Pathways to Wholeness
This is the sermon I preached on 9/30 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church. The text was James 5:13-20. These days, our public discourse, whether in person or via social media is ugly. People get angry at each other because they disagree on policies made by those in power. It’s taken so personally, that those claiming to be Christians wonder out loud or online if any they disagree with could possibly still be Christians. Especially in recent years, we Americans vilify each other over a host of topics. The book of James speaks volumes to our world today. James spends much of his time writing about speech and in this final section of the letter, that speech is specifically prayer. In this focus, the community of faith to whom he writes is called to wholeness. As we look at the first few verses, we see that James addresses people in all kinds of circumstances. No one is left out. If you’re suffering, you should pray. If you’re cheerful, then sing songs of praise...