05/29/2026
"But be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves." James 1:22.
For those of us who follow Jesus, we are called to action. We are called to love and embrace, advocate and call out, encourage and walk alongside others. For some of us, this comes easily. We understand the world through what we do. We like to fix a leaky faucet, sew a button that has come off a shirt, or call a friend when they are under the weather. For others, we may nod easily on Sunday morning but remain unsure how to put our discipleship into action. And for yet others, we struggle with how to care for our neighbors from Jesus' perspective.
There is a fascinating story about the old church father, Abba Poemen (340-450 CE), a desert monk renowned for his wisdom. In a famous story about him, some older monks approach him for advice. How should they treat the rookie monks who doze off during community prayer? (I am sure this never happens in the church). They wanted those novices to learn the discipline necessary for a life of prayer, the first step of which is staying awake. Their inclination was to give them a hard poke in the ribs, to startle and embarrass them into wakefulness. What does Abba think? They were understandably annoyed. “When I see a brother dozing,” Poemen replies, “I put his head on my knees and let him rest.” The old man had acquired what his concerned brothers, for all their years of observant rigor, had not: a visceral tenderness that cannot bear to judge the frailty of another.
Consider how you might be doers of the word as you care for our neighbors. While we may jump to how to feed, clothe, and shelter our neighbors (and necessarily so), how do we consider their other needs and reduce our judgment of others? Hearing and doing the word means living a life that Jesus led.
May you be a hearer, doer, and liver of God's holy word, Amen.
In God’s Love,
Pastor Monica
