Today's Scripture: Psalm 1 and James 3:13-18

Today's Sermon

 

"Wisdom From Above"

 

Psalm 1 
Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on God’s law they meditate day and night.  They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither.  In all that they do, they prosper. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.  Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

James 3:13-18
Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.

This past summer, my 14 year old son, Ben, had his first paying job.  He worked as a counselor at the Marinwood summer camp up in San Rafael. It was quite an exciting thing for him to receive his very first paycheck.  It was an even more exciting thing for him to start spending his very first paycheck. At first, we didn’t even realize that he was spending the money.  Knowing that he would be earning money, we had set him up with his very own checking account, filled out the direct deposit forms, and – here was perhaps the fatal flaw – we let him link the account to his phone.

A couple weeks into his job, I checked on the account online – just to make sure the direct deposits were going smoothly – and I noticed all of these charges from Apple.  They were for small amounts, but there were a lot of them! Apple, for $3.99.  Apple, for $1.99.  Apple, for $4.99.  One after the other.  We asked him what that was all about, and it turns out, they were all in-game purchases for video games he was playing on his phone.  Things that he absolutely needed in order to play the games.  Hmmm, interesting.  You didn’t need these last month, when you weren’t earning a paycheck. Funny how the presence of an income suddenly makes these video game purchases essential.

We decided we needed to have a conversation with him about how our values are reflected in how we spend money. It is a conversation we have had in our house plenty of times, but took on a different significance once Ben actually had income.  We discussed spending money on things we want vs. what we need.  We discussed spending money on ourselves vs. giving money to non-profits who help people in need or support causes that are important to us. We discussed saving for the future vs. spending in the now.  I don’t know how much of that will actually take root, but hopefully something out of the conversation will stick.

I thought of that conversation when I read both of our scripture passages today.  James was not writing specifically about how we spend our money, but his words are applicable to that, as well as several different areas of our lives.  He encourages us live with wisdom from above, and he describes that kind of wisdom as pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.  He contrasts that to earthly wisdom, which is unspiritual, devilish, and filled with bitter envy and selfish ambition. 

What strikes me about this contrast of earthly wisdom vs. wisdom from above is where the focus lies.  Earthy wisdom is focused on our own selves.  Our own ambitions, our own desires.  It makes us envious of others.  It is self-absorbed. And, if we continue reading in James, he writes about how this earthly wisdom can even become destructive, causing conflicts and disputes.

I read many commentaries this week pointing out how much of our society these days seems to be living with earthly wisdom.  What’s in it for me?  How can I get ahead?  My needs are the most important.

In a small sense, that is what Ben was doing with all of his video game purchases.  I am going to take care of my desires with my money and not worry about anyone else.  Not a big deal when we’re talking about $4.99 purchases from Apple.  But that kind of thinking can become a big deal.

Wisdom from above, on the other hand, is focused on the other.  This kind of wisdom is not ego-driven, or envious.  Instead, to live with wisdom from above is to live peaceably, with gentleness, willing to yield, full of mercy.  Just imagine what could happen if we were to enter into every interaction with another focused on those things.  Not focused on winning the conversation or on getting our way or on proving our point, but on being peaceful and gentle with one another. 

For James, it is important that we actually live these behaviors.  Show by your good life, he says.  Living with wisdom from above is not just thinking about it or believing in it, but making it a way of life.  Something that is shown in how we behave, in how we treat others, in how we make our decisions each and every day.

Since I opened with a story about money, let me offer another example about money.  As we will hear later in worship, today begins our annual stewardship campaign.  We are encouraging every member and friend of Westminster to prayerfully consider what your financial pledge will be for 2022.  Let me share with you how the conversation about stewardship usually goes in our house.

We receive the pledge card in the mail.  I ask Camie, my spouse, how much we should pledge for the coming year.  She tells me she trusts whatever I decide.  I write down a number and mail in the pledge card.

Now, that requires a bit of explanation.  First, please don’t interpret that story as Camie not caring about our family’s support of the church.  She cares deeply.  She just knows that, of the two of us, I am the one with a more detailed knowledge of both our personal financials and the needs of the church.  And, thankfully, she trusts me to make a good decision.

Also, know that the number I write down on that pledge card is not flippant, it comes from place of deep prayer. I want our family’s financial support of this church to mean something.  When that charge comes out of our bank account each month, I want to notice. I want it to be a big enough number that it makes a difference in our family budgeting.  I want that number to be more meaningful than, say, the cost of nice dinner out each month. 

When I decide on that pledge number each year, my goal is always to be guided by wisdom from above.  We have lots of ways we can spend our money.  Am I going to choose to spend it on that which serves me, or on that which serves a greater good?  That being said, I know I always fall short.  Even though we pledge a relatively robust number, I am always more conservative than I could be.  I always hold back just a bit for the what ifs and the just in case scenarios. I think about the fancy vacation we would like to take or the new car we would like to buy.  I am not quite as filled with good fruits as I would like to be.

This year, our stewardship conversation took an unexpectedly different turn.  Camie knew that the campaign was starting because I have been talking about the amazing work Christina Hanson and her team have been doing to get everything ready.  As we were walking the dog the other day, Camie tells me, I really want us to pledge more to the church this year.  My response - great, but this is quite a change from the person who has always told me to make the decision.  Camie explained how incredibly important the church has been to her this past year and a half.  Life has been so difficult in so many ways, and she experienced so much hope and joy through this church community.  Even when we were not able to gather for worship in the sanctuary, the ways that we have been able to connect online or outside or over the phone have been very meaningful for her. 

She also has recognized that during a time when we have seen society become incredibly polarized, and self-absorbed, and focused on our individual needs, the church has been an important voice encouraging us to continue to live with wisdom from above.  (Camie didn’t use those exact words - I’m paraphrasing here.)  This church community has continued to reach out with peace and gentleness and mercy, and she wants to support that. 

Then we talked about numbers. She suggested a larger number than I expected.  The fiscally conservative side of me flinched a bit.  But, the side of me that really is committed to living with wisdom from above said, yes, let’s do it.  This is what James is calling us to do.  To not just have good beliefs or ideas, but to live our faith.  To live with wisdom from above.  So, when we receive our pledge card in the mail, we will be significantly raising our pledge.

I don’t tell this story to make our family look great.  We will still have a smaller pledge than many of you.  We still are not tithing 10%, which is our goal.  Camie is still coveting a new car (she is having an odd love affair with the Mustang Mach-E right now), and I would still really like to go on a nice vacation next year.  I tell this story as just one example of one family trying their best to live with wisdom from above.

The Psalmist tells us, “Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked … but their delight is in the law of the Lord.”  They, says the Psalmist, are like trees who prosper and do not wither.  The wicked, on the other hand, are like chaff that the wind drives away.  That presents an important question for each of us to ask ourselves.  Are we living a life rooted and grounded in God, focused on living gently and peaceably full of mercy and good fruit with wisdom from above? Or, are we rootless, focused on ourselves and our selfish ambition, on the latest fashions and fads and trends, letting the winds blow us wherever they may?

I’m guessing that none of us is clearly on one side or the other.  We are all somewhere in the middle.  But each of us, individually and as a community, can move our way towards living with wisdom from above.  In the choices we make each and every day, in the ways we interact with one another, in the ways we spend our money, in the ways we prioritize our time and energy … there are so many opportunities to become more and more rooted in God’s love and God’s wisdom from above.  May it be so.