Be Still And Know

James 5:19–20 Churches are not made up of perfect people. Far from it! This surprises some, who assume that Christians live lives of near perfection. For such people there is great consternation when the organist goes off with the youth leader, or the treasurer embezzles the church’s money. We should always be shocked and disappointed by such behaviour – but never surprised. Churches are, in many ways, similar to hospitals: composed of people who are far from perfect but who, by God’s grace and in the power of his Spirit, are becoming stronger and more mature in their Christian lives. Sadly, there have always been people who wander away from the Church. It is always tragic when this happens and churches need to have a clear strategy for reaching out to such people. Here James finishes his letter by inspiring his readers to be proactive when someone sadly backslides. He wants them to know how important this restorative ministry is. In bringing someone back to the Church they are doing nothing less than