Some further thoughts on being "called God's friend"

A couple of verses I read during my quiet time this morning struck me as relating to Sunday's passage (James 2: 14-26) and the idea of being God's friend and what that meant for Abraham.  The first is Psalm 86:11:

Teach me your way, Lord,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.

I mentioned in my sermon that Greek moral teaching talked about the unity of friends - seeing the world the same way and sharing everything in common.  Abraham certainly relied on God's faithfulness, though I'm a bit afraid of this prayer.  Because of course, relying on God's faithfulness often means being in situations where it feels like there's absolutely nothing to rely on.  Abraham is also, especially according to Kirkegaard, the supreme example of someone with an undivided heart - seeing the world as God saw it, or at least trusting God's vision of the world more than his own.  James too urges us toward having an undivided heart - devoted to God and not yanked around by our own evil desires and insidious doubts.  (This, by the way, is the idea behind having Pinnochio on our study books - the invitation to become real and not pulled and controlled and manipulated by sin but instead able to live for God in freedom.)

The second passage comes from Luke 12:21, right after the parable of the rich fool, who built bigger barns for himself and anticipated spending the rest of his time taking it easy and being merry, only to lose his life and face God. 

"This is how it will be with those who store up things for themselves but are not rich towards God."

One of the commentaries I studied last week mentioned how Abraham 'abandoned his life to God's plans and purposes'  - he was rich towards God . . . I think, I hope, there's something within us that longs to give ourselves to God with abandon - to be like the sinful woman lavishing perfume on Jesus feet, to be rich toward God and not anxious about protecting and providing for ourselves.

On a different note, I've also been remembering a story about Teresa of Avila, a remarkable woman of God and leader of the church who faced many challenges, including the scrutiny of the Inquisition.  She was traveling somewhere in the rain and fell face flat into the mud.  When she got up again, she reportedly exclaimed in frustration, "Lord, if this is how you treat your friends, it is no wonder you have so few of them!"

Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness, even when you let me fall face down in the mud . . .

Pastor Elizabeth