, or a chairperson, or an annual report, or a secretary. It would take some reporting back to the office just to let us know what you’ve done, but that’s it.
If you’d like to be part of this ministry - being doers of the word - please drop the card in your bulletin in the offering plate.
It could include sending birthday cards, anniversary cards, get well cards. I’ve been sending birthday cards to people since I came here, but I’m thinking that would be good for someone or someones else to do - and I could send out cards on the anniversaries of your baptisms! I think that would be pretty cool, and a reminder to us who have been baptized that we don’t have just birthdays, but we also have re-birthdays. A reminder that on such and such a date, you took a vow (or perhaps later confirmed vows made on your behalf) to live by the Way of Jesus.
And today we celebrate a baptism! The entry of a person into the fellowship of the Church. That outward and visible sign of an inward invisible grace. A death to the self, and rebirth into the body of Christ that is the Church. Baptism is always a beginning of a journey. Whether it be a baby or an adult being baptised. It is the beginning of a journey into a life of faith. And just as the act of baptism is outward and public with the application of water and the words we speak, so also our faith is to be lived outward and public through acts of generosity, compassion, and love done in Jesus’ name as disciples.
So I challenge you to consider if the Spirit is leading you to help on Tuesday night or maybe on the pastoral care team. I also ask that as we come to the baptism today, pay attention to the words that we are saying. Pay attention to the words that we are saying in the baptismal covenant. Be mindful to what is being said, and ask yourself, “Have I been living up to that?” And don’t ask it in a way so that you beat yourself up for not living up to it. I never want people, and I don’t think God wants people, to beat ourselves up for making mistakes. Know that absolutely and for sure God loves you, God forgives you, and you always have God’s grace. But admit to where you could do better in living up to those vows, and let it change your heart.
And see where that takes you in your discipleship. See where that takes you as a follower of Jesus.
Amen.
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