Words of Welcome

James 3:1-12 You’ve probably heard it said that “Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” It’s the kind of thing people say to bullies, but whether we’ve been the victim or the perpetrator, I think we all know that names do hurt. The pain of words might be different from the pain caused by sticks and stones, but the damage is real. So we probably should be careful with what we say.  James understood this truth. In the very first chapter of his letter, James wrote that “if anyone appears to be ‘religious’ but cannot control his tongue, he deceives himself and we may be sure that his religion is useless” ( Jms. 1:26 JB Phillips). James writes this message about the power of the tongue right before he gives his definition of religion that is “pure and undefiled before God.” James takes up the subject of the tongue once again in chapter 3, where he suggests that the tongue is like a forest fire set by Hell itself. That does sound dangerous! James dire...

James 3:1-18 The song “Pass It On” starts with the words: “It only takes a spark to get a fire going.” If that fire is the love of God that warms the hearts of everyone who experiences God’s presence, then it’s  a good thing to pass on to others.  But not every fire is the same. There are also fires that can be very destructive, so you have to be careful with those kinds of sparks.   Early in life I learned how destructive fires can be.  When we lived in Mount Shasta, in northern California, we lived next door to a Fire Control Officer for the Forest Service.  When he was home, Mr. Gray’s green Forest Service pickup sat parked at the curb, ready to go at a moment’s notice.  We knew when there was a fire, because all the green pickups in the neighborhood headed out at the same time. Most of the fires occurred some distance from town, but on at least one occasion a fire started up on the mountain behind us, and we watched the flames lick the e...