Hi First Presbyterian Church,
I want to remind you that this Sunday we will be going down to one worship service at 9:30 am. Whether you will worship with us in-person or online, please plan to adjust to the new start time. This Sunday we will also be observing Communion. At the in-person service, Communion will revert back to our pre-COVID practice, which means we will be passing the Communion elements on plates. Those of you worshiping from home should prepare to take the Sacrament as you have been doing.
My Wednesday Night Bible Study is beginning a study of the Book of James tonight. (All are welcome to attend!) The Book of James represents an interesting example of the struggle to find unity between the early Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. The book also helps us to answer the question: what does it mean to be Christian? A hallmark of Christian theology, especially Reformed Presbyterian theology, is the doctrine of grace. The doctrine of grace says that God gives us salvation as a free gift, because God is loving, not because we earned salvation. We encounter the doctrine of grace in the New Testament primarily through the writings of Paul. He says in Galatians 2:16-17, “A person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ… because no one will be justified by the works of the law.” In other words, we don’t earn salvation; we receive it (through faith) as a gift of God’s grace. We encounter a different idea in the Book of James. In James 2:17, it says, “Faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” You can see that both Paul and James are talking about “faith” and “works,” but they each talk about them differently. So… which is it? Is our faith in God’s grace enough? Or do our works also matter? I like to think of the interaction of faith and works kind of like my relationship to my kids. I can say I love my kids, but if I never do anything that demonstrates my love for them, I think it’s safe to call my “love” into question. That’s essentially what James is saying about the relationship between faith and works. But it’s also more nuanced than that, too. If you want to find out more, I encourage you to join us tonight for Bible Study online or in-person at the church!
Walk the walk today, my friends, and show the authenticity of your faith to the world.
Peace to you,
Pastor Neff