The Way

In a dog-eat-dog world, what do you do if you have unexpected success? Do you tell all your friends and family about it? Do you throw a party? Do you go out for a night on the town? In our world, we want to celebrate success. We give ribbons and trophies to our kids, and, at work, we have employee-of-the-month programs. Additionally, we expect raises and promotions for our career successes. Perhaps the last thing success does, is prompt us to see our own brokenness. But, this is what happens when Simon Peter has the best fishing day of his life. He realizes he's a sinner. Tune in to today's program to see how Simon Peter's repentance leads to the greatest calling of his life and how his example just might help us find our calling as well.

Today's gospel reading is a hard one to digest. Jesus tells us, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” The implication is that you have to be crucified with Christ. After all, that's what happens when you pick up the cross.

 The last time I checked, there aren't any appointments for crucifixion in Minnesota, so what does it mean for us today? 

Tune in to find out.

Credit scores mean everything to us. They allow us to buy homes, cars, and even work at particular jobs. If you have a bad credit score, though, functioning in society can be very difficult, if not impossible. The ancient world had credit scores too, though they called it “honor.” But, their scores weren't determined through spending habits. Instead, they were born with their score. But, in today's Gospel, Jesus offers them a way to get the best score possible. Tune in to find out how and whether we too can get better credit! 


Last week, we saw a vision of the Kingdom, a world in which the king grants forgiveness and commissions us to do likewise. This week, we get a deeper look into what it means to be a citizen of this Kingdom. As we'll see, it means rejecting the values of this world and adopting the values of the Kingdom. It means reorienting out relationship to power and sticking it to the man! Tune in to find out how, exactly, Jesus calls us to do this.

Last week, the US government announced that they are going to forgive up to $20,000 worth of federal student loans for millions of people. Some people are overjoyed, but others are angry. They say, “It's unfair. Why should their debts be forgiven when mine weren't?” This goes to show that forgiveness is scandalous business, especially when judged by the values of our culture. But, as a preacher friend of mine wrote on Facebook, that's the point the Bible is making. Forgiveness is what the Gospel is about, that's what the Good News is. It's how the Kingdom is made present, and how our broken world is healed and transfigured. Tune in to this week's podcast to learn more about how forgiveness helps manifest the Kingdom in the here and now.

For the third week in a row, the disciples are challenged to teach the Gospel. But, we aren't surprised to see them strike for the third time. Their trust continues to waver and Jesus mocks them for it by telling them that if only they had the faith of a mustard seed, they could move mountains. Huh? I've never seen anyone's faith move a mountain. What does Jesus mean? Well, if we properly understand what Jesus is saying, I think we'd all realize that we have, indeed, seen mountains move. Tune in to learn how you too can move those mountains.

When we're reading scripture, we have to learn to look beyond the surface meaning so that we can see the teaching embedded within the text. The disciples had to learn this the hard way. When Jesus told them to feed the people, they only thought of physical bread. And, when they were told to go out into the world, they became scarred of a storm. What they didn't realize is that bread is more than bread, and storms can be faced when they put their trust in Christ. The question for us: will we be like the disciples and waver in our faith, or will we be loyal to the commission given to us by our Lord and walk the Way?

There's an old joke that goes, “You can call me whatever you want, just don't call me late for supper.” In my lifetime, I've been called a lot of things—some of them good, some of them bad. But, perhaps the strangest thing I've been called is salt, which is precisely what Jesus calls us in chapter 5 of Matthew. Why would he call us salt? What does he mean by it? And, how does it impact our journey of walking the Way? In today's episode, we explore this strange name-calling incident and learn about offering ourselves up to God.

As Americans, we like choice. We want to chose what we do, how we do it, and when to do it. Included in all of this is education. When it comes to college, we want to chose what to study and who's going to teach us. But, as we'll see in today's Gospel lesson. Jesus bucks this tradition. He doesn't let Simon, Andrew, James, and John chose him. Instead, he choses them. In today's episode, we'll see how Jesus's calling of his disciples is a journey into death and exile. We'll also see how the “Calling the Disciples” is best represented, not by an image of fisherman in a boat responding to Jesus, but by the Descent into Hades icon!


This past Sunday was Fathers' Day in the United States. This is a day we set aside to recognize the important role that dads play in our lives. But, on this day of all days, we read this from the Gospel, “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.” Yet, at the same time, the Bible also tells us to, “Honor our father and mother.” Is Jesus opposing Moses? Did Jesus really mean what he said? Today, on The Way, we look at how the gospel message disrupts our lives and forces us to make some tough choices. We'll also take a look at how that choice might just disrupt our family lives!


The Ascension of our Lord is often overlooked. It always falls on a Thursday, and, in our society, that makes it hard to celebrate properly. 
However, Ascension is an important feast: it looks backwards and forwards at the same time.

 Looking back, the Feast of the Ascension reminds us of how the Old Testament wrote about Christ's suffering and rising. So, we shouldn't have been surprised that Christ did, truly, rise from the dead, in the flesh no less!

 Looking forwards, we anticipate the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. 

 Though Ascension points us both to the Feast of Pascha behind us and the Feast of Pentecost before us, it's more than a “link feast.” It reminds us of our own glorification. 

In today's episode, we meditate on a few different themes of this feast.

This week, we witnessed the tragedy of yet another school shooting. It's clear that there's evil in the world doing its worst.

 However, Jesus is working to birth “new creation”—one in which evil has been stamped out. The Good News is that we are all invited to be a part of this new world. The only requirement is that we must drink “living water” and be “born from above.” 

 How does this happen? Through an encounter with the scriptural Christ.

 Tune in to hear about two different encounters, and find out if they are able “see” as Christ asks them to.

Sometimes, it feels like life is a battle for power. Unfortunately, it also feels like when someone gets power, it goes to their head and all sorts of bad things happen and people get hurt.

 Yet, Jesus challenges our human power with authority that was given to him by his Father. 

When Jesus does this, what happens to the paralytic? How does society react? Tune in to find out!

This past Sunday, we remembered both Joseph of Arimathea, who asked for the body of Christ, and the Myrrh-Bearing women, who went to the tomb to anoint the body.  Both these stories are a test of sorts The real question is: did they pass the test, or did they fail miserably? 

In today's episode, we find out who walked the Way and who didn't.

What does the Kingdom look like? How does it treat people. Have a listen to St. John's homily and find out!

Life, in general, is full of ups and downs. But, what happens when our spiritual life is also full of ups and downs?

 Is this normal? Should we expect this? Or should we be concerned?

 Today, we learn about the “desert” experience and how we are firmly anchored in place. 


At the midpoint of Lent, Orthodox Christians are reminded of the journey they're on: the Way to resurrection by Way of the cross.

 As a part of this mid-Lent celebration, we sing a hymn about that cross which goes, in part, like this: “Save, O Lord, Your people and bless Your inheritance, granting victory to the faithful over the enemy …” 

But, if you know Greek and you've seen the original hymn, you know that this hymn is purposely mistranslated! There's something hidden.

 Today, we'll discover what this hymn actually says, and we'll learn a bit more about how the meaning of the cross was purposely flipped for early Christians. 


On the second Sunday of Lent, the Orthodox Church celebrates St. Gregory of Palamas, a 14th-century bishop of Thessaloniki. 

 St. Gregory taught that God is truly present in the world, especially through silent prayer.

 Also on this Sunday, the Orthodox Church also reads the Gospel passage about the paralytic who is lowered through the roof of a house so that Jesus can forgive his sins.

 But, what does the celebration of St. Gregory have to do with this paralytic?

 As we'll see in today's episode, walking the Way is not only about understanding the connection between the two, but it's about living in trust.


On the Sunday of Orthodoxy, we remember the Triumph of Orthodoxy over Iconoclasm. 

 Many of us like to celebrate this event by parading around the church holding our icons. We imagine we've won a great victory for truth over lies. 

But, how, exactly was this victory won? Does it look like other victories? Is is the same sort of victory that the Emperors won in battle?

 As we dig into this celebration, we may be surprised by our discovery, and how we're supposed to walk the Way in light of this “triumph.” 


Our world is built on credit, which is, essentially, building a life on a mountain of debt. 

 We go to school and accumulate school debt. We graduate and buy a car. Now we have a car loan to pay off. If our job doesn't support our lifestyle, we don't hesitate to build debt on our credit card. When the time comes, we look to buy a house and we go deeper in the hole with a mortgage. And, if you're like most Americans, you're probably in debt due to medical costs.

 While there are ways out of debt, there is one debt that St. Paul says is acceptable. In fact, it's the one debt we need in order to walk the Way! 


There's an old saying, “You are what you eat.” But, during Lent, the Christian tradition is to fast from meat, wine, dairy, and oil. Is the Church worried we're going to become chunks of meat and blobs of oil?

 Today, we learn about how fasting is connected to freedom and love.

If you're like most kids, you probably had arguments with your parents when you were a kid, and I bet those arguments intensified when you became a teenager. 

 As your blood boiled in frustration, I bet your teenaged-self wished your parents were dead; then you'd be free. Out of anger, you may have even vocalized this thought out loud. If you did say it out loud, how did your parents react? I bet it wasn't pretty.

 When the prodigal son asked for his inheritance early, he was basically telling his father that he wished his father were dead. But, instead of getting angry, the father appeased his son and gave him the inheritance he asked for. 

In the end, however, the inheritance was a curse for the son who would soon learn that walking the Way means that his father doesn't treat him fairly!


In America, we have a saying, “Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps.” This saying encompasses the attitude that one will get ahead in life through education and a good hard day's work.  But, what if this saying was a complete outright lie? Our fallen world may work this way, but the reality of the Kingdom is very different. In order to walk the Way, we need to have a completely different understanding of how we become successful in the Kingdom.

It's one thing to be rejected by a stranger, but it's another thing entirely to be rejected by a friend or a family member. It hurts. But what happens when you're rejected by the Son of God! Is there any hope for you after that? In Sunday's Gospel lesson, Jesus rejects the Canaanite woman. What happens next and what we're supposed to learn from this passage will cause us to walk The Way in an entirely different way.

Living according to the instruction of the gospel is always hard, especially when that instruction challenges our way of life or our perspective of the world.

As many of you probably know, one of the most famous Orthodox theologians of the 20th century was Fr. Alexander Schmemann. He was dean of the seminary I went to (St. Vladimir's), and his life's work was to teach about the Eucharist (which means, "thanksgiving"). He died on December 13, 1983, but his last liturgy was on Thanksgiving Day. Since Thanksgiving was this week, I thought it'd be appropriate to recount his words here. It was entitled, "Thank you, O Lord!"

This week, the Nativity Fast began for Orthodox Christians around the world. This 40-day period, is a time in which we prepare for the Nativity of our Lord according to the flesh. But, as we watch our diets and take meat out of our lives, an important question comes up: is the impossible burger permissible? It's not technically meat, but it looks, smells, and tastes like meat … So, does it fit the fast? The Bottom Line: when we fast, we have to be sure we don't miss the forest for the trees.

If I were to ask you what feast Christians celebrate on January 6th, what would you say? It probably depends on which Christian tradition you were brought up in. If you are a western Christian, you'd probably say “Epiphany.” But, if you're an eastern Christian, you will probably respond “Theophany” instead. Now, they are the same feast and, at the same time, they aren't. There are some major theological differences in the emphasis between east and west, but, I'm much more interested in the difference between the words. What exactly does “Epiphany” mean and what exactly does “Theophany” mean? And, what does the difference in definition tell us? The Bottom Line: Our 4th type scene is “Theophanies,” which is a revelation of God.

In the Gospel of John, we hear the story of Jesus meeting a Samaritan woman at a well. Most sermons focus on the foreignness of the Samaritan woman: her identity as a “Samaritan” is contrasted with Jesus's identity as a “Judean.” This then leads the preacher to speak about the inclusive nature of the Gospel. However, this scene is a type-scene, one that goes back to Genesis. So, if it's a type-scene, we must ask: what is the hearer supposed to recognize about this scene? Well, the answer is that we're supposed to recognize that two future spouses are meeting. This is their introduction to each other, an introduction that'll eventually lead to wedding bells. Now, this story—about Jesus and the Samaritan woman—just got interesting. If this scene is really an “encounter with a future spouse,” what then is John trying to say? What's his point? The Bottom Line: When two folks at a well meet, their just might be wedding bells about to ring!

One motif that appears over and over again in the Bible is the image of the barren woman. All the matriarchs of Genesis had problems having children: Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel; and
 the motif appears again in the New Testament: St. John's mother had a hard to time having children too. Why would this motif appear so often in scripture? What literary purpose does it serve for the authors of scripture? What's the spiritual meaning? The Bottom Line: The motif of the barren woman reminds us that it's God who bestows life.

If you could go back in time and speak with a 1st-century Roman about crucifixion and how the empire used them, what would they say?
 They might say that "... By [the cross] barbarian nations are subdued, by it the scepters of kings have been secured …" Or, they might say that the cross, “"... grant[s] victory to the faithful over the enemy …" If they had said either of those things, they would be absolutely correct! The cross was an instrument of torture that the Romans used to keep subjected peoples—such as Galileans, Judeans, and other nations—in line. The Romans wanted to instill fear to prevent uprisings and revolts against them. But, isn't that we Christians also say about the cross? That it grants victory and subdues barbarian nations? Yes … yes it is. So, how can both the Romans and the Christians say the same thing about the cross? After all, one put people on crosses while the other hung on them. The Bottom Line: For Christians, God's victory comes through defeat!

One of the first type-scenes, or conventions, in scripture that we're going to look at is Annunciations. “Annunciation” is a Latin word that essentially means, “announcement.” But, for the original biblical readers, what would they have expected when an announcement was made to someone from a messenger of God? What would they have expected the message to be? To whom and for what purpose would they have expected the message to be delivered? And, do we get “announcements” from God today? The Bottom Line: In understanding Annunciations, we may realize that an angel is making an announcement to us as well!

We all know that the Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, and, if we want to understand the Bible, we either need to learn the original languages or find a translation we understand.

 But, far too often, we think of translation and understanding in a much too narrow way. We limit “translation” work to translating the actual words.

 What we don't think about is translating context. 
Surprisingly, this context includes reoccurring scenes that become a pattern. The original biblical readers would be expecting this when hearing scriptural stores.

 The Bottom Line: Understanding type-scenes in the biblical literature will enhance our understanding so that we can walk the Way.

When is a story not just a story? 

When is bread much more than water, yeast, and salt? 

When is the command to “feed” someone more than a command to give someone actual food?

 When you're dealing with the Bible, that's when!

 The Bottom Line: Sometimes we have to look past the miracles and signs to see what scripture really getting at, to see how it's feeding us with the bread of life.

In today's podcast, we continue our exploration of the Law and its relationship to Christians. However, this week we get a twist. Though the early Jewish-Christians in the Book of Acts don't advocate for circumcision, they do apply some legal restrictions on Gentile-Christians.
 Why would they do that? What's going on? The Bottom Line: the Law serves a greater purpose to guide us on the Way that leads to life.

This week, we continue our exploration of the Law and its relationship to us as Christians.But, before we go further, we should pause and define what we mean by the Law.  Are we referring to the Law that's given to Moses in Exodus? Or, do we mean the whole thing: the Five Books of Moses? Or, perhaps, something else? Once we've decided that, we can turn our attention to how the Law was used by the early Christians in the Acts of the Apostles to see what light that might shed on the issue. The Bottom Line: Understanding the Law is an instructional process that strengthens our Christian walk on the Way.

Last week we looked at how the Old Testament is a mosaic in which Jesus can found. We learned that we can encounter Christ through the text of the Hebrew Bible.But, does the reverse happen? Do we see the Old Testament in the New Testament? If so, how? The Bottom Line: the New Testament isn't just a continuation of the Old Testament story, it actually “sums” up the Old Testament in way that allows us to understand Christ in a much deeper way.

Perhaps one of the most confusing parts of the Bible is understanding the relationship between the New Testament and the Old Testament. And, in turn, understanding our relationship as “New Testament people” to the Old Testament. Typically, we see ourselves as no longer being bound by the laws found within the Old Testament.But, in this upcoming Gospel reading, Jesus says that the law will not pass away ... not one letter, not one stroke? How are we to understand this? What did Jesus mean?The Bottom Line: to appreciate how the Law will not pass away, we have to understand not *what* the Old Testament is about, but rather *whom* it's about.

One function of scripture is to tear down our idols, our premeditated perception of God or those things we submit to in place fo God. This frees us so that we can worship the true God. Scripture does this in various ways. The Old Testament, for example, proclaims an unseen God, compared to the gods who exist as visible idols. This breaks our attachment to the gods we create in our minds and the ones we submit to in place of the Almighty. It also proclaims a God who willingly destroys his own temple, freeing us of the notion that God lives at a specific place during a particular time of history, and is a god for a particular ethnic group. And, finally, it proclaims a God who mocks us for using traditional forms of worship, such as sacrifice and incense, in order to force us to see the good in others and love our neighbor. The New Testament continues this tradition. There, we see how the gospel usurps the Roman household—which has the paterfamilias or Caesar as its head—and uses this societal structure. But, instead of Caesar being at the top, Jesus is. This causes us to question who is really in control: earthly powers or Christ? 

Now, this may sound all fine and good, but does scripture still function this way for us today? I say, “Yes!” … a resounding, “Yes!” The Bottom Line: Many of the qualities we value as Americans are usurped by the gospel and given a fuller meaning that can only be found through the gospel.

Do you remember being a teenager? Do you remember ignoring your parents when you were a teen? You were probably thinking, “Ugh, why do I have to listen to my parents? They don't know anything. Besides, they can't control me and my life!” If you're the parent of a teenager now, you also know what I'm talking about. But, did you know, this “teenage” mindset is exactly the sort of mindset we should have as Christians.

 The Bottomline: We're called to ignore the powers of this world because true power comes from above. 


We all know that the Christian feast of Pentecost is the celebration of the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles. This story is told in the New Testament book of Acts.

 But, did you know that there's a Pentecost celebrated in the Old Testament as well? The original celebration was an agricultural feast. Later, it came to be a celebration of the giving of the Law.

 So, if we see the gift of the Holy Spirit as a gift of the spiritual law, then the New Testament celebration of Pentecost seems to be a fulfillment of the Old Testament Pentecost.

 However, on the day we celebrate this feast, the Orthodox Church assigns us a Gospel reading that's about the Feast of Tabernacles. 

 Huh? Did the Church get the feasts mixed up, or is something more going on?

 The Bottom Line: Like Dorothy pulling back the curtain on the Wizard of Oz, the Church's combination of the Feast of Pentecost with the Feast of Tabernacles allows us to also pull back the curtain to see greater depth to the feasts.

Have you ever said something that you wish you could take back? I bet the moment you said it—right away—you knew you shouldn't have. You could see the shock, hurt, and pain of your words on faces of your loved ones.

 Perhaps, you started apologizing in the hopes that you could, somehow, swallow your words as if they had never left your lips. 

 But, it was too late. Your friendship, your reputation, was broken. 

If only there was a reset button.

 The Bottom Line: Our fallen human nature is like those words we shouldn't have said, but scripture tells us that by hearing the words of Jesus, are relationship with God is recreated.

If you read church news or online blogs, it's easy to get disillusioned: there's so much bad news. Combine this with a bad experience with Christians or a church and it's no wonder that over 50% of Americans no longer affiliate with a Christian denomination. After all, the church seems to have proven itself to be full of hypocrisy and self-aggrandizing. But, did you know that the criticism leveled against the modern church were first leveled against us by the Bible? The readings from these past few Sundays serve as a warning for us today that we have to walk the Way or else we'll become just like the religious authorities of Jesus's day who turned the Temple into a den of thieves. The Bottom Line: The Good News is that even when institutions go bad, the message of Christ's resurrection still breaks out!

As I thought about the theme of one of the Easter Sundays, the Myrrhbearing Women, I wondered: what's the deeper symbolic meaning that the first witnesses of the resurrection were female? Then, the answer came to me through the movie Shrek.

This upcoming Sunday is the Sunday of Joseph the Arimathea and the Myrrh-Bearing Woman.Although the story of the women finding Jesus's tomb empty is told by several of the evangelists, I want to narrow in on John's telling of the story.  It's only in John's Gospel that Mary mistakes Jesus for a gardener. And, it's only in John's Gospel that Jesus tells Mary not to “touch him” because he has not yet ascended (past tense) to his Father because he is in the process of ascending (present tense). But, what does this mean? Why would Jesus say this? Perhaps a clue comes from Jesus's teaching earlier in the Gospel. And, perhaps, as we'll soon discover, it has to do with eating his flesh (bread) and drinking his blood (wine). The Bottom Line: It isn't the appearance of Jesus to us that saves, but our faith in what has been written by John that saves

There's an old saying: knowledge is power.  Many of us live by this proverb. We go to college—or send our children to college—so that we can acquire the knowledge we need to get good jobs and live happy lives.While I think this is a good thing—a very good thing—it also had a negative side affect. When we view knowledge as a means of getting ahead, then knowledge becomes a commodity that can be monetized: we have knowledge that someone else doesn't have and, if they want to benefit from this knowledge, either by learning it themselves or through its application, they have to pay us.   In this way, knowledge divides us and allows us to set ourselves up above others. We become an educated elite, a tension that many feel in our nation today.  Knowledge worked the same way in the ancient world. For example, the temple authorities used their knowledge of scripture to set themselves up as an elite group of folks who lived off the backs of the average Galilean and Judean. Jesus repeatedly criticizes them for this.  But, in the resurrection, the tables are turned.  The Bottom Line: no matter how hard we try to monetize the Good News and lock it up so that only we benefit from it, it'll break free of the sealed tomb and the locked room! 

In anticipation of Passover this Sunday, when we will celebrate the rising of the Anointed One from dead, here is the Passover homily read at every Orthodox Church around the world in the early hours of the morning. Blessed Resurrection to you all!

(James 5:13-20)Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner's soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. (NRSV)Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing praises. Is anyone among you ill? He should summon the elders of the church, and they should pray for him and anoint him with olive 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. So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain and there was no rain on the land for three years and six months! Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land sprouted with a harvest.My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from his wandering path will save that person's soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. (NET)Is anyone among you suffering evil? Let him pray. Is anyone of good cheer? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you ill? Let him summon the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, having anointed him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is ailing, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he should be someone who has committed sins it will be forgiven him. Therefore fully acknowledge your sins to one another, and pray on one another's behalf, so that you might be healed. An upright man's petition, when it is put into effect, is very powerful. Elijah was a man, with feelings like ours, and he prayed a prayer that it might not rain, and no rain fell upon the earth for three years and six months; And again he prayed, and the sky gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.My brothers, if anyone among you should stray from the truth, and anyone should turn him back, Be aware that the one who turns a sinner back from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover over a multitude of sins. (David Bentley Hart)Are any among you suffering? Let them pray. Are any cheerful? Let them sing psalms. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church, and they should pray over the sick person, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. Faithful prayer will rescue the sick person, and the Lord will raise them up. If they have committed any sin, it will be forgiven them. So confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.When a righteous person prays, that prayer carries great power. Elijah was a man with passions like ours, and he prayed and prayed that it might not rain – and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, the sky gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.My dear family, if someone in your company has wandered from the truth, and someone turns them back, know this: the one who turns back a sinner from wandering off into error will rescue that person's life from death, and cover a multitude of sins. (N.T. Wright)Κακοπαθεῖ τις ἐν ὑμῖν, προσευχέσθω· εὐθυμεῖ τις, ψαλλέτω· ἀσθενεῖ τις ἐν ὑμῖν, προσκαλεσάσθω τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους τῆς ἐκκλησίας καὶ προσευξάσθωσαν ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ἀλείψαντες o[αὐτὸν] ἐλαίῳ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι ⸂τοῦ κυρίου⸃. καὶ ἡ ⸀εὐχὴ τῆς πίστεως σώσει τὸν κάμνοντα καὶ ἐγερεῖ αὐτὸν ὁ κύριος· κἂν ἁμαρτίας ᾖ πεποιηκώς, ⸁ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ. ἐξομολογεῖσθε oοὖν ἀλλήλοις ⸂τὰς ἁμαρτίας⸃ ⸆ καὶ ⸀εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων ὅπως ἰαθῆτε. Πολὺ ⸇ ἰσχύει δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη. Ἠλίας ἄνθρωπος ἦν ὁμοιοπαθὴς ἡμῖν, καὶ προσευχῇ προσηύξατο ⸂τοῦ μὴ βρέξαι⸃, καὶ οὐκ ἔβρεξεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐνιαυτοὺς τρεῖς καὶ μῆνας ἕξ· καὶ πάλιν προσηύξατο, καὶ ὁ οὐρανὸς ⸉ὑετὸν ἔδωκεν⸊ καὶ ἡ γῆ ἐβλάστησεν τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῆς.Ἀδελφοί oμου, ἐάν τις ἐν ὑμῖν πλανηθῇ ⸂ἀπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας⸃ ⸄καὶ ἐπιστρέψῃ τις⸅ αὐτόν, ⸂γινωσκέτω ὅτι⸃ ὁ ἐπιστρέψας ἁμαρτωλὸν ἐκ πλάνης ὁδοῦ αὐτοῦ σώσει ⸆ ψυχὴν ⸄αὐτοῦ ἐκ θανάτου⸅ καὶ καλύψει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν. ⸇

(James 5:7-12)Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Indeed we call blessed those who showed endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.Above all, my beloved, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. (NRSV)So be patient, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's return. Think of how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the ground and is patient for it until it receives the early and late rains. You also be patient and strengthen your hearts, for the Lord's return is near. Do not grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be judged. See, the judge stands before the gates! As an example of suffering and patience, brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord's name. Think of how we regard as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job's endurance and you have seen the Lord's purpose, that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. And above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath. But let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no, so that you may not fall into judgment. (NET)So, brothers, be long-suffering until the arrival of the Lord. Look: The farmer awaits the precious fruit of the earth, remaining patient over it until it receives the early and the late rains. You be patient too, strengthen your hearts, for the Lord's arrival has drawn near. Do not murmur against one another, brothers, so that you might not be judged—look: The judge is standing before the doors! Brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord for an example of suffering evil and of patience. Look: We consider those who persevere blissful. You have heard of Job's endurance and you have seen the ending that came from the Lord—that the Lord is lavishly compassionate and merciful. But before all else, my brothers, do not swear—neither by the heaven nor by the earth nor by any other object of oaths; rather let your “Yes” be “Yes” and your “No” be “No,” so that you may not fall under judgment. (David Bentley Hart)So be patient, my brothers and sisters, for the appearing of the Lord. You know how the farmer waits for the valuable crop to come up from the ground. He is patient over it, waiting for it to receive the early rain and then the late rain. In the same way, you must be patient, and make your hearts strong, because the appearing of the Lord is near at hand. Don't grumble against one another, my brothers and sisters, so that you may not be judged. Look – the judge is standing at the gates! Consider the prophets, my brothers and sisters, who spoke in the name of the Lord. Take them as an example of longsuffering and patience. When people endure, we call them ‘blessed by God'. Well, you have heard of the endurance of Job; and you saw the Lord's ultimate purpose. The Lord is deeply compassionate and kindly.Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear. Don't swear by heaven; don't swear by earth; don't use any other oaths. Let your ‘Yes' be ‘Yes' and your ‘No' be ‘No'. That way, you will not fall under judgment. (N.T. Wright)Μακροθυμήσατε οὖν, ἀδελφοί, ἕως τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ κυρίου. ἰδοὺ ὁ γεωργὸς ἐκδέχεται τὸν τίμιον καρπὸν τῆς γῆς μακροθυμῶν ἐπʼ ⸀αὐτῷ ἕως ⸆ λάβῃ ⸇ πρόϊμον καὶ ὄψιμον. μακροθυμήσατε ⸆ καὶ ὑμεῖς, στηρίξατε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, ὅτι ἡ παρουσία τοῦ κυρίου ⸇ ἤγγικεν. μὴ στενάζετε, ⸂ἀδελφοί, κατʼ ἀλλήλων⸃ ἵνα μὴ κριθῆτε· ἰδοὺ ὁ κριτὴς πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν ἕστηκεν. ὑπόδειγμα ⸀λάβετε, ἀδελφοί, τῆς ⸁κακοπαθίας καὶ τῆς μακροθυμίας ⸆ τοὺς προφήτας οἳ ἐλάλησαν oἐν τῷ ὀνόματι ⸀1κυρίου. ἰδοὺ μακαρίζομεν τοὺς ⸀ὑπομείναντας· τὴν ὑπομονὴν Ἰὼβ ἠκούσατε καὶ τὸ ⸁τέλος κυρίου ⸀1εἴδετε, ὅτι ⸀2πολύσπλαγχνός ἐστιν ⸂ὁ κύριος⸃ καὶ οἰκτίρμων.Πρὸ πάντων δέ, ἀδελφοί μου, μὴ ὀμνύετε μήτε τὸν οὐρανὸν μήτε τὴν γῆν μήτε ⸉ἄλλον τινὰ ὅρκον⸊· ἤτω δὲ ⸆ ὑμῶν τὸ ναὶ ναὶ καὶ τὸ οὒ οὔ, ἵνα μὴ ⸂ὑπὸ κρίσιν⸃ πέσητε.

(James 5:1-6)Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you. Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure for the last days. Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who does not resist you. (NRSV)Come now, you rich! Weep and cry aloud over the miseries that are coming on you. Your riches have rotted and your clothing has become moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted and their rust will be a witness against you. It will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have hoarded treasure! Look, the pay you have held back from the workers who mowed your fields cries out against you, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven's Armies. You have lived indulgently and luxuriously on the earth. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person, although he does not resist you. (NET)Come now, you who are rich, weep, howling out at the miseries that are coming for you: Your riches have spoiled and your garments have become moth-eaten; Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will serve as testimony against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have kept treasure in the last days. Look: The wages of the workers who have reaped your lands, which have been unfairly held back by you, clamor aloud, and the outcries of those who have reaped have entered the ears of the Lord Sabaoth. You lived on the earth in dainty luxury and self-indulgence. You have gorged your hearts on a day of slaughter. You have condemned—have murdered—the upright man; he does not oppose you. (David Bentley Hart)Now look here, you rich! Weep and wail for the horrible things that are going to happen to you! Your riches have rotted, and your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and your silver have rusted, and their rust will bear witness against you and will eat up your flesh like fire. You have stored up riches in the last days! Look: you cheated the workers who mowed your fields by keeping back their wages, and those wages are crying out! The cries of the farm workers have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived off the fat of the land, in the lap of luxury. You have fattened your own hearts on a day of slaughter. You have condemned the Righteous One and killed him, and he doesn't resist you. (N.T. Wright)Ἄγε νῦν οἱ πλούσιοι, κλαύσατε ὀλολύζοντες ἐπὶ ταῖς ταλαιπωρίαις ὑμῶν ταῖς ἐπερχομέναις⸆. ὁ πλοῦτος ὑμῶν σέσηπεν καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια ὑμῶν σητόβρωτα γέγονεν, ὁ χρυσὸς ὑμῶν ⸂καὶ ὁ ἄργυρος κατίωται⸃ καὶ ὁ ἰὸς αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται καὶ φάγεται τὰς σάρκας ὑμῶν ⸆ ὡς πῦρ. ἐθησαυρίσατε ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις. ἰδοὺ ὁ μισθὸς τῶν ἐργατῶν τῶν ἀμησάντων τὰς χώρας ὑμῶν ὁ ⸀ἀπεστερημένος ἀφʼ ὑμῶν κράζει, καὶ αἱ βοαὶ τῶν θερισάντων εἰς τὰ ὦτα κυρίου σαβαὼθ ⸁εἰσεληλύθασιν. ἐτρυφήσατε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς oκαὶ ἐσπαταλήσατε, ἐθρέψατε τὰς ⸀καρδίας ὑμῶν ⸆ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ σφαγῆς, κατεδικάσατε, ἐφονεύσατε τὸν δίκαιον·⸆ οὐκ ἀντιτάσσεται ὑμῖν.