This weekend I had an unusual encounter followed by another insight into patriotic support today. It was youth Sunday at our church and youth were leading worship and serving as the focal point of the day, second only to God. With us that morning was a former youth group member who has since joined the National Guard and was about to be deployed. I felt the Holy Spirit impress upon me to interrupt the order of worship and have the church pray for her and her brother as they were about to be deployed as well as the other soldiers already serving us overseas. I asked for any other veterans to join me at the altar as we prayed over Chrissie. At one point I opened my eyes for a moment and was nearly overcome by what I saw.

Nothing is quite as fascinating as the jack. Some call them blackjacks, jacks, or rocket ducks. Some know them as ringers, ringnecks, or ringnecked ducks. Most of us are familiar with these 100 mile an hour acrobats and their mid air tricks that can humble even the best shot in the blind. Of all my interactions with jacks over the years, one stands out in particular fame, not because of the speed or beauty of the little ducks, but for the lesson I learned from one of them.

My dad and I hunted a small watershed in NW Tennessee when I was growing into my chest waders. We hunted off the bank using the best cover we could gather as blinds were not allowed here and boats stood out too much to get the ducks to work close. This particular morning was cold and nasty, just the kind of morning duck hunters dream off. A front was moving through and with it came a snow/sleet/freezing rain mix. As the end of the hunt drew to a close, it had become a steady, pounding sleet storm that made for a really miserable day. We were about to surrender to Mother Nature when we spotted a duck. It was a jack. Most every time a jack would come over the lake, there would be a customary 2 passes before the final committed glide to the dekes. The first was taken at high altitude and high speed, almost as if they were just verifying that it was indeed a lake down there. The second pass was usually lower and faster, mixing in cuts and dodges that would make the best F-16 pilot jealous. This was termed their recon pass, low enough to hear the calls of the various blinds on the lake, but too far out and too fast for the oncoming anti-air flak of the hunter's guns. This was followed by a high banking turn and then a slower, working approach to the pre-selected set of decoys.

James begins chapter 2 with some deeply challenging words for us: if we show partiality to a rich man over a poor man, we have sinned. In a world where we celebrate celebrity whole heartedly, this one probably leaves us all feeling just a bit guilty…or at least it should. We are gently reminded here to love our neighbor as our self. What does that mean? It means that we treat every person we know like they are a celebrity, every person we meet on the street or at work like they are a Hollywood icon. We should do so without any preference to race, gender, religion, or socio-economic levels. That is how we are supposed to act as Christians. This proves our life is fully led by the Holy Spirit and fully devoted to following Christ. And that alone brings God glory.

The Book of James is a wonderful place to begin a journey into God’s Word. It is full of practical and direct teachings on how to walk the walk. Most scholars agree that this book was written about 40-50 years after the death of Christ, making it one of the earliest of the New Testament books written. It is also believed to be written by James, the brother of Jesus.

In week 1 of this study we will look at key verses from Chapter 1. If you have any comments or questions, feel free to ask. This is how we all learn and grow closer to God. Simply look below the text for the comment box, click it, and then check back for more discussion later. Enjoy your walk through James: