This whole month, we are going to be talking about relationships. Last week we started with Ephesians, talking about husbands and wives, as well as our relationship with Christ. Hopefully, for both instances, you saw how relationships should be about mutuality, reciprocity, love, and respect not dominance, subjugation, and inequality. Even the God of all the universe desires to be in a mutual relationship with us.
Today, we are looking at James chapter 2—faith without works is dead. James 2 is one of my favorite passages in scripture. I feel very strongly about doing something with my faith, about sharing God’s love, about living Christ’s example of humble service from the last supper. My conviction is so strong that sometimes it edges into works righteousness—the belief that we earn redemption if we just do enough good. To be quite honest., I’ve had to work hard to accept God’s grace as it comes despite my flaws, and in spite of my lack of action. God loves me, accepts me, and redeems me regardless of who I am or what I’ve done. And, of course, the same is true for you. You do not have to earn God’s love. In fat, you CANNOT earn God’s love—it is a gift of grace—something that can never be earned. It can only be given and received.
Now, despite my love of this passage, or maybe because of it, I heard the passage differently this week. This time as I looked at it again and thought about relationships, I heard not just the encouragement to act on our faith, but I also heard how action leads to deepening our faith—how it strengthens our relationships with Christ and with others. I heard the need to be intentional in our faith walk and relationship building with God.
I regularly look at things in the everyday and see a theological theme and my experience with the show the Bachelorette was no different. This year, I got hooked on the show. Now, in years past I have not had a tinge of interest in either the Bachelor series or the Bachelorette. I’ve avoided the competitive, selfish, forced, and superficial nature of these relationships of this so-called “Reality” tv show. But, somehow, this year was different. This year I watched faithfully as this 26 year old southern belle from Atlanta dated and discerned her way to a life partner. I can’t tell you why exactly I watched DeAnna and her group of bachelors week after week—maybe it was my similarities with her—age, hair color, having lived in Atlanta, hoping to find a bachelor who meets my expectations, or maybe it was the stellar men who lined up at her door—either way, I watched.
I loved the show and would discuss it with friends as they joked that I should be nominated next. And yet, despite my interest, I also had to critique it. The romantic and once-in-a-lifetime dates were incredible, enviable even, but I was always hoping for something more. I wanted a greater test of character, something that added even more depth to their relationships. I began imagining my own dates—a visit to a local homeless shelter to wash feet and feed the hungry, after-school tutoring for elementary kids, building a house for Habitat for Humanity or with UMCOR along the Gulf Coast in Mississippi. I yearned for dates that shape people, that challenge them, and that draw them into being a better person and a better partner.
Having dinner together is great, but I think we learn and grow so much more when we live beyond ourselves, when we invest in others, and when we live the love that God has given.
For me, the need for greater depth of activity and relationships on the Bachelorette parallels our need for greater depth in our actions and in our relationships in our faith walk. I’d parallel going out to dinner on a date with going to church on Sunday. I know, they’re fairly incongruent, but hear me out. Generally, if you’re going to go on a date, going to dinner is a basic, often a given, and an element of relationships that is fundamental and expected. Similarly, if you are a believer—you go o church. It’s the easiest way to identify a disciple—they go to church regularly. Church attendance is basic, fundamental, and generally expected for the Christian faith journey.
Now, let me be clear, I am not criticizing either of these activities. I’ve gone to dinner on my fair share of dates and I obviously believe in going to church! But I also believe in doing more for our relationships. Going to church is a first step. It is fundamental and key to our faith for the way it forms bonds between us and others, how it draws us into worship regularly, how it challenges us to hear and practice God’s word and how it reminds us to be open to receiving God’s blessings. And as great as the blessings are when we gather for worship, there are even greater blessings when we invest in reading together, loving others, giving of ourselves, investing in the lives and well-being of those in need, in sharing of ourselves and our faith story, in praying with one another, in challenging our beliefs, in ridding ourselves of bad habits.
Yes, we can have a good relationship just by going to church, but we have better chances of a great relationship, of really growing in God and with others when we do Christ’s works—when we live our faith.
Let me give you another example, say you grew up, like I did, eating meat and potatoes, chicken, meatloaf, salad, grilled cheese and pancakes, and a variety of fruits and vegetables. You had a good wholesome diet that provided you the nutrients you needed. You had a good menu of foods to eat. But what if your menu could be great?! What if you could sample from the amazing schmorgasborg of food available around the world? Would you enjoy the spice of salsa? Tender lamb with yogurt dill sauce? Mango chutney? The spice of kimchi? The palate cleansing zip of wasabi on your sushi? Not only would you find new flavors, but you would also receive new nutrients and more vitamins and minerals that fuel your body. It’s not that your original diet was wrong, just that there is so much more you could add to it.
In a similar way, your relationship with Christ and with others may be balanced with study, prayer, worship, and mission—a good faith diet. But there is also a schmorgasborg of flavors to try in our faith walk as well—there are hospital visits, covenant groups, meditation time, prayer development, Bible studies to last a life time, and thousands, if not millions, of ways to reach out and serve others.
As we read this passage in James, it’s not just that our works show our faith—that they are a fruit that proves we in fact have faith, but they are the means through which we grow in faith and grow in our relationship with God and with others. Our faith requires action. We need to be involved in active ministry—doing for others in order to receive all the nutrients our soul needs. So as you go forth this day and into the week, I want you to think about how you are nourishing your faith walk and your relationship with Christ. What activities of depth are you doing to foster your relationship? Are you serving others? Spending daily time in prayer? Regular time studying the word? Are you seeking greater depth and not sure where to turn? How are you being challenged in your faith so that you might grow stronger and more faithful?
You have homework this week! And if you want a conversation partner, please just give me a call or make an appointment to see me and we’ll sit and talk about your faith journey and how you might further develop your relationship with God and with others.
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