On this Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost we will be reading from the final verses of the Letter of James. The letter concludes with encouragement to the Christian community and an important reminder of both the power of prayer and the role of the community in each person's life. We will explore how prayer gives us strength in our daily lives and helps us to draw closer to God.
Our Scripture passage is found in the Letter of James. You may find the Scripture lesson by selecting the following link: (James 5:13-20).
For continuing study, reflect on these questions (found in the study guide below):
Read the assigned Scripture lesson for the week and reflect on what you experienced during your reading of James' instruction regarding prayer. Do you feel prayer is part of your life as James suggests, or do you experience prayer in a different way in your life?
Read the "WHAT..." paragraph in the guide below and reflect on the author's words about modern society and scientific thinking, and how that relates to prayer. Did you find you agreed, disagreed or were challenged by anything the author may have said? How can prayer and science/medicine complement each other?
After reading the "WHERE..." paragraph below, reflect on the following questions: how do you think praying in community kept the early Christians together and unified? Why was the unity of the community important to the early Christians?
After reading the "SO WHAT..." paragraph below and reflecting on the author's words, respond to the following question: how is prayer central in the life of your worshiping community or those close to you?
