As our series continues, we looked at a big chunk of James, chapter 3 this week. We considered our speech and the power that is in our mouths to bless or curse. We thought though how we’ve experienced those blessings and curses and hopefully we did some positive things to address those wounds and correct those wrongs.
We opened up with a couple songs: “Beautiful One” by Tim Hughes and “Made to Worship” by Tomlin.
We used a video to get us thinking along the right lines - watch it here.
Then we jumped right into the scripture…
James 3:3-12
A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it!
It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.
This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can’t tame a tongue—it’s never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!
My friends, this can’t go on. A spring doesn’t gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don’t bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don’t bear apples, do they? You’re not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you?James 4:11
Don’t bad-mouth each other, friends. It’s God’s Word, his Message, his Royal Rule, that takes a beating in that kind of talk. You’re supposed to be honoring the Message, not writing graffiti all over it.
We handed out paper and pens. We started out thinking about the positive side of our words – of what happens when speech is used for good. We had everyone think of times in their lives when they received positive words of encouragement and what that felt like or meant to them. Then we invited them to write a note of such encouraging words to an anonymous person in the room. Imagining what they would like to hear when they were having a bad day or going through a struggle, we had them write those words down anonymously, and place them in a basket in the center of the room.
Then we took a look at the negative, destructive side of our speech. We looked at a couple studies about the negative bias of the brain – that we value and hold onto negative words much more than we do positive words. That in our intimate relationships, it takes 5 positive comments to outweight one negative one. That we even have more words for negative emotions than we do positive ones. As humans we really struggle with negative words – I think that’s one of the symptoms to this Sin disease we all fight against.
On a second sheet of paper people wrote down the negative words that they have heard which have haunted them in their lives. The little comments that stick in our memory. The things we say to ourselves that are negative. Even the things we’ve said to others that we regret. They held on to that paper for now.
We talked some about how Jesus also experienced both negative and positive words, reading through several examples found in the Gospels. And even though Jesus had every right to strike back with his speech, he showed restraint. He put love first in his word choice, over winning an argument, over pride, and over his own glory. And that’s the kind of speech we’re called to.
As believers, we’ve got to learn to do a better job controlling this very powerful muscle. Because often we’ll only get one shot – you’re the only bible some people will ever read – what will they learn from your speech? Will your loved ones testify to your character when you’re gone? Will what people heard from you in your life be a blessing or a curse – you have to decide that every time you open your mouth. Will you exercise the gift of restraint when needed or will wish you had thought more before you spake.
In response, we invited people to do 3 things. It was communion Sunday, so after John set up that experience, people could 1st – stop at the shredder. We set up a shredder in the middle of the room. They could choose to let go of those negative words they wrote - to put them in the shredder and see and hear them be demolished. In turn they could receive the forgiveness of Christ through the elements of communion – the Great Exchanger of bad for good. Then lastly, they picked out of the basket one of the sheets of positive words. We hoped that they might stick them somewhere and read them often. That when they begin to be tempted by those negatives, they might instead turn to this simple slip of encouragement and fight the negative bias of our humanity.
We sang a couple songs as folks moved through these steps: “Your Love is Deep” by Jamie Smith and “You are the Light” by Steve Fee. Then John wrapped the night up with a few more thoughts and we closed with “Fields of GRace” by Big Daddy Weave. It was a good night.
Here is our current prayer request list. (Anyone can ask for prayer, just let me know! You can talk to me or drop one of our prayer request cards in the worship space Drop Boxes.)
:: Holly Stockburger will be undergoing weekly treatments on Thursdays from 12-4ish for the next 10 weeks. Please lift up her family that takes her to chemo and stays with her. Pray she can balance health and work and family.
:: Praise for Tina Lambert – her eye surgery went REALLY well and she’s already mostly recovered!
:: Eric and Tina are expecting their first child! So far, so good. Please keep everyone’s health in your prayers. We’re 32 weeks! Eric’s dad Theo is pretty sick right now – pray he can get well!
:: Pray for Christa and her sons
:: Nathalie, Andrea & Tony S, Amanda B and Randall F are all looking for new jobs – pray God will open up the right opportunities.
:: Pray for Syd Kiser’s sister (Ellen) as she fights Breast Cancer. And for her daughter and her family – they’ve been going through a rough patch for a while.
:: Pray for Lyn K as she struggles with pain and the side effects of cancer treatments. Also pray for her Niece, a 17 year old with what they think is Crohn’s Disease.
:: Pray for Amanda B’s mom who is going to have to stay in rehab afterall. She’s having a rough time. Pray also for Amanda who has a pinched nerve and for her job search.
