It is really amazing when you think about the small things that can change a life. In 2005 I graduated from law school and having previously earned my CPA license I set off for what I expected to be a career in corporate tax that would last until I progressed to an advanced age. That fall of 2005, we had just moved into our new townhouse in St. Louis, Missouri and I had started a new job in state tax with an extensive period of travel. I had two trips to Atlanta and I also spent three weeks in Chicago. Then after Thanksgiving I had the privilege of three weeks on the cold and windy plains of Wichita. Of course, when I was being recruited for the position the opportunity to spend the first three weeks of December in Kansas is not something that made it into the recruiter’s flashy power point presentation. After that assignment it was a day trip to Cape Girardeau, Missouri to count inventory on December 23 from which I did not return home until 11:00 PM. With all of this time away from home I was pretty much exhausted when Christmas Day 2005 arrived and I knew that on the afternoon of December 25 my wife and I were preparing to drive three hours to spend Christmas night with her grandpa and extended family members. I had so many excuses not to wake up at 6:00 AM on that Christmas morning but the Holy Spirit was working within me. On that particular Christmas Day my home congregation was serving a free breakfast at a sister ELCA congregation in an economically depressed part of St. Louis and the leader of the group had told me that they could use some extra help since some of the regular volunteers were going to be absent due to the holiday. I ended up joining in with others from my church to prepare and serve breakfast. I really enjoyed myself that morning. I am definitely not a cook as I am absolutely useless in the kitchen but I had a passion for the service that we were doing and the community that we were building. After that first time I quickly became one of the monthly regulars and eventually I served as the lay leader of the ministry and ran it for three years. We provided nutritious meals to those who were food insecure but most importantly this free breakfast was a place where people could gather. Nourishment occurred not only in bodies but also in hearts and minds. After that experience my heart was changed and I would never see the world in the same way ever again.
I took seriously the admonition from James to be a doer of the word and not merely one who hears the word. Upon moving to the Twin Cities in 2010 to work for US Bank I plunged into a feeding ministry here and I also started volunteering extensively for other causes as well. I even won a volunteer service award from my employer. I was really good at doing however I was not so good at hearing. I continued to grind out long hours in my corporate cubicle and I also could not say no to any good volunteer opportunity so I was constantly busy pushing my limits. During these years I rarely took time to contemplate whether or not I was on a sustainable and fulfilling path in life. Eventually I finally created some space to consider my future vocation and I slowed down enough to discern a call to ordained ministry. When I finally took some time to hear God’s call I had some great conversations with pastors, friends, family, and even co-workers about my strengths, weaknesses, and interests. I also started spending time contemplating my future including attending multiple discernment retreats. Eventually I could not resist the call that I was hearing and I enrolled in seminary. When I finally gave myself the time and space to listen to the word, I was finally able to hear the call to ordained ministry and to act on it. By allowing myself to hear the word I became able to see that my Christian vocation had changed and that my doing of the word would now continue on in a different way.
This call to be doers of the word is one of several moral exhortations that occur in the book of James. This plea from James is similar to the Old Testament wisdom literature of the Book of Proverbs. The advice to be a doer of the word is wise in that it not only benefits the world at large but also benefits each of us individually as well. Many of us tend to be receptive to James’s call because I think that we can all agree that it is much more fun and meaningful to be a doer rather than a mere hearer. For example, it is more fun to be out in nature than to watch a nature show on tv. It is more fun to play a game than to watch one. My story is just one example and your story will obviously be different than mine because everyone brings to this congregation different skills and passions. I do think that one common element of all of our stories is that service is important in spiritual development. The love of Christ flows into our hearts and enables our service which brings us closer to our neighbors and also brings us closer to Christ as we have a chance to see our role in building a beloved community.
The doing of the word is closely linked to the hearing of the word and this is why the author of James makes sure that the invitation to be doers of the word is preceded by the instruction to “be quick to listen, slow to speak.” We listen to God which allows us to see God in our neighbors. We ask the question what are the needs of this community? There is so much to do but we also must remember to take the time to listen because through the power of listening we see the needs in our community as well as the hopes and dreams of community members. When we listen, we hear the cries of our neighbors which includes those suffering from the lingering pandemic as well as those who are living in poverty and others who are crying out for justice. This listening is so important to the process of doing God’s word. We are invited to consider whether or not our actions are in line with our values and passions. Only you can decide what motivates you to action but when we take the time to listen, we open our hearts and minds to new possibilities.
The book of James is also quite bold and with its antagonism toward the rich and with its emphasis on repentance it calls to mind the prophets of the Old Testament. The Old Testament prophets all possessed a passion for making the world a better place which they share with the author of James. If we all take the opportunity to hear the word and to be doers of the word then we can begin to imagine how magnificent our world can be. People from different religious traditions dedicating themselves to action formed by faith would be a very significant first step toward creating a world where justice and peace are universal. As we read in verse 27 the result of hearing and doing the word is a society which reflects the love of Christ for all people. It is a society where the orphans and widows are no longer in distress. It is a community where Christ’s love permeates every part of our existence. Hearing the word and doing the word is the manner in which God’s creatures become co-creators with God in making all things new.
I am excited to serve Faith-Lilac Way in the coming year. As the new intern I am looking forward to hearing the word with you as well as being a fellow doer of the word with you. There are so many concerns on the local, national, and global levels that are worthy of our attention. Recently, Faith-Lilac Way and its members generously supported NEAR Food Shelf by collecting school supplies. In just two weeks there will be an opportunity for members of Faith-Lilac Way to again be doers of the word. On Saturday September 11 we will be participating in the God’s Work Our Hands event at Holy Nativity which involves the collection of food to help the Every Meal program as well as service projects to help Lutheran World Relief, Lutheran Social Services, and Bread for the World. This is just one of the many opportunities that are available to be doers of the word. My hope is that together we will both hear the word to discern our call to serve and then engage in acts of love and service that make our community, nation and world a better place for all of God’s children.
-Vicar Kyle Anderson