"Community Day"

REFLECTIONS
November 9, 2008

The spiritual part of faith is internal. It’s possible to be profoundly spiritual without outward appearance of being religious. Divergent views of faith formation and service is as old as the Bible. In his writing Paul wrote of salvation in terms of Justification, Sanctification, Regeneration and Grace. Paul minces no words in Romans 3:23 “For there is no distinction; since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by God’s grace as a gift through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.” Though a great model of ministry and mission, Paul saw the work of faith in spiritual formation rather than service.

James on the other hand was just as clear. In his writing and ministry for the Church in Jerusalem he said one should be totally immersed in service to the Church. In his letter he wrote to that thinking; 2:14-17 “What does it profit my friends if a person proclaims faith but has not works? Can faith save this person? If a brother or sister is without adequate clothing and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.”

Movement from the experience of faith to the work of faith begins when we feel the need to express faith in actions. It can be as simple as finding a Church home or attending worship regularly, or complicated as answering a call to ministry. Most of us fall somewhere in between, so it never hurts to be aware of God’s working in our lives, and those around us.
In I Corinthians 12:4-7 Paul writes, “Now there are a variety of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working; but it is the same God who inspires them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” What Paul seems to be saying is Faith is more than attending worship or being a member. It is identifying the gifts we have, celebrating them and then putting service where our faith is.

Dr. Joey K. McDonald
First United Methodist Church
4832 Tujunga Avenue, North Hollywood, 91601