A Church with a PhD (James 5:13-20)
Liturgy that uses themes found in this passage can be found HERE.
Introduction
Last week, I shared a powerful quote from Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Anyone can be great because everyone can serve.” If we want a great church, service must be at our core. “I am here for you,” should be our mantra.
Today, we will discover how to create a vibrant church community through the letter James wrote to a group of Christians about 11 years after the resurrection. This letter offers us a snapshot of early Christians and a church with a PhD.
A church with a PhD? Yes, in their life together, they pray and praise as they strive for health and deliverance.
As we get into the passage, I invite you to reflect on how we, as a faith community, can live out these principles.
1. Prayer and Praise (5:13)
James starts with a powerful question, “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.”
First, prayer in times of trouble. When we face difficulties—be it illness, financial hardship, or personal crises—our first instinct may not always be to pray. Yet, James reminds us that prayer should be our first response.
Why is prayer important? One reason is this – in our moments of despair, prayer invites God into our struggle. Prayer invites God into our struggle.
I don’t know if you’ve ever felt this, but if there are 2 of you and the other person is praying for you – people will sometimes feel like there is another presence there, something between them, above them, and beyond them. That’s because prayer invites God, the Limitless and Loving God, into the situation.
In my opinion and experience, prayer helps you get in touch with your deeper self, your deeper mind, your deep intuition, and your deeper intellect. Prayer is inviting our Creator to join us in the endeavor and to align our decisions with our values and our faith. Prayer is amazing in that way.
James is talking to individuals (you should pray if you have a need) and he is talking to the whole church (you need to pray for each other).
When we pray for one another, we foster a culture of support and love. Prayer becomes a lifeline that connects us to God and one another.
Praise is equally important.
Just as prayer invites God into the situation, praise acknowledges God’s presence, help, and blessing. God, you have a role in my life. Thank you. That’s praise. It is seeing and naming what God has done and what God means to you.
So our first lesson is that if we are going to be a great church with a PhD, then we need to embrace prayer and praise as foundational practices in our church.
2. Healing (James 5:14-16)
James transitions into the theme of healing. “Is anyone among you sick? Le them call for the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.” Then he says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”
Here’s the truth: our health—physical, spiritual, and relational—is interconnected.
James says, “Look, in the church there are leaders called by God and so gifted. If you are sick, ask them to pray for you. In other words, if you are sick, don’t just call your doctor; call your church. We need the help of our doctors, but you are a person with a soul, and your spirit needs to be cared for as well.
In this interesting fusion, oil was used medicinally, but it was also used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
James says something that might seem off-putting to us, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”
This isn’t about airing your dirty laundry. This is about liberating yourself from harmful secrets that keep you living in the past and prevent you from moving forward in your life.
Sharing our struggles brings healing and fosters deep connections.
Let’s think about confession in a few ways:
· We have a prayer of confession each Sunday, so we confess our sins in the presence of one another. Everyone prays the prayer. We are equals in that regard.
· If you are in conflict with someone and you’ve sinned against them, then there is a process of reconciliation and forgiveness you can go through, and part of that is confessing. “Hey, I was wrong, and I regret what I did.”
· The truth will set you free. Many people hold all kinds of unhealthy stuff inside and being able to talk it out and say, “I’m struggling in this area of my life” is profoundly liberating for them.
Confessing your sins doesn’t mean to talk to everyone. We should be in the habit of truth-telling about ourselves. We talk about the truth so that the lies and the dark have no power over us.
Instead of a burden or obligation, James sees it as a means of healing and growth. How liberating it can be to share our struggles with someone we trust.
What do I mean? Think about how liberating and good it felt to you when you said to someone, “I’m just struggling with a lack of gratitude right now.” And they talked with you without judgment. Or, you talked to someone and said, “I don’t know what I believe about the Bible or God.” And the ceiling didn’t cave in and neither did the friendship.
As you see, being healthy in all areas of our lives is a Christian matter.
3. Deliverance (James 5:19-20)
Finally, James addresses the theme of deliverance: “My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
We have a responsibility to care for one another, not just in prayer and healing, but also in guiding those who may have drifted from their faith.
Drifting happens slowly. One missed Sunday leads to another, and before you know it, someone feels disconnected, and out of the loop. But we can intervene.
Remember, our mantra is, “I am here for you.” I am here for you.
I want you to feel connected and I want you to grow in all areas of your life, therefore, I care if you are here on Sundays or connected in other ways to the life of the congregation.
The best way to do this is simply this, “Hey, I missed you at church on Sunday and I’m just checking in to see if everything is okay.”
When we do that, we help prevent someone from experiencing regret and disconnection.
It’s so easy to drift. Have you noticed that? It’s so easy to drift. Very few people just up and walk away from it all and say, “I’m done.” Often, it’s a drift. Their frequency of serving drops. Their interactions within the church decline. Their attendance falls by 25% and then 75%.
It’s not malice or anything like that. It’s drift.
I remember the first time I went to the beach. My youth group attended a youth camp in Panama City, Florida. That’s where I was introduced to the concept of undertow.
The surf pushes you back and forth. That’s the most obvious influence. Like we all do when we are at the beach, when a wave comes you either give in to it and ride it or you strengthen yourself against it.
If you are not alert, you become unaware of the undertow that pushes you down the beach. All of a sudden, you look up and you can be 100 yards away from the place you started.
It’s easy to notice and then guard against the push and pull. You see it coming. The drift is so difficult to fight. You have to pay attention and do a course correction often.
It’s natural drift. What’s not common is a great church with a PhD who will notice and seek to intervene.
That’s why we need a great church with a PhD – a church that will be connected and caring and practically loving, reaching out to one another. Sometimes we just need someone to come along and say, “Hey, I miss you. Let’s reconnect at church this Sunday.”
When you do that, you have a profound influence on the future of that person.
Don’t take for granted how important your phone call, text, email, or card in the mail is. Don’t take for granted how your presence on Sunday morning and at potlucks and at Tower Talk keep the connections tight
Conclusion
Remember the words of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Anyone can be great because everyone can serve.”
You can have a great church, be a great friend and Christian! Our greatness lies in our willingness to serve and be there for one another.
Let’s embrace this. When we pray for each other and offer healing and strength through our connections we faithfully embody the greatness of the teachings of our Lord Jesus.
Let’s be a church that demonstrates greatness through our commitment to each other. We all want to be proud of our church, to have a church where everyone feels valued, connected, and empowered.
Let us pray and let us praise. Let us confess and let us connect so that Christ’s church may become great and his name greatly praised.
