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James 2:14, 17, 19, 24-26

BY CHARLES SLAUGH

In his letter to the 12 tribes, James says that faith by itself, without works, is dead. The outward sign of our faith is works.

As a volunteer chaplain, I am called to the local hospital for a variety of emergencies and non-emergencies. I visit emergency rooms, intensive care units, and pre-operative areas for different situations. I have prayed with folks before their non-life threatening surgeries and procedures; I have prayed with a young couple over their stillborn baby; I have prayed with families who were about to 'pull the plug' on a loved one.

Pulling the plug, discontinuing life support systems, is what we do when a patient can no longer sustain their own bodily functions in order to live. Machines can keep the body working, heart beating and lungs breathing; but the spirit and the brain functions are absent - gone, never to return. There seems to be no hope for brain-dead folks, so decisions are made to pull the plug on the equipment that sustains bodily functions; and then the patient usually dies.

James seems to say that faith without works is like a faith on life support; it has a heart beat and it breathes, but on its own, it is not alive. Faith without works and works without faith are incomplete because they rely on the presence of each other for wholeness.

As believers in Christ we respond to our faith by following Jesus? instructions to love and care for our neighbors.

One of my congregations participates in a soup kitchen by providing and serving meals to people who are unable to provide for themselves. This is a response to faith; with Christ in our hearts we cannot help but feed and clothe and comfort anyone, whenever and wherever we encounter the need.

A strong faith becomes part of our spiritual DNA and this DNA provides an automatic response of caring and giving, loving and responding according to Christ?s will.

The automatic response of love and compassion is a sort of symptom of our faith. If we lack works, if we lack love, we may be lacking the symptoms of the condition called 'faithful child of God.'

James speaks of faith without works. He tells us that faith alone, with no responses (works) of outreach and discipleship, is like a human body on life support; if we pull the plug we find the faith is dead. To be alive in our faith, James says, we need to show the symptoms of faith by our works.

Whether it is soup kitchens, hospital and prison visits, homeless shelters, food pantries and clothes closets, preschools, youth programs, shut-in visits, meals on wheels or sharing our faith with others, our living faith compels us to live as Christ lived and to respond to our faith as Christ would.

God has blessed us mightily with many gifts, and giving of ourselves through works is one of God?s greatest gifts. When we give of ourselves, we receive back as well. When we respond to God by doing good works, our faith comes to life and there is no plug to pull.

Rev. Charles Slaugh serves the Pipe Creek Larger Parish Charge in New Windsor.

A DEVOTIONAL for the Discipleship Adventure

Celebrate: What hymn expresses your faith today? Why? Sing it with gusto.

Connect: Who has welcomed you or given you gbwc_superuserance or protection, reaching out to you by faith? Call that person and tell them how their 'works' strengthened your faith or helped you in your time of need.

Serve: Today?s reading is a call for us to do something because of our faith, not simply bask in God?s love. What 'works' will you engage in this week?

Share: With another disciple, reflect on this week?s 'works.' In what ways do your works produce a sense of wholeness and renewed life?