From the Desk of the Associate Pastor

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” -James 2:14-17

Luther was abundantly clear in his disdain for the Epistle of James. In fact, he called it an epistle of “straw”. For Luther, only Jesus Christ could save. Works are not salvific and do not impart a favored status upon anyone. Yet, I am not one to dismiss James and what is outlined above. I find that what is being said by James is simply the idea that the faith given to us from the Holy Spirit does bear fruit. Put another way, where there is the fire of the Holy Spirit there is the smoke that is our works.

Given today’s social landscape it is easy to lose hope. One area where this is especially true is volunteerism. Fewer people are joining organizations or spending their time giving to worthy causes. A cursory search of this topic on the internet shows that we are perhaps living in a time where volunteerism is at an all-time low. Anecdotally, I see it in coaching baseball as it becomes harder to get parents involved as coaches. Perhaps folks are just so inundated with the pressures of putting food on the table, caring for their mental health, and maintaining healthy boundaries. Arguably, even more impactfully we are surrounded by a cloud of apathy. At times, it feels as if our best efforts are simply meager in nature and not worth much.

I share all this to say that the work we do as church still matters. The work of the people is the liturgy, and that work of praising God is one that requires all of us. Outreach, event planning, hospitality, administration, and so many other parts of our congregational life are an extension of our worship. I can imagine for many folks; they have given their time for so many years and may feel discouraged. However, I want to be clear in saying that your efforts are seen by both of your pastors, the church’s staff, and the congregation. It is not simply appreciated but recognized as tangibly showing the otherwise invisible, our faith.

When someone asks me “Pastor what is the proper way to dispose of the communion elements”? or “how do I pronounce this biblical name” or declares “I am eager to feed folks”, I smile. I do so because I see my co-workers in the gospel and rejoice that we at our core value the same precious thing; the outpouring of God’s love into our lives meant to be shared with the world.

Our works and your labor are not in vain. Your volunteering matters. I see how all the efforts and works connect and lead back to Christ. In that and in you, I rejoice.