2014-02-15 Notes on James1

Notes on James 1:

2014–02–15

#Notes on James

##Chapter 1

• vs.2 … count it all joy when you fall into varoius trails, 3. knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

What are the types of trials people face?

Perhaps the trials that I am experienceing at the moment are not the conventional ones - or maybe it just isn’t the type that gets the headlines or publicity in ‘christian’ circles.

Often what seems to get mentioned is the people under persecution, suffering, poverty, etc. Not the ‘having it together guy’ who just has no motivation, excitement, pasion and drive for reading the bible, praying, fellowshiping. It is a tabu topic - resulting in Christians having the perception that they just have to get it together, or obviously they don’t have their priorities right, or if they spent longer in their quiet times…

Point is that this is more difficult than it sounds. When God’s voice appears silent - when the scripture you read, and the sermons that you listen to appear bland, un-inspiring, repetitive, wishy-washy - what do you do to deal with this?

It is easy to afford lipservice as possible solutions - I know - it’s (in a sense) what I do every day with students and the varoius challenges that they are going thorugh.

The truth is that sometimes you just have to ride it out. You continue in the disciplines that you have learned, you try and reflect on the lessons, journals, and experiences that history has given to you.

Certainly, it is easy to just say - God doesn’t want you to live that way, or Jesus wants more for you… What would be useful would be acceptance, kindness, encouragement, community and conversation.

What I have found in my past down times - is that I have had a sense of community - people who are able to share out of their up times - the life and vibrency of their faith - which challenges and inspires and allows God’s voice to be heard.

Not in a way that is communicated via here’s what I think you should do to get out of your rut (akin to the less than helpful companions of Job), but when people flow out of their own experience of faith, and the insights and experiennces that they discovering and coming to know.

This leads to another question, How does God speak to us?

Certainly, the body of the word of God, both in herminutical and exergettical study, in specific and general revelation (in the world aroud us), and through the body of believers that is the church.

Ideally, all of these aspects of communion (and communication) between God and people should be present - the responsibility existing between both the individual in their personal communion with God, and in the body of the Church - in relationally loving oneanother - as the church.

I find it very difficult to force or fake emotion or response, or to change my disposition. I am what I am. Yes, I feel like I have been in a rut for sometime - but this is not for lack of trying to get out. It is like saying to someone who is depressed - just stop and start being happy or someone who is struggling with a learning difficulty just do it the same way as me. It just doesn’t happen like that.

The question I have is how does the church community - the small group - respond?

Is the correct response rebuke, get over it and start meeting the churches need? How can it be?

What does support and loving kindness look like? It seems easy to exercise these qualities to an impoverished, low socioecconomic person who is not a Christian - but when the person is in question a capable, successful in life Christian - it isn’t good enough.

What help is beeing offerd or afforded? Where is practical support?

I spend a lot of my work life encouraging, motivating, young dissalusioned teens to learn in my classes. I provide them with spiritual, emotional and relational advice in addition to the technical and aesthetic skills that I am responsible for teaching them.

6 lessons a day - five days a week, plus daily devotions and rehearsals.

I bring something to all of these. It is my job to show up with something. It takes a lot of energy, emotion, consideration, and planning - not to mention the additional flexibility required to at the last minute change the program through different cercumstances.

Do I want more? Sure do. I want to be able to lead my family, contribute to my church community, and be in communion with God in a vibrent and thriving way.

Do I have all the knowledge, skills and equiping to achieve this? No I don’t.

The standard Christian response is to say that, we have everytihing we need in Christ - sure, easy, all I need to do is let God take control. I know the standard response.

My question is, what can the church community do to support those of us in this kind of trial beyond the pat response above? What is actually going to make a difference?

Is having demanding expectations on the individual by way of contribution to the gathering time going to help?

All I can see that doing is placing more pressure on the struggling person.

When you say, your not contributing because your lazy, unmotivated and dispassionate to the person, it actually reinforces the underlying problem.

Understanding, compassion followed by practical support, loving community and gentle encouragement with practical advice might be a start…

But hey, I’m the one in the middle of it - is it even possible for me to suggest the solutions to my trials to those around me who don’t even understand - who just see a percieved lack of contribution?

James says - count it all joy. Am I finding it a trial. Certainly am. Am I letting it get me down?

The truth is, that I am struggling through - I am fighting. It may not be at the pace that others think I should be going - but I am doing my best.

Am I letting it impact on my family?

The reality is that it does and will. Can I lesson the impact? I don’t know - but that is my desire and motivation.

Perhaps the solution is in vs 4 - *But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Patience.

When you are on a journey, you know the destination - but you have to be patient along the way - you can’t get there straight away - especially when you don’t know how long it will take!

Nuf said.