Readings: Song of Solomon 2: 8 -13; Psalm 45: 1-2, 7-10; James 1: 17-27; Mark 7: 1-8, 14-15, 21-23
A few weeks ago, I glanced at the readings for today, just wondering what they might be, only to discover that two of the readings had been read, on separate occasions, on important moments in my life. Let me tell you about that. First, Psalm 45, more of it than what we read this morning, was read at the service for my ordination as a priest, in November 1996. Some of you may have even been there at St John’s Cathedral. Brad Elliott, Joan Lawrence and I were ordained at the same gathering, and there was a friendship between this parish and Brad Elliott. Tony Harwood-Jones preached at that celebration, basing his sermon on Psalm 45. True to form, Tony was creative, thoughtful and even funny, at times.
The reading we are going to spend on our time on this morning is the text from the Epistle to James. This was read at my confirmation, many, many years ago at old St Jude’s Church. All of us 13 and 14 year olds were seated in the front pew of the church, the girls all in white dresses and veils, and the boys in suits, ties, and Brylcreem. During his sermon, the Bishop came down to the front row where we were seated. This imposing figure whom we did not know, told us to stand, turn around to face our families, and say after him, King James Version of course: “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves”. Our first time through, we rather mumbled and stumbled, so that we had to do it again. This may not be what you want to be doing when you did not see it coming.
What I heard of course was, “Be doers of the word”, that it was all about ‘doing’. Now I hear something different. Of course, the Bishop’s trick worked. I have remembered both the moment and the verse, and he gave us an opportunity to announce the word, to be evangelists.
Now I read the text and get a sense that it is all about integrity, and about the balance between hearing and doing. The text speaks to me now about owning who you are, who I am, and living into that identity in a good way. If this is who you are, if you take the word into you, how then do you live?
First, some back drop... Like the opening sequence in a movie, a backdrop, listen to verse 17: “Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father”...Of course, the chorus to “We plough the fields and scatter” is “All good gifts around us are sent from heaven above”. All is gift, all of life comes to us as gift from God. How then do we live? How then do we respond?
.. Now listen to the next phrase: “with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change”. Some of you will recognize.... “Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father, there is no shadow of turning with thee”. Stability. God remains faithful, ever present. Here is our stability in life: to know that life is gift, and that our God remains ever present, source of life, healing and compassion.
God, from whom all good gifts come gives us life... God gave us birth by the word of truth... We can know who we are, and whose we are. In the midst of all life, there is our stability, to know who we are and whose we are. James uses the phrase “first fruits”. The early Christians who read this letter of James would have caught the reference to the Hebrew tradition, where the farmer would bring the first produce of the harvest to offer to God. It belonged to God. We belong to God. If we know whose we are, then we live with integrity. How we speak, how we respond in tough situations, how we listen, it all reflects the life of God within us. To be a doer of the word means giving life and form in our choices and daily actions to that life of God within us. We each of us know our daily lives, and the possibilities open to us to give life and form to the word of God that has been written within us.
Here is James: “Welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls”. There is a word planted within you, within each of us, a word that has a power to bring wholeness. Your life is the place where God’s word has been written. Welcome that word. What would be the word written in your life? An interesting and contemplative way to pray would be to simply be still, and let a word arise within you. When you feel at a loss for how to pray, simply be still and watch for what word arises. What comes: love, forgiveness, compassion, hope... suffering, despair, greenness, light... The prayer involves being present to your own life and simply listening. Just be still, focus on God, and be attentive to what word that comes...
Sue Monk Kidd in her book, First Light, wrote: “The language of God is life itself, and I live with an unquenchable need to take my life in my hands and try to read the divine alphabet written upon it.” (page 41). In the story of your life, God’s story has been written. There is our identity and our self-awareness, in knowing our own story. It may take a couple of times of standing in front of the mirror to grasp what has been written there in our lives, of despair, of suffering and of hope and patience and perseverance, all wrapped up in God’s eternal, loving presence. How we pay attention to that word, how we give life and form to that word may well take a life time of explore, reflection and simply living out of faith. We may not have all the answers, no. Yet, we know that we are living our lives as those who have heard the word of God and are doers, those who are giving life and form to that word. Life is gift, and the stability of our life rests in God’s eternal presence, and God’s word is alive within us.
Thanks be to God.