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Matthew 25:34b-36 – Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me. (NRSV)
Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God — not the result of works, so that no one may boast. (NRSV)
There is balance to a life of faith. Our Reformed ancestors sought to re-establish such a balance centuries ago as they placed emphasis on "faith" and not so much on "works", so much so that Martin Luther called the book of James "an epistle of straw"!
Hopefully, our view of the book of James has evolved since such condemnation by Luther, and we realize that the full gospel has just as important a place in James as in Ephesians. Our model for a balanced life is, as always, given to us by Jesus. Brian McLaren expresses it this way: "Every day Jesus would follow the same rhythm: withdraw for solitude, but then come back to engage by healing, feeding, caring, welcoming, binding up the wounds of this world, and implanting in people a vision of resilience, engaging with a world on fire."
In our devotional time today — and every day — let us consider our spiritual growth inclusive of prayer, meditation, Scripture reading, engaging with the sacraments (what some of us call "the ordinary means of grace"), along with the encouragement of Jesus in Matthew 25 to offer food and drink, to clothe those in need, to visit the sick and imprisoned. These are the essence of the movement within Protestantism known as the social gospel, that aims to apply Christian ethics to social problems, especially issues of social justice such as economic inequality, poverty, alcoholism, crime, racial tensions, homelessness, and environmental issues, to name a few.
Micah 6:8b – What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (NRSV)
Back to that epistle of straw called the book of James: the only definition of religion anywhere in Scripture is contained within this tiny book of wisdom:
James 1:27 – Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. (NRSV)
Now that Scripture offers great balance to our faith!
Prayer: "Jesus, you are the one who upset tables. Remind us that while direct service and personal moments of reflection have their place, to truly struggle for a new world we must have courage to organize, preach, vote, write, and agitate in a way that places anti-capitalism at the center of the beloved community." (Adapted from Andrew Wilkes)
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Please advise the definition of anti-capitalism as intended in the prayer you adopted.
Author’s response: The author of the quote [Andrew Wilkes] wrote the work, “Martin Luther King Rooted His Anti-Capitalism in His Christian Ministry”. Just a quick excerpt:
In his 1958 essay, “Pilgrimage to Nonviolence”, King wrote about the “danger of the profit motive as the sole basis of an economic system” and said, “Capitalism is always in danger of inspiring men to be more concerned about making a living than making a life. We are prone to judge success by the index of our salaries or the size of our automobiles, rather than by the quality of our service and relationship to humanity.”
Hope this helps…
What an interesting phrase in the prayer!
Anti-capitalism.
Why are people clamoring to come to capitalistic countries like ours rather than socialist ones like Russia?
Why are the Ukrainian people dying to be free?
Historically, who started the hospitals and the universities?
Are we swallowing the woke culture?
Just asking.
Thanks, Kenn, for the good word.
Amen to that.
(ON)
Amen Kenn. Thank you for a good word today.
Blessings.
Thank you, Kenn, for this very insightful devotional today. I love God’s heart in you.
Thank you for sharing this encouraging devotional with us today.
Blessings.
Hello, Kenn,. Glad to see another great devotion. Pray you and your family are well. Blessings.
Thank you for your interesting words today, Kenn. I had not heard that expression “an epistle of straw” before. Yes, it is something to think on and to definitely get a balance of “faith” and “works”. Blessings for these writings you prepare.
Hi Kenn,
Happy Family Day or Heritage Day in your province.
Thanks for your inspiring devotional this morning. That third aspect of faith is so necessary but often left for somebody else to be concerned about, it seems to me.
I hope Lent is meaningful for you this year.
Good morning, Kenn.
Very good devotional to start the day. Thanks for sharing the Brian McLaren expression about how Jesus spent every day, starting out with solitude; I never noticed that before, informative. Do take care, stay safe in Jesus. Blessings.
The link between the Christian Faith and the programs of the Canadian government was strong from the beginning. Today, we condemn Sir John A. MacDonald and Ryerson for their 19th century colonial policies, but they were motivated by their Christian faith. Tommy Douglas also introduced health measures motivated by his Christian faith to help the needy.
Hello.
This one is very different from your norm.
I can usually identify your writing before I see your name at the end. This one was a surprise.
Nevertheless, food for thought.
Thanks.
Good morning Kenn,
You have done an excellent job of “balancing” out your thoughts on the balance of a life of faith and using passages of the Bible to balance your thoughts.
I have not thought about what the Bible says about “religion” before. I looked up and found this: “The concept of religion was formed in the 16th and 17th centuries, despite the fact that ancient sacred texts like the Bible, the Quran, and others did not have a word or even a concept of religion in the original languages and neither did the people or the cultures in which these sacred texts were written.”
Thanks for sharing and helping me to think through my own thoughts. I like balance in most things in my life including my faith. Blessings.