April 27, 2012

It is good to be back home. California is a nice place to visit, and though I was born there and my daughter has made it her home for almost 5 years, it is clearly a different culture! I enjoyed my 4 days there, and am ready to jump back into the work of pastoring and being a servant leader in this community.

Last night Audrey and I attended the performance of Garrison Keillor. It turned out that he was on the same plane I was yesterday morning from Los Angeles to Springfield (Audrey saw him deplane). His 2 ½ hour monologue was humorous, interesting, more R rated than I would have liked, and he ended by saying that on his mind tonight was a Lutheran Pastor who called him before the show and is depressed and at the end of her rope. He said he didn’t know how to help a pastor. He closed by leading us in singing “There is a Balm in Gilead” which was nice, since Audrey and I were among the few who knew the words.

Tonight Rochelle will host the worship arts celebration which replaces the Valentine’s Day choir party. Audrey has asked me to help her with a unique piece that will require me to sing. I am looking forward to a special poem written by Jeff Slemp about Republic Road. Tomorrow I will attend the United Methodist Men’s breakfast and then hopefully take a couple flying, still pending from the July benefit for Danny Smith.

James 5

This fifth chapter of this short epistle is full of practical advice. It begins with 6 verses of railing against “the rich,” who have lived in luxury having defrauded laborers their wages and condemned to death righteous men. All of us who live in the middle class in America must take heed to these verses, because even though we have not directly defrauded laborers, there is always the benefit from sweat shops around the world who produce clothes and shoes for the market, whose laborers are not fairly compensated.

Verses 7-11 are encouraging words about being patient, like the farmer waiting for the crops to mature and bear fruit. “Behold, we count those blessed who endured… Job… the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.” These verses speak directly to me this morning, as I contemplate what it means for me to be patient, to expect to see the Lord’s hand blessing my life and ministry as I endure, now approaching my 30th year as a pastor.

Verses 13-18 are some of the strongest words about prayer. “Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him…the effective prayer of a righteous mans avails much.” I need to regularly be reminded of this promise. I pray every day. I encourage and teach others to pray. I realize the results of prayer. And I must refresh my understanding regularly of the impact of prayer.

The last two verses of this epistle alert the reader to the powerful result of turning a sinner from the error of his or her ways. Every follower of Christ must be ready to do so, and always be alert for the opportunity to invest in a wayward soul.

Guide me today, most holy Lord as I journey forward. Give me endurance, faith, perseverance in prayer, and a watchfulness for anyone who might be deluded by the error of his or her current direction.