09-05-20

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
September 5, 2020
Scripture: James 1:27
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.

Thought for the Day: As you may know, the 16th century reformer, Martin Luther, wanted to exclude The Book of James from the Bible, though it was for a very specific theological reason. Over the years, I have met numerous people who have echoed Martin Luther’s desire to put James in some nonBiblical category, but their reason was mostly connected to passages like the one above. They were fine talking about love and the cross and the empty tomb, but they had very little interest in talking about what our faith should look like as it relates to the most vulnerable in our world. They wanted the peace that came with God’s grace, while not being confronted with voices like Dietrich Bonhoeffer who challenged the church on what he called Cheap Grace. Plenty of folks seek the benefits of God’s grace, but are not interested in the responsibility and expectations associated with grace. I want James exactly where it is because there are days when I need James. It almost feels like a healthy tug of war, where we find ourselves in the tension of grace – the tension between the liberating gift of grace and the holy requirement put before those who have accepted the gift.

Prayer: May your grace that has liberated me, O Holy One of Heaven, be the catalyst that thrusts me into the world where your grace is so desperately needed. Amen.

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