Doers of the Word

Recently I heard a story that illustrates why clergy and church musicians are often the source of conflict in a parish. I have to say right away that our music director and I get along very well, in large part because of his professionalism and my own background in music. So this story is not about us, nor anyone else you know.

The priest in this story saw himself as the CEO, in control of everything in that church. His people skills were not the best. He created conflict but could not handle it. On one particular Sunday there was a guest organist, a distinguished music professor filling in for the regular person. Between the two services the priest and the organist had a cordial conversation for several minutes. Shortly afterwards the organist met with the choir to rehearse the next service. Before they began, a choir member said, “Father So-and-so said that you’re playing the hymns too fast. He wants you to slow down.” The organist was furious. Why hadn’t the priest said that to his face? Why have someone else say it? Once again, the priest had created needless conflict by his actions.

What we do reveals who we are inside. That’s the message we hear from both Jesus and James. Faith is not enough. What we do is as important as what we believe.

Martin Luther hated the letter of James. Luther was reacting to the Roman Catholic theology of his day, which said that we can earn our own salvation, even buy our way into it. Luther called this “works righteousness,” a term still used disparagingly by Lutherans. But that’s not what the letter is saying at all. First of all, James says quite rightly that all the good we do comes from God. We can rejoice when we do good, but we can’t take credit for it. The credit goes to God. Secondly, he says that it isn’t enough to just hear God’s word. Hearing has to be turned into action. He uses a lovely metaphor of looking in a mirror. As soon as one walks away from the mirror, the image is forgotten. That’s like someone who comes to church on Sunday to confess sins, then spends the rest of the week committing another whole list of sins to confess the next Sunday.

Jesus is more pointed in his condemnation. The religious leaders of his day had created a whole list of rules that they thought would lead to salvation. So they questioned why Jesus’ followers did not obey them. Jesus didn’t spare his words. He called them hypocrites, and proceeded to overturn all of their carefully regulated rituals for eating. “Don’t worry about what you eat or how you eat it,” he told the crowd. “Worry about what comes out of your mouth, not what goes into it. What comes out of your mouth reveals who you really are.” Just in case they missed the point, he gave a long list of evil thoughts that come from the heart.

I’m always reluctant to talk politics from the pulpit, although in a presidential election year it’s hard not to. Don’t worry; I’m not going to promote either party. But I think today’s lessons are really political in nature, especially when so much religious language has become part of our political scene. Do those who speak in the name of religion bridle their tongues? Do they truly care for the orphans and widows, or do they do whatever will please the wealthy donors of whatever stripe? Do they protect those who are most vulnerable, or cater to those who are most valuable to themselves? We hear a lot of what those seeking political office believe. How do their actions reveal who they really are inside?

You’ll be happy to know that the priest in the opening story is no longer at that parish. He has taken his conflict-creating skills elsewhere. As far as I know, he still talks one way and acts another. That’s not the way of Jesus. Jesus says that what we do is just as important as what we believe, because it shows what is going on in our hearts. That’s why I’m glad our church is having its third annual community picnic next week. They are a loving group of people. They forgive those that get on their nerves. And they like to cook and eat. Next week they will take that love of Christ to the park across the street and feed anyone and everyone who comes. They won’t care if people have washed their hands, or even their bodies. They won’t mind if they come back for seconds. Democrats might even feed Republicans, and vice versa. That this will happen means that they have heard Jesus and invited him into their hearts. They are doers, not just hearers. James himself would be proud!

[Pentecost 14: James 1:17-27; Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23.]