Epistle of James #11 - The Big Picture

The big picture presented by the Epistle of James is that our faith is evidenced by the way we live. We most often think of this in terms of our individual Christian lives, but, as we know, the Christian life is best understood as "life together." So, what does this life of faith expressed through action look like.

One helpful perspective is that of the 3Ts: Table, Towel, and Talk.

Table - We gather together for the Lord's Supper. We gather together in fellowship. Everyone comes, and everyone comes as equals. As it has been often said, "the ground is level at the foot of the cross." The same can be said for our gatherings at the Table. We come and fellowship. This is where it is best demonstrated, "See how they love one another."

Towel - We serve. We serve one another. We look after one another. And while our focus is looking after the needs of the other - and not primarily focusing on our own needs - when necessary we gratefully receive the help and service of others to meet our needs. (This is hard for me.) And what we learn about service inside the fellowship, we take into the world. When John Wesley said "The world is my parish," he was referring to our shared responsibility to bless and care for people everywhere. So, we pick up our towel and serve.

Talk - Jay McGehean did a great job last Sunday helping us think about how the Spirit can help us "tame the tongue." Our responsibility is to bless and not curse, to say words that lift up God and others, and not bring them down. Sometimes, this means explicitly talking about Jesus and faith. Most times it simply means using our words in ways that are kind, helpful, and encouraging. 

Grace and peace