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Worthless Religion vs. True Religion

by Vicar Lisa

On Sunday, our second reading from James 2 talks about partiality. You probably remember the parable of the prejudiced usher. This usher wanted to give the richly dressed person who came into the assembly a great spot when the poorly dressed person was instructed to stand or to sit on the floor. The last two verses of James 1 set the stage for this main point, first with a word about worthless religion, then with a word about true religion.

First, verse 26 about worthless religion: “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.”

That's astonishing, scary even! If you don't bridle your tongue, your Christianity is a sham. Why? Because Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). Your tongue tells the truth about your heart.

James tells us in James 3:8-9, “[The tongue] is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.” He has in mind how we speak about people made in the image of God. That's his central concern with the tongue—how we talk about people. That's what needs to be bridled.

So here, the stage is set for our thinking about harmony with others: bridle your tongue when talking about other people. Avoid judgement based on differences: race, color, social status, sexual orientation, and so on. Instead, behold the image of God in everyone, and bridle your tongue by the mercy of God.

Second, James sets the stage of harmony for us in verse 27 with a word about true religion. “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” When the God-given, Christ-shaped mercy of your heart has put your tongue in the bridle of obedience, then it puts your legs on the path to the poor.

This Sunday, we will be doing just that, practicing true religion. We will meet at Cimino park and feed those who are in need. The source of the need, the many reasons individuals are low on their luck, is unimportant. Let us not blame. Let us bridle our tongues. Let us share with joy. Let us remember that God’s image indwells in the poor human being who moves against the odds. True religion—true Christianity—is moved by a Christ-shaped heart of mercy. It cares for those created in God's image. Thank God that we can be about God’s work!

16th Sunday After Pentecost, Sept. 8

10 a.m. Worship with Communion

Announcements

  • Fellowship Time: Plan to join us after following worship, we will be preparing meals and feeding the needy at Cimino Park in support of Pastor Clay and the Way ministry.
  • Zion’s Annual Worship & Picnic Potluck: Next Sunday, Sept. 15, we will have our celebration worship and picnic at Round-up Park (near the fairgrounds).
  • Zion’s Newsletter: The September edition of Zion’s Connections newsletter was sent via email on Sept. 2. It also is available on Zion’s website and paper copies can be found in the back of the Sanctuary and in the Fellowship Hall.
  • Bible Study to Begin Soon: The Rev. Dr. Becky McNeil will begin leading a Bible entitled, The Bible from Scratch, The Old Testament for Beginners by Donald L. Griggs. That study will take us through mid-November to be followed by a companion study for the New Testament. The books to accompany the course are available on Amazon. We are going to meet two different days of the week, Wednesday and Saturday, which gives us more flexibility. The Wednesday study will be held from 1-2 p.m. on Oct. 2, 9, 16, and 23 (no study on Oct. 30). The study resumes from 1-2 p.m. Nov. 6, 13, and 20.
  • The Saturday study will be from 10-11 a.m. on Oct. 5, 12, 19, and 26 (no study on Nov. 2). The Saturday study resumes at 10 a.m. on Nov. 9, 16, and 23. All classes will take place in the Fellowship Hall. Please see Becky for more information.
  • Save the Date: At 1 p.m. (MDT) on Tuesday, Sept. 10, on Zoom, join ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton for a conversation about God’s Love Made Real. This ELCA movement encourages us to create a world experiencing the difference God’s grace and love in Christ makes for all people and creation. This webinar is especially for people who care about the ELCA and live in the Sierra Pacific, Southwest California, Pacifica, Grand Canyon, or Rocky Mountain synods. Other synod regions will receive a similar opportunity soon. Pre-registration is encouraged, but not required. To register, follow this link: https://community.elca.org/gods-love-made-real-a-conversation-with-bishop-eaton-sept-10?erid=3f2f1698-adf2-4f8e-91d6-cec38cd0be18&trid=3f2f1698-adf2-4f8e-91d6-cec38cd0be18.
  • Blessing of the Animals: On Saturday, Oct. 5, Zion’s will offer its traditional blessing of the animals. The blessing will take place on the fenced, lower lawn of the Fellowship Hall. We are reaching out to the entire community to participate in this blessing and, in order, to bless other animals, we will be collecting pet food and other pet supplies to donate to PALS. For more information, talk to T.M. Garner, Julie Wersal, or Jo Moss.

E-formation – 16th Sunday after Pentecost, September 8,

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus heals the outsider who comes to him in the house, and the deaf man is made able to receive the word. These two pictures of Sunday worship include us in the gospel, who will hear from James that in response we are now to love all our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Mark 7:24-37

Most Christian worshipers are, like the Syrophoenician woman, not Jewish, yet with her we can enter the house of the church, have our demons overcome by Christ, and eat the crumbs from the table. With the mother, we pray for everyone in need of healing. That Jesus speaks the word of God becomes the basis for the story of the deaf man now able to hear. Also, our ears and hearts are opened by the presence of Christ in our midst during worship. Although it is often suggested that Jesus is merely testing the woman’s faith, some contemporary exegetes interpret the gospel exchange between the woman and Jesus to mean that her need called even Jesus into a fuller understanding of God’s grace.

Isaiah 35:4-7a

The Isaiah passage is chosen to ground the stories of Jesus’ healing of the deaf man in the ancient Hebrew promise that God will come and unstop the ears of the deaf. Thus, the poet’s metaphor of God unstopping the deaf has become a narrative about the ministry of Jesus. We too are blind, deaf, lame, and mute before God.

James 2:1-10 [11-13] 14-17

James, tell it like it is! We seem little better than James’s community at treating rich and poor equally. For James, genuine faith will alter stereotypical societal values. The passage calls contemporary believers to enact their salvation by their care for the poor.

Zion's Lutheran Church

zionsluth@gmail.com

719-846-7785