You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter (feasting).

James 5:5

Dear HBIC Family,

One of our favorite family traditions is going to the movies. Sure, we sometimes make our own popcorn and watch movies at home. We like doing this, especially adding in our own preferred snacks as well. Some of us in the family (and we’re not going to name names) also have a habit of watching a movie over, and over, and over, and over again. We love movies. But for my daughters and I, going to the movie theater is the ultimate experience!

Like many of you, the pandemic forcibly changed a lot of our routines by just eliminating them. Because of not being able to go to the movies for a while, we surely do appreciate going now. And for us, second only to actually going to the movies is talking about the movies…sharing our favorite parts, characters, and overall feelings about the story that was told. We’re suckers for rooting for the underdogs and cheering on the “good guys!”

I think most of us like rooting for the underdogs and the “good guys.” Part of this is most likely because we can more easily relate to underdogs, and we think of ourselves as the “good guys.” Nevertheless, life is not often like the movies. We are not always the underdog, and we are not always good by default. The challenge becomes when we consider what happens if we don’t identify as the underdog good guys, but as the oppressive bad people.

This is where we find ourselves in James 5. James has just concluded speaking to the merchant class in chapter 4, chiding them for having confidence in themselves and not God alone. He has reminded them that life is like a fleeting vapor, and no person knows what today or tomorrow will bring. To James, all of us must live as God wills it. But the beginning of chapter 5 ups the ante. He speaks to the even wealthier landowners as rich oppressors who have only misery to look forward to as the wealth rots, clothes are eaten by moths, and silver and gold corroded!

Most of us are not this merchant class, not the super-rich landowning oppressors. Even still, what does this passage have to say to us? What do we learn about faithfulness to God and one another as James warns against the perils of wealth in this world? This is some of what we will focus on this week as we continue our James: Living Out Our Faith series.

As you prepare for this week’s services, I would like to invite you to read and meditate on James 5:1-6:. As you reflect, I would like to ask you to focus on the following questions:

Why do you think James has such a harsh warning for the super-rich in this passage?

Does any part of James’ warning apply to you or challenge you? How so?

What are practices you follow to help you not put trust in wealth or the things we have?

What is one way you can use your resources to bless someone this week?

Quite often, I find myself with a bit of excitement as I begin study of our sermon passage for the week. As James addresses the super-rich in our passage this week, he does not mince words. His warning reads as a promise about to be fulfilled. If we think of ourselves as the “good guys,” it is easy to discard hard passages like this. But…what if James is also speaking to us? What is James saying to us in this moment?

I pray that the week finds you all doing well. I hope that the Spirit is alive and dwelling inside of all of you. And I hope that the love of God is shown through you and in you.  

God bless you all.

Love in Christ,

Pastor Hank (James 5:5)