Throughout my work as a parish minister I have regularly taken worship services in aged care facilities. If I am honest, it would often be a highlight of my week. On each occasion I would make sure there was a … Read more
Category: James
James 5:13-20. Prayers for healing
James concludes his letter with encouragements to prayer. Some turn inhis words into accusations that if we are not healed by prayer it is because we have unconfessed wrong in our lives or inadequate faith. This is to misunderstand what … Read more
James 5:7-12. The truth about happiness (Lent 2)
As James finishes his letter he returns to the themes he opened with – how to endure, suffering and prayer. He gives us the encouragement of examples of endurance (the prophets in verse 10 and Job in verse 11) who … Read more
James 4.1-5.6. Come near to God (Lent 1)
God wants beauty for his church not the ugliness earthly or demonic wisdom produces when we quarrels and slander. James likens these quarrels to murder and adultery because we hate what we should love, we become faithless to God and … Read more
James 3:13-18. Wisdom in a time of war
There are two kinds of wisdom. Two ways of believing and acting in life that gather praise in different ways from different kinds of people. One is our default setting. It is earthly and too often demonic. The other is … Read more
James 3:1-12. Words that hurt
We are so buried in words we are distracted from how important they are. There are two issues James raises in this section of his letter: the key to changing our lives is linked to our words and, how we … Read more
James 2:14-26. Faith Works
Being religious isn’t enough. Saying you have faith or are spiritual just does not cut it. It’s all too cheap. It is no accident that the greatest critics of religion are Biblical authors like James. In this passage he shows … Read more