Opening Prayer
Here we are Lord, on our knees,
crying mercy.
Mercy for our souls, Mercy for one
another,
Mercy for our churches, Mercy for
our nation,
mercy for our world.
Here we are again Standing in your
presence.
in awe of you, your holiness, your
otherness,
your mystery, and your incarnation
Lord, pour out your mercy like
healing, comforting rain
As we worship you this day
Amen.
My brothers and sisters, when
you show favoritism you deny the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
been resurrected in glory. Imagine
two people coming into your meeting. One has a gold ring and fine clothes,
while the other is poor, dressed in filthy rags. Then suppose that you were to take special notice of
the one wearing fine clothes, saying, "Here's an excellent place. Sit here."
But to the poor person you say, "Stand over there"; or, "Here,
sit at my feet." Wouldn't you have shown
favoritism among yourselves and become evil-minded judges?
525,600 minutes, 525,600 moments so dear.
525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee.
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.
In 525,600 minutes - how do you measure a year in the life?
Many of us would answer the question, how do you measure a year with things like the number of masks we have purchased, made, worn. The length of time since we hugged a certain loved one or a friend. The last time we sang a hymn together in the same room. The length of time since we last gathered in person for a sporting event, a birthday party, a funeral, a wedding, a concert.
525,600 minutes ago, we started this lockdown, this deliberate separation of ourselves from one another to try and do no harm, keep others safe, help stem the spread of this serious disease. No one knew we’d still be in this place 525,600 minutes later.
That song goes on to answer the question about how one could measure a year. It says:
In 525,600 minutes - how do you measure a year in the life?
How about love? …
Measure in love.
Seasons of love.
And I think this is where we can see
our passage from James fitting in the last 525,600 minutes. With the season of
love that has accompanied this pandemic.
You could make the argument that this hasn’t been a season of love what with disproportionate police violence against Black people, violent demonstrations in our streets, the devastating wildfires that reveal the seriousness of the impacts of climate change, and the economic disparity of our systems and culture. It seems this might be the common thread we are following. These issues that never go away – from the Old Testament to Jesus to James to Wesley and up to today. I think we need to follow another thread, one that has the strength to hold against these realities.
This other thread sees the preferential treatment of some and helps us acknowledge that it does not respect others. Who are the majority of “essential workers”? Many are people of color on the lower end of the economic scale. Who gets Covid-19 more frequently and dies from it? People of color and those on the financial fringes. This common thread that links us sees the instances of people refusing to wear masks and keep their distance for what it is, lack of love for self and neighbor. This common thread reacts to these things, reacts with love, a season of love, measures the 525,600 minutes with the barometer of love.
The common thread that James preaches about is the same thread that connects us today, the thread of equity, of justice, of faith, and works as expressions of our love, love of self, love of God, and love of neighbor. The thread that binds us as we move into the 525,601st minute is the thread of love.
Even if this thing goes on for another
year it will still be the seasons of love that bind us. It will still be the
love we share with the poor and marginalized, with the wealth and powerful,
with one another and with our neighbors that will keep us going and keep us
strong.
This is the point of
James’ words. We can’t continue to allow for economic and racial disparity to
rule our society. We can’t continue to operate with a “me first” attitude. We
can’t say we have faith and not do the simple, ethical things that our faith,
that the faith we know from the Old Testament, from Jesus and the Gospel, from
the letters and sermons of the early church, from the writings of John Wesley
teach us, that are the desire of our God for us and all creation. How do we
measure a year? How do we measure our faith and life? Love, love of God, love
of self, and love of neighbor.
525,600 minutes,
minutes of love is how we measure a year, any year, as the beloved partners of
God and Christ working to transform lives and the world. 525,600 minutes,
minutes of love that are just the past year’s additions to the thread that
binds us all together. 525,600 minutes, minutes of love that strengthen us for
whatever lays ahead. 525,600 minutes, minutes of love where we do whatever is
necessary to keep faith active through works of piety and charity. 525,600
minutes, minutes of love that show how we are participating in the work that
brings justice and peace to all.
How do you
measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee.
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife…
How about love? …
Measure in love.
Seasons of love.
Closing Prayer
Holy God, maker of us all and all
this universe,
you call us to love our neighbors
as ourselves,
and
teach us that faith without works is dead.
As we leave this time of worship
Open us to the opportunities for
ministry that lie before us,
where
faith and words and the need of our neighbor
come
together.
In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Adapted from Revised Common Lectionary Prayers, copyright © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts admin. Augsburg Fortress. Posted on Thematic, Intercessory and Scripture Prayers for the RCL, Vanderbilt Divinity Library. http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/prayers.php?id=161
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