Lection: James 1

September 1, 2024

James 1:17-27
Psalm 42
Romans 8:19-25

“To Hope and Act with Creation”

The theme for the 2024 Season of Creation is “To Hope and Act with Creation” based on the passage Marianne just read from Romans 8:19-25. This biblical image pictures the Earth as a mother, groaning as in childbirth.

Thousands of years after this passage was written in a letter from the Apostle Paul to the Church at Rome, its imagery takes on new meaning for Christians grappling with the climate crisis and looking for hope for the future of our planet.

Along with our Sister, Mother Earth, creatures of all kinds today, including humans, are crying out because of the consequences of our destructive actions causing climate crisis, loss of biodiversity, and human suffering as well as Creation’s suffering.

Our national and international news is filled with stories of climate-change induced disasters affecting human communities. Out-of-control forest fires have become such a common occurrence in Canada that we probably all know at least one person or family who has been evacuated or even lost their home in the last ten years.

Other communities have been devastated by destructive floods, typhoons, and other weather events that people used to refer to as “acts of God” as if … Read more »

September 2, 2018

Song of Solomon 2:8-13
James 1:17-27
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

“What is our religion really about?

 

What does it mean to be a person of faith, a religious person, a spiritual person, or a member of the church? These are questions that I encounter and find myself discussing on a regular basis. From people outside the church, I’m often asked, “Why do people still go to church? What do they get out of it?” And with those inside the church – especially those who are actively engaged in leadership and decision-making – the discussion is usually around the question of what is most important in our faith. What is the foundation of our faith? What are the essential practices? What must we continue and emphasize, and what are the small “t” traditions that we can let go of at times as we move along with a rapidly-changing world.

As I read and reflected on the scripture readings assigned for today in our lectionary, it was these questions about the meaning and significance of our faith and religious practice that were swirling through my head. Because each of today’s texts contributes some significant ideas to such a discussion, helping us to answer for ourselves and for … Read more »

September 2, 2012

Song of Solomon 2:8-13
James 1:17-27
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

What does it mean to be a person of faith, a religious person, a spiritual person, or a member of the church? These are questions that I encounter and find myself discussing on a regular basis. From people outside the church, I’m often asked, “Why do people still go to church? What do they get out of it?” And with those inside the church – especially those who are actively engaged in leadership and decision-making – the discussion is usually around the question of what is most important in our faith. What is the foundation of our faith? What are the essential practices? What must we continue and emphasize, and what are the small “t” traditions that we can let go of at times as we move along with a rapidly-changing world.

As I read and reflected on the scripture readings assigned for today in our lectionary, it was these questions about the meaning and significance of our faith and religious practice that were swirling through my head. Because each of today’s texts contributes some significant ideas to such a discussion, helping us to answer for ourselves and for our neighbours … Read more »