More Jeremiah, and now James

  

Dear Bible Challenge participants,

  

And so our adventure in Jeremiah continues. We've heard him proclaim. We've heard him cajole, urge. We've seen him engage symbolic acts. They're just not listening... Especially the King. Not at all... What a scene: as Zedekiah hacked away at the scroll with the pen knife, feeding Jeremiah's warnings to the brazier flames.  And agonizingly, Zedekiah is about to get his, as we hear again the story of the defeat of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans. As we read the more painful passages, I'm grateful for the beauty and hope of chapter 31, and the message of a new covenant:

 

31 The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32 It won't be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant with me even though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 No, this is the covenant that I will make with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my Instructions within them and engrave them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 They will no longer need to teach each other to say, "Know the Lord!" because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord; for I will forgive their wrongdoing and never again remember their sins.   

 

And we've left exquisite Hebrews for practical James.  I'm glad we can read James together, while as a larger parish community we're hearing James in worship.

 

Theories of the authorship of James abound...the most beloved theory may be that it was written by Jesus' half brother, James, though this may have to do with our wish that we could have that kind of close, incarnate, relationship with Jesus. 

 

James has been received with mixed reviews for centuries. Martin Luther, in particular, was no fan, because Luther much preferred Paul's "salvation by faith alone" to James, "if you have faith, but not works, then your faith is dead" take on things... Can faith save you? Paul would say yes, but we heard James say, in worship this weekend, "not by itself..." "Be doers of the word, not hearers only" may be the most quoted passage from James.  This intro to the text covers the various issues of authorship and content well.

 

Over the last week, our readings have caused two songs to be stuck in my head...

 

Oh for the Wings of a Dove and

 

All Good Gifts from Godspell

  

As ever, thank you for being on this journey!

  

Peace,

Paige+ 


Contact Us

 

the Rev. Paige Blair

Office (858) 755-1616 Ext. 101 * Cell 858-248-7247