Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity. Our Sunday services this week are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes’ and 11 am at St Thomas’. If you are unabe to be with us in person, you will find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "As the Deer Pants for the Water"
Today's Bible Reading
James 3: 1-12 Taming the Tongue
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits.
How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no one can tame the tongue - a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.
Reflection
Last week we looked at James message that actions speak louder than words. However, we see in the part of his epistle a very cautionary warning about the power and impact that our words can have on others and indeed our own lives.
We can I am sure all recall times when we have said something that we regret and wish we had never said. Whether that is something said in the heat of the moment or where we have passed an opinion based on misinformation that has turned out to be wrong.
We have many sayings such as, ”to put your foot in your mouth” or ‘’I opened my mouth and spoke before I put my brain in gear”. A more modern idiom is, “oops did I say that out loud”. Unfortunately, these often seem to be used to trivialise something we have said that may be inappropriate.
In verse 2, James says, "For all of us make many mistakes..". Whilst this is an acknowledgement that none of us are perfect, it does not in any way excuse or absolve us from the responsibility we all have to take care before we say things.
In today’s age I would suggest that also includes what we might share on social media which has far wider implications that what might be said amongst a small gathering or a conversation with a friend.
James uses the analogies of a horse’s bit being used to steer a mighty and powerful horse, and also a rudder being used to steer a huge ship weighing tons. In both cases something disproportionately small has a huge impact on the direction of the thing it is steering.
In the same way, our tongue is a relatively small part of our body but can have significant ramifications for our whole lives. How we use our words, (spoken or written), can steer the direction of our lives and lead us astray from the straight path.
As Jesus said in the Gospel passage we read a few weeks ago, “it is what comes out that defiles us. For it is from within, from the human heart”, [Mark 7:20-21].
What we say reflects on how people perceive who we really are deep down. The opinions and views we articulate shape how others see us. Saying the wrong thing, whether deliberately or because we are just mindlessly repeating someone else’s views opens up a window on our character.
What we say can impact our jobs, our career advancement, and our standing and respect in the community. Like a small rudder can steer a massive ship, what we say with our small tongue can have a massive effect on friendships, relationships, even church and group fellowships.
James goes on to warn that what we say, whether intentionally or not, can have far reaching consequences beyond our imagination; like a raging forest fire started by a single discarded match. We saw a real example of this with the recent riots started by a single individual putting misinformation on the internet and letting it be stoked by others.
Of course it’s not all bad news. How we use our tongue can be a blessing. We can use it as Jesus used his tongue to comfort troubled sinners and to bring them a word of peace and forgiveness and refreshment. We can use it to build bridges between enemies and strive for peace and justice. We can reach out and support those who are despairing and low, as Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” [Matthew 11: 28-30].
Last but not least, we can use our tongue to pray and worship God our Father, and spread the Good News of his kingdom. Let us remember that what we say is a measure of how we walk with God. Paul
Our Prayers
Merciful Father,
Set a watch before my mouth, and guard the door of my lips. Keep me from saying words that later need recalling.
Lord, help me to control my tongue,
to keep it from uttering wrong and hurtful things.
Forgive me for the times I have done that.
Lord, help me to use my tongue to speak good and helpful things.
For that is your will for me
Amen
Our final hymn today is "O, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing"
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity. Our Sunday services this week are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes’ and 11 am at St Thomas’. If you are unabe to be with us in person, you will find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "From Heaven You Came (Servant King)"
Today's Bible Reading
James 2:1-10, [11-13], 14-17Warning against Partiality
My brothers and sisters, do not claim the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory while showing partiality. For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here in a good place, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonoured the poor person. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into the courts? Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?
If you really fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself,” you do well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.
For the one who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but you murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Surely that faith cannot save, can it? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
Reflection
A phrase that comes to mind when I read this passage was, ‘don’t judge a book by its cover.’
James gives us the example of the man in his finery and rings and juxtaposes this with the poor person in filthy clothes.
It is useful to understand that in first century Roman times, the vast majority of the people would have been considered poor, and all of their earnings would have gone towards sustaining day to day living. Only a handful of people were considered wealthy, and one of the ways this was demonstrated was the wearing of rings to signify wealth. Indeed some moderately wealthy people went as far as to hire rings in order to make it appear that they were more wealthy than they actually were.
On the face of it, it might look like the message here is that wealthy people should not look down on the poor. Whilst that is certainly true, we should consider that nearly all the people who were reading or listening to James were those who were considered poor.
With that in mind, the message also shows us that it is just as bad for the poor to show favouritism to the rich as it is for the rich to look down on or ignore the poor. Discrimination, bias and prejudice work both ways.
You might think that it would be natural for the poorer classes to stick together but as we see in life today, folk often prefer to socialise or curry favour with those who are better off in hope that there will be some advantage for them. That may be for hope of financial gain, or an opportunity to leverage the other person’s status and contacts, or many other reasons.
James reminds us of Jesus’ parable about the banquet guests, [Luke 14:7-11] and the theme of reversal: “For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted”. He warns us against identifying with the rich, especially against one’s own best interests.
Whatever the reason, it is still partiality and James doesn’t mince his words – whenever we show partiality we are making a judgement call about others; it is a sin and it is a transgression against God’s law. Ouch, that sounds harsh!
James goes on to stress that we can’t be selective and pick and choose which of God’s laws we want to keep and which we are happy to ignore. When we break the law we are transgressors, criminals. Moreover, when we show partiality we are breaking the commandment that Jesus told us was the second most important, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself”.
Praise be that we have someone to turn to, a saviour that who we can turn to for forgiveness. Someone who chose not to come to among us as a wealthy king, but one who chose to identify with the poor and the humble.
We remember that Jesus showed us how to break down barriers and not discriminate between Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, slave or free person.
The Lord who died for us that we might be saved.
But there is a word of caution from James: Faith is not just about believing that when we say sorry and profess our faith that all will be well – he reminds us that there is also judgement and we will be judged according to how we treat others. Mercy triumphs over judgement and I am sure we all look with hope and expectation for the mercy and forgiveness of God.
A God who has infinite mercy but who will judge us by our actions as well as words. A God who knows what’s in our hearts and will judge us by our love for one another, and not judge us by our cover or who we pretend to be. In our daily lives we need to show mercy to others regardless of their situation, religion, colour or any other factor that may prejudice our feelings. Paul
Our Prayers
Merciful Father
We ask you to give us an open mind,
that we may take everyone as we find them.
That we do not judge people at face value
or turn people who need help away, because of false assumptions.
We pray for a world where all people are treated as equals
and where we show each other the same love that you show us.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Jesus is Lord, Creation's Voice Proclaims it"
Notices
Our first "All-Age Worship Singing" is at 6.30 pm on Monday 9th September at St Thomas' Church. Everyone is most welcome to join us as we learn how to sing God's praises with joy and confidence.
On Saturday 14th September from 10 am to 4 pm, St Thomas’ Church will again be part of Oldham’s Heritage Open Day. The theme for this year is ‘links’, and we will be exploring how our churches connect with the local community, our schools and other churches. There will be a display board showing the people from our churches and the parts they play in the wider community.
