Daily Devotion, September 21, 2022

 

Devotion:

Read James 1:22-25.

The United Methodist college where I served as Chaplain had a strong tradition of service to the community. It was truly a campus which valued being “doers of the word and not hearers only.” There were many days and scheduled events of service throughout the year! One day a beloved and distinguished History professor who was of the Lutheran denomination said to me with a smile and twinkle in his eye, “You Methodists are always ‘doing’ something, we Lutherans just believe in ‘being’ something.”

Through the years, I have come to realize that faithful discipleship involves both “being” and “doing”. And James sums it up so beautifully in these verses. If we are followers of Christ, then our actions need to give evidence of that proclamation of who we are.

Bible commentaries remind us that James is writing to encourage the whole community of faith to be “doers of the word.” When we make our commitment into the life of our church, we pledge to “faithfully participate in its ministries by our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness.”

In his book, “A Disciple’s Path”, James A. Harnish writes, “Every follower of Christ becomes a co-worker with God in God’s transformation of this world when we discover and use our gifts.” Harnish continues, “The people of God---ordinary people like every one of us---must convince the world of the reality of the gospel and be faithful as a witnessing and serving community.”

The Book of James has strong words throughout, to always be mindful and serve the most vulnerable in the community.

In our prayer of confession and pardon during our Service of Word and Table, we pray for God’s forgiveness because “we have not heard the cry of the needy.” And we ask God to “free us for joyful obedience, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Joyful obedience is “hearing and doing acts of service for the most vulnerable among us, in Christ’s name.”

Personal Worship Option:

Let the last stanza from the hymn, “Lord, Whose Love Through Humble Service” by Albert F. Bayly be our prayer today, “Called by worship to your service, forth in your dear name we go to the child, the youth, the aged, love in living deeds to show; hope and health, good will and comfort, counsel, aid, and peace we give, that your servant, Lord, in freedom, may your mercy know, and live.” Amen.