Saint James of Jerusalem, Brother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and Martyr

The Collect of the Day
Grant, O God, that, following the example of your servant James the Just, brother of our Lord, your Church may give itself continually to prayer and to the reconciliation of all who are at variance and enmity; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Psalm
1

The Readings
Acts 15:12-22a     +     I Corinthians 15:1-11     +     Matthew 13:54-58

All the apostles and elders kept silence, and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles. After they finished speaking, James replied, "My brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first looked favorably on the Gentiles, to take from among them a people for his name. This agrees with the words of the prophets . . . Therefore, I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God . . ." 
Acts 15:12-15, 19

James, called by Paul "the Lord's brother," seems not to have become a disciple until after Jesus' resurrection. But he went on to be a leader in the early church, traditionally the first bishop of Jersalem. He presided over the so-called Council of Jerusalem recorded in Acts, which wrestled with the pressing question of how to incorporate Gentiles into the church--it was a thorny problem that occupied much of Paul's letters, also. 

In his wisdom, James determined that the church should not place any obstacles in the way of Gentile inclusion. Listen to the testimony of lives changed, listen anew to the word of God spoken in the prophets, and let God call whom God will. Whatever misgivings some may have had about Gentiles as 'the other', the outsiders whose way of life was suspect or even offensive to God, James took his stand to trust that God is drawing the circle wider still. For, as Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, it is finally only upon God's grace in Christ that any of us stand at all. It is a core message we cannot afford to ignore today. However helpful or laudable our practices of piety (and we are learning about their benefit as we follow the Way of Love), however much we may be rightly thankful for our own heritage in the church, still it is not these that save us--it is God's scandalous grace, for you and me and everyone, including those 'outside' who don't know anything about 'the rules,' and who may even disrupt the way we've always done things.

It was a momentous decision. The church would not be a Jewish faction, but truly catholic in scope: a universal body united in Christ and reconciled to the God who made all. And yet reconciliation is a difficult thing; easy to talk about, messy and often painful to accomplish, no matter how sincere our efforts. Ultimately, it cost James his life. But it is this work of reconciliation to which we are called: "The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ." (The Catechism, BCP p. 855). There is no shortage of need for such a mission in our divided and angry world. It is a mission that we can only hope to accomplish by giving ourselves continually to prayer, and by daily surrender to the gospel grace in which we stand. 

Closing Prayer

Lord God, thank you for you grace toward even me. May I never hinder anyone from coming to you, whose love is more vast than we can imagine; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

The Council of Jerusalem. 

James, vested as a bishop, is flanked by Paul and Peter (Simon).