09/01/2024 ~ Proper 17 ~ Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost ~ Song of Solomon 2:8-13; Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9; Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9; Psalm 15; James 1:17-27; Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 ~ VIDEO OF FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7960701/video/1006188672

Be Doers

“Be doers, act on this Word, and not merely hearers. Because if all you do is listen, you are deceiving yourself.” — James 1:22.

One large firm at which I worked when I was involved with Wall Street back office operations had a pretty standard policy. Job openings in other areas of the company got posted.

But the tricky part of applying for a job inside the company at which you work is, if you apply for that job you’ve just insulted your current boss since what you’re saying to your supervisor is— “Hey! You! You’re great. But I don’t want to work with you any more.”

So, the secret of applying for another position within a company is simple. Keep on the good side of your boss. Be their friend, even their confidant.

Why? At some point your boss may well be asked by management if they have someone who might be right for another job. And you want your boss to say: “Well, I really, really hate to lose an employee of such an outstanding caliber. But I can see this move would be the right because it’s good for the company.” (Slight pause.)

I once changed jobs in an internal move. How was I able to do that? My boss approved. After I had moved, I asked him this question: “If you had to design a job for me, what would it be?”

“Oh, that’s easy,” he said. “I’d put a clipboard in your hands and let you walk around and just observe. I guarantee in a couple of weeks you’d come back and suggest all kinds of possible changes. Of course,” he said with a little nervous laugh, “the company doesn’t give me the budget to assign anyone that task. But you’d be the one.”

“So, you see me as a consultant?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said. “That’s what it is— a consultant.” (Slight pause.)

Probably through no fault of my own, that’s what I’ve often found myself doing as an ordained pastor— acting as a consultant. In the denomination of my ordination, the United Church of Christ, I’ve been on and been the Chair of what’s called the Church and Ministry Committee. That committee oversees and mentors people seeking ordination, guides newly ordained pastors and also works with, consults with churches on a myriad of topics.

I’ve also been the Moderator of a local Church Association. Doing that work I’ve been asked to consult with churches a number of times. I was often asked to offer some advice about by-laws and other internal operations.

Of course, I had a reputation as a by-law geek back in New York. By-law geek— that’s a pretty narrow group. Is it a good thing? Maybe, maybe not.

I was on a committee that reworked the New York Conference By-laws… twice. I was on a committee that reworked the By-laws of the local Association… twice.

I used to say all that work helped me figured our a good retirement job— church consultant. Oh, wait— I’m an Interim. That’s what I’m doing. (Slight pause.)

These words are from the work known as James: “Be doers, act on this Word, and not merely hearers. Because if all you do is listen, you are deceiving yourself.” (Slight pause.)

When I was a student at Bangor Seminary, a consultant was hired to help the school through a visioning process. So a committee was formed to do this work. And yep— I got invited to participate on the committee doing that work.

Our sessions started with a weekend retreat on the Maine Coast— now there’s a hard job. At that retreat we had multiple meetings with that consultant. This person was very clear about one basic item, one basic idea. He could not do the work for us.

He could advise. He could cajole, coax, suggest possible paths. But we had to be both willing to be coaxed and then choose the paths ourselves. Then there was one more choice to be made. We could seriously consider the advice we heard from this consultant or blithely ignore it.

He then stated the obvious. After he left, he would no longer be there as we moved through the results of the process.

So we also had to think about how to move forward. We had to do the initial work and then do the continuing work. We had to constantly keep working the process. If we were successful constant change— which is what is really necessary in any organization— constant change would be empowered. (Slight pause.)

It is, I think, helpful to see the writer of James as struggling with the integrity of the Christian life. What gives Christian life wholeness? What identifies Christian life? How can belief and action be held together in unity?

Put differently, how can belief and action possibly be separated? In short, how can people live out what they believe? (Slight pause.)

What was true in ancient times is still true today. Back then and today we seem to place a monetary value on everything. We seem to want assurance that our faith is worth something. The problem with a “what’s it worth” attitude is it turns faith into a commodity.

When we turn faith into a commodity, like what happens with any other commodity or acquisition, we resort to calculating. We ask if the rewards are worth the effort. We also tend to separate beliefs and actions and ask if the rewards are about our belief or about our actions. (Slight pause.)

The writer of James is clear: the reward— the blessing, if you would— is not a goal. And the reward is in not just in listening and in not just in action. If there is a reward that reward is in listening and then acting based on listening.

Still, all this cannot even be thought of in terms of being a reward. That is an inappropriate way of envisioning it. Rather, Christianity is both a way of approaching life and Christianity is a way of life.

As an example of this way of life the author uses the kind of action found in the Hebrew Scriptures. (Quote): “…coming to the aid of orphans and widows….” As was stated when this reading was introduced these are code words for “the poor and the outcast.” (Slight pause.)

In our times we hear a lot about cost/benefit, especially when it comes to helping others. Scripture is clear: calculating cost/benefit has no place in the community of faith. Relationship is central.

When relationships are central it sets up an obvious sequence. When we carefully listen, we need to do, need to take action. When we take action we are empowered to love.

When we love, we are then empowered to seek better understandings. When we understand better, we grow in love. Love becomes stronger, deeper, more intimate, more mature. And when that happens we listen still more deeply. (Slight pause.)

I need to be clear: all this is hard work with many parts. It comes naturally to none of us. But doing is vital if we are to integrate faith and understanding with love and with community. Or, as the writer of James puts it (quote): “Be doers, act on this Word, and not merely hearers.” Amen.

09/01/2024
Elijah Kellogg Church, Harpswell, Maine

ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Congregational Response and Benediction. This is a précis of what was said: “There’s a modern heresy that says ‘life is compartmentalized’— faith is over here and action is over here— it’s a unit. There is another modern heresy which seems to be going around— how society is formed has absolutely no influence on our lives. We cause our own outcomes, outcomes like poverty. Do you know anyone who wants tio be poor? Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame Gustavo Gutiérrez Merino said this on that topic: ‘…the poor person does not exist as an inescapable fact of destiny. Poor persons are a by-product of the system in which we live and for which we are responsible… Hence, the poverty of the poor is not a call to generous relief action but a demand that we go and build a different social order.’— Gustavo Gutiérrez Merino, Notre Dame University.”

BENEDICTION: God’s Word lights our path. The risen Christ dwells among us. The Holy Spirit, guides, protects and sustains us. Let us go forth from this service of worship and offer service to the world in the name of Christ, for the grace of God is deeper than our imagination, the strength of Christ is stronger than our need, the communion of the Holy Spirit is richer than our togetherness. May God guide and sustain us today and in all our tomorrows. Amen.