The Prayer of Allegiance If you’re new to Lifpoint | Worthington, take 30 seconds to fill out our Welcome Card! Serve our Community on Christmas Eve Interest Form James 5:13-16 (ESV) Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Introduction Today we conclude our study in the book of James. This passage contains challenging concepts regarding prayer, healing, and confession. However, James is acknowledging a reality that modern medicine calls psychosomatic: the idea that the stress of a “double life,” hidden shame, and isolation can physically break our bodies down. The Scarlet Letter To understand this text, we look to the character of Arthur Dimmesdale from The Scarlet Letter. While Hester Prynne bore her shame publicly, Dimmesdale hid his sin while maintaining a perfect public image. Hester lived in the truth and grew stronger. Dimmesdale lived a lie and wasted away. He represents the “Arthur Dimmesdales” in the room: those who are weary, worn out, and tired of holding up a mask. James invites us into a true allegiance to Jesus that practices two things: Vertical Transparency and Horizontal Vulnerability. *** Vertical Transparency James 5:13 asks two questions regarding suffering and cheerfulness, implying that following Jesus includes the full range of human experience. The Language of Honesty James uses the Greek word psallō for “sing praise,” which is the root word for Psalms. This indicates that God has given us language for every emotion: Anger: Psalm 137 Frustration: Psalm 13 Grief/Depression: Psalm 42 Joy/Thanksgiving: Psalm 34 God invites us to bring back to Him what He already knows to be true. However, our human instinct (like Adam and Eve) is to hide due to shame. “If I were an atheist…I might have found peace long ago. But as things are with my soul… all God’s finest gifts have become instruments of spiritual torment.” — Arthur Dimmesdale We often live in a “vertical silo,” talking at God but remaining isolated in our shame. While God’s forgiveness is sufficient for our guilt, we need more than a whisper to heaven to break the power of loneliness; we need a word spoken back to us on earth. Horizontal Vulnerability In verses 14-15, James instructs the “sick” to call for the elders. The word used for sick here implies being "weak," “fatigued,” or "exhausted"—spiritually and physically worn out from the weight of the mask. Curing vs. Healing James makes a critical distinction in verse 16 between being cured and being healed. Curing (Removal of symptoms): Happens to the body and is often temporary. Healing (Restoration of wholeness): Happens to the person; it is the repair of the breach between you, God, and your neighbor. Key Truth: You can be Cured (physically healthy) but remain Unhealed (isolated/tormented). Conversely, you can be Uncured (physically dying) and yet be completely Healed (known and loved). The Catch-22 of Confession We resist confession because Vertical Transparency feels safe (God is invisible), but Horizontal Vulnerability feels dangerous (people might reject us). We bury shame to avoid rejection. However, hiding the secret keeps us sick. Healing happens when we bring secrets into the light of community. The Gospel Solution We find the courage to confess by looking at the Cross. Jesus experienced the ultimate rejection (Horizontal Vulnerability) and cried out honestly to the Father (Vertical Transparency). Because He took the rejection we fear, we secure the acceptance we need. “To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God.” — Timothy Keller Application: A Community of Grace 1. For the Hider: Find One Safe Person If you are hiding, do not look for the person who has it all together or has the best advice. Look for the person with a limp—someone who admits their own mistakes and talks about God's grace. 2. For the Community: Be the Covering James 5:20 tells us to “cover a multitude of sins.” We do not cover by hiding the sin; we cover by stripping away the shame. We are not the Savior or the Judge. We are called to be “Wounded Healers” (Henri Nouwen). When someone confesses, offer the two most healing words: "Me too." As always, if you'd like to talk more with me about anything we discussed, you can sign up for meeting time If you have any questions from the message today, send them here and I'll follow up!