Sun. June 12, 2011 (Mariam Kamell)

In her second message from the book of James (Jm 1:19-27), Miriam Kammell noted that this letter was written by the brother of Jesus. James emphasizes that how we behave reflects how we feel about God. James was the one who welcomed Paul into the Christian family and he mediated the council sessions described in Acts 15. James had a towering reputation in the early church. Being quick to listen, slow to speak and even slower to anger requires humility and sometimes it means letting go of our right to be heard. It is in doing the "word" that the blessings are pronounced. Miriam said moral purity and concern for the poor go hand in hand; in doing the "word" we receive the blessings as we are forged into God. Encouraging us to be compassionate and merciful, she called for a return to the prophetic function of the church. What are our prophetic issues and where are our prophets? [HN]

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