Theology in practice

James 1 : 1 - 11

....so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything

"Ordinary time" has begun again, in the church calender. And this year the readings move into the book of James, a book that the great reformer, Martin Luther almost removed from the canon of Scripture, because he found it focused too much on 'works'.

Something struck me in these opening verses, that I had overlooked before. The fact that trials and testing of faith produces perseverance is well known. And indeed this is a comfort to us especially when trials take us by surprise. But as I read on, I noticed the next bit: that perseverance in trial makes us mature and complete, not lacking anything. That stopped me in my tracks. It is not often that we feel complete in and especially when trials rage around us. More likely we would feel very incomplete, lacking everything and bemoaning our lives. But even this painful transitory time is not without meaning. We may feel useless and incomplete and lacking, but in the waiting, in the going on, something is happening inside. More than just becoming patient people, our inner life is growing in maturity,completeness and fullness. Practical theology or maybe I should say spirituality is a crucial aspect of our faith. These inspired words of James don't only tell us what to do (unfortunately, the Bible has become a rule book for many but it was never meant that way), but they also point to what goes on inside us when we live in the way prescribed. This is actually more important than what goes on externally: yes there are promises of material blessing and prosperity for those who obey, but what we hope for is the lasting transformation, the 'who we are becoming' that has eternal value.