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...to Writing a Connect Devotional Dear Readers, Thank you for being a Connect Devotional reader! Whether you read occasionally or every day (or at all!), we're grateful for your attentive reading and thoughtful responses. We mentioned last week that the CD writing team will be taking a few weeks off over the summer. Never fear, we'll be back in August. Until then, ...
Keep ReadingIs anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Theref...
Keep ReadingThe prayer of a person living right with Godis something powerful to be reckoned with (James 5:16b MSG). Ms. Helen always sat on the left side of the sanctuary. She was always at church early, and she could be found sitting near the front, Bible in hand, head either bowed or eyes focused on the stained glass window above the baptistery. There was never any question what s...
Keep ReadingElijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops (James 5: 17-18). I went to Catholic schools from elementary through high school. I heard the phrase, "Let us pray" a lot. In elementary school, we pra...
Keep Reading"Is any one of you in trouble? He should prayCall the elders to praypray for each otherthe prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effectivepray earnestly." (James 5:13-17) James, perhaps impatient with Christian faith that remains theoretical, crams his short letter with down-to-earth advice for living a robust, meaningful Christian life. Many love this practical lette...
Keep ReadingThis is the final week of our Integrated theme and our time in the Book of James. It's also the final week of Connect Devotionals before we go on summer break never fear, we'll come roaring back in late August! Integrated means our lives have been made whole, put together right, rescued from ruin and restored to fruitfulness and vitality in Christ. Through Christ, we bec...
Keep Reading"Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go." James 2: 8-9 When James uses the metaphor of a ship at sea being steered by a small rudder, it immediately resonates with me. At work I recently gave a mentee advice using the metaphor of a navigator steering a s...
Keep ReadingNot many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the s...
Keep ReadingWe all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. James 3:2 NIV The old saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me," is one hundred percent FALSE. Fake news. Fuhgeddaboutit! Words have power, and the way we communicate matters. When our kids were toddlers and pro...
Keep Reading"Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark." (James 3:5) Try an exercise using this question: Isn't she pretty? Say it as if you're watching your granddaughter at her first ballet recital. Listen to your tone. Now, sarcastically say it as you watch a teenager dressed deliberately to annoy her parents. Finally, say it with the emphasis on she as if you'...
Keep ReadingIf anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole bodyin check. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters,this should not be" (James 3:2, 10). It's Week 4 of our Integrated series, and James is continuing to bring it. This week's passage (James 3:1-12) begins with a warning: Don't a lot of you seek to b...
Keep ReadingIf you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself,"you are doing right Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the lawthat gives freedom (James 2:8, 12). Wait, what? A law that gives freedom? This week, as part of our Integrated series, we've been exploring James 2:1-13. James goes after the universal human tendency to pl...
Keep ReadingMy dear friends, don't let public opinion influence how you live out our glorious, Christ-originated faith. James 2:1 MSG We were at church at least three times a week growing up: Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. For Sunday morning services my mom made me wear dresses or skirts, tights or frilly socks, and dress shoes. As I got older, I rebelled against ...
Keep ReadingIf you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers (James 2: 8-9). Chatham Serves is coming up in June. It's an awesome day where we get to go out and perform service projects as part of our mission to engage with our local community. I...
Keep ReadingYou do well when you complete the Royal Rule of the Scriptures: "Love others as you love yourself." But if you play up to these so-called important people, you go against the Rule and stand convicted by it. You can't pick and choose in these things, specializing in keeping one or two things in God's law and ignoring others. (James 2:8-10 MSG) Recently, I went into town wi...
Keep ReadingMy dear friends, don't let public opinion influence how you live out our glorious, Christ-originated faith. Talk and act like a person expecting to be judged by the Rule that sets us free. For if you refuse to act kindly, you can hardly expect to be treated kindly. Kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time (James 2:1 and 12-13 MSG). During the time I was pondering J...
Keep Reading"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (James 1:27) [Dear Reader, this is my fourth attempt at writing a devotional this week. It has taken this many tries, including a nudge from my editor, to get to being honest. I think you may identif...
Keep ReadingJames 2:14-26 Please take a moment and read this week's entire passage! I mentioned last week that most of the memories I have of my grandma are of her in the kitchen. Add to that: most of the memories I have of my grandpa are of him in the garden. After my grandma passed away, we moved in with grandpa, and I spent a big part of my childhood there. Each spring, we helped...
Keep Reading"You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did." (James 2:22) Please take a moment and read this week's entire passage! I'll admit I'm still somewhat new to studying the Bible more deeply as part of my faith journey. Had you asked me a few weeks ago about the book of James, I'm sure I would've asked, "which J...
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