Words that Build Up

Rev. Molly F. James, PhD

DFMS Noonday Prayer 

February 9, 2022

1 Kings 10:1-10; Psalm 37:1-7, 32-33, 41-42; Mark 7:14-23

May God's word be spoken, May God's Word be heard, and May that point us to the living Word who is Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 
‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.’*

And just in case we are not clear on that, Jesus goes on to offer a list: “For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly.”

Rather than focusing on the letter of laws about what someone could and could not eat, Jesus wants his followers to think about the bigger picture – to think about the message that is behind these laws.  To think about what it is that brings pain and defilement into our lives.  He turns the question of what one should eat on its head by focusing not on what goes into our mouths but on what comes out.  

There is a little rhyming saying I learned as a child, that I am sure many of you did as well.  “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”  That may sound like a harmless saying when we are little, and even in preschool, we likely already knew that it is not at all accurate.  Words can hurt.  Words can do a great deal of damage.  This is what Jesus is getting at in today's Gospel.  Being his follower is not only about what we do, about how we behave, about how we live our lives.  It is also very much about what we say.  What comes out of our mouths has the power to build up and the power to destroy.  

Words are essential to our Anglican identity.  We are people of the “books” – the Bible and the Prayer Book.  Think of the familiar words of favorite Bible passages, psalms and prayers.  The comfort and solace they can provide.  And the ways in which our faith is built up and stretched by a newly discovered passage or prayer.  Words play a very important role in our faith life.

Words are also a part of our identity as beings created in the image of God.  Think about the opening chapter of Genesis.  Creation happens through speaking.  “And God said, 'Let there be light . . .”  “And God said . . .”  Creation happens because of what God says.  Or think of the opening of the Gospel of John, “In the beginning was the WORD . . .”  Words are foundational to our identity as God's children.  They have tremendous creative power.  We know this first hand.  Think of the ways that stories you hear and ideas others shared, have opened new realities in your life.  A new business, a new relationship, a new project – they all begin with a conversation.  Great achievements owe their existence to conversations, to idea sharing, to encouraging words. 

They need not be long, eloquent addresses.  Simple sentences can mean a great deal.  “I love you.”  “I am proud of you.”  “I believe in you.”  Hearing these statements from someone we care about and respect can make all the difference in the world.  

Equally powerful are their negative counterparts.  “I hate you.”  “I am disappointed in you.”  “I can't trust you anymore.”  These simple sentences can do great damage.  They are the words that can break our hearts and deflate our spirits in an instant.

In today's Gospel, Jesus does not let us forget that we have the power to destroy.  Simple words can tear the fabric of a life.  We are called as his followers to avoid the temptation to sin with our words.  To avoid the temptation of power.  To avoid the temptation to bring another person down just because we can or just because we feel mad at the world. 

We are called to be a people who pay attention not only to what goes into our bodies, but also what comes out.  To be aware of the great power we possess as his followers, as children of God.  We have the power to build up.  To create.  As Jesus gained followers and spread his message, as he healed and taught with words, so too can we build up the kingdom of God with our words.  We can use our words to build each other up.  To counter the forces of evil in the world.  To repair and redeem broken relationships.  To share the Good News with those who are hungry to hear it. To remind people that they are beloved of God. 

To be a follower of Christ is to use our power for good.  It is to use our words to be a creative, uplifting presence in the world.  We are called to follow our Lord in the path of righteousness, to build up the kingdom of God with our actions, and our words.

AMEN. 

Faith Tested in Fire

Fire from an Easter Vigil

Rev. Molly F. James, PhD
DFMS Noonday Prayer via Zoom
1 Peter 1:1-12; John 14:1-17, Psalm 121
April 20, 2020


May God’s Word be spoken. May God’s Word be heard. May that point us to the living Word who is Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our Epistle for today speaks of a faith that is tested in fire. Indeed. I would imagine we are all feeling that at times on these days. There are times when we would like to say, “Dear God, I know that there are good and important spiritual lessons for me to learn in the midst of all these challenges. And I would really like to learn them another way. My heart is too heavy. I am weary. This way of living is exhausting. Sometimes the anxiety and the fear get the best of me. I am sad. I am grieving. There is too much death. Too much loss. Please, God. I need a break.”

Well, my friends, I think the break we all crave (the one where we actually go on vacation and our schedule is not dictated by work or by the requirements of a quarantine) may still be a long way off. And yet, I am firmly convicted that there is still hope and possibility even in the midst of the times when we feel like we are being tested in fire. Even when we feel like we are being pushed to our limits and our faith and our patience are being stretched to the max. Our Gospel reading reminds us that Jesus does not abandon us. Jesus has sent us the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, the Spirit of Truth. And what is another name for the Holy Spirit, it is the Holy Comforter. And so there is hope. There is hope because we are not alone in the midst of it all, even in the fire. The Truth stands. Jesus did not say, you will have the Holy Spirit sometimes. He did not say you will have the Holy Spirit when you are your best self or you are having a good day. Jesus says we have the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, the Comforter with us forever. No matter what. We did not earn it. We cannot lose it. The Holy Spirit has been given to us an act of grace, as an outpouring of God’s love for us. Nothing, not even the fires of life, can take that away from us.

Well, you may be thinking, that sounds nice. I can believe that in my head. But what does that actually look like in my life? How do I live that truth out? How do I feel that truth in my heart? Especially when I do not have access to the things that normally restore my soul. I cannot physically be with the people whose mere presence incarnates hope and joy for me. I cannot go on vacation. I cannot go to my sacred places. I think, at least for me, the answer comes in shifting my mindset and my perspective.

A number of years ago, I read a book called “Sabbath in the Suburbs.” It is a great little book by a mom and Presbyterian pastor who tried to practice Sabbath fully for a year with her engineer husband and their three kids in suburban DC. I love the book because it is real. It is not Sabbath for someone in a monastery or who lives alone. It is about what Sabbath can look like when life is full and even overwhelming at times. One of the passages that has stayed with me from that book is the story of a Saturday in Advent when Mary Ann (the author) realizes that between Church and family obligations, sabbath is just not going to be possible that day. So, she decides she is just going to do all the tasks and obligations of the day “sabbathly.” She is going to shift her mindset. Rather than beating herself up because she cannot actually have a day of rest at home, she adapts to celebrate what is possible on that day. I wonder if we might be able to do something like that in these times?

Can we find and create for ourselves little windows of sabbath? Little windows of time or small ways to help us have elements of those practices that normally restore our souls. We cannot go to new or favorite places, but maybe we can watch a documentary about them or go back through our own pictures. We cannot hug a friend, but we can make a time to have a video call with them. We can let ourselves have a few more breaks in the day. Even just five minutes to breathe. To pray. To sit in the sunshine streaming through our windows. To listen to a piece of beautiful music. To write a friend.

We can stay strong through this fire if we are grounded in our faith. Grounded and connected to God and to each other. So whatever it is that restores your soul find ways to bring the principles of that into your life even if the practices cannot look like your ideal vision. Know that God is with you. Know that we have been given an Advocate, a Holy Comforter who does not abandon us, ever. We are not alone. Not today. Not ever. AMEN.