Why do you come to church? You don= t have to answer me, but I want you to take a moment and seriously think about your answer to that question. Why do you come to church?

Do you come for the inspiration of the sermon or the music?

Do you come to see friends? Or for the refreshments?

Do you come because you think it will provide a good reference for you after death? Or because you think it will provide some assurance that your life will be blessed? Or do you come to get away from the stress of the world and daily life and have a period of rest and reflection?

Perhaps you come because you have always come, since before you can remember, brought to the church as a small child and it just became part of who you are and what you do on Sunday mornings?

Perhaps you come out of love for God? Why do you come to church?

The author of the letter of James suggests that we come to church for each other. We gather because everyone needs someone who is on their side. This is not about friendship, though that= s important. This is not about lovers and spouses, though life would be pretty drab without them. This is not a mere trifle of a need. It is about survival.

Everyone requires an ally, a supporter, someone who will be a A rear guard.@ Whether it= s bullies on the school yard or a friend or mentor to walk with you, we need people who will help us. Without such support, life becomes literally impossible. In short, we cannot make it alone. In the trials and struggles of our lives we need each other.

James points out that there are times when we will have difficulties. There are times when we have happiness. There are times when we will be sick. There are times when we make mistakes and we carry guilt or shame. And there are times when we lose our way and wander from the path of a good and right life.

In all these times we need the company of others.

We need people to pray with us, to sing with us, to comfort us, to hold us accountable, to speak forgiveness and grace to us, to help us find our way back to the right path. We need to be there for one another.

A nurse escorted a tired, anxious young man to the bed side of an elderly man. A Your son is here,@ she whispered to the patient. She had to repeat the words several times before the patient= s eyes opened. He was heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack and he dimly saw the young man standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand the young man tightly wrapped his fingers around it, squeezing a message of encouragement. The nurse brought a chair next to the bedside. All through the night the young man sat holding the old man= s hand, and offering gentle words of hope. The dying man said nothing as he held on tightly. As dawn approached, the patient died. The young man gently released the lifeless hand and went to notify the nurse. A Who was that man?@ he asked. The startled nurse replied, A I thought he was your father!@ A No, he was not my father, I never saw him before.@ A Then why didn= t you say something when I took you to him?@ asked the nurse. A He needed his son. When I realized he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, I knew how much he needed me.@

That is the kind of care and concern Jesus had for people.

That is the kind of care and concern we are to have for one another. And James points out that we do have it and can have it C in the church, the gathered people of God. Are we such a place? Can we be such a place?

We can if we are honest. Honest with ourselves, with one another, and with God. Togetherness does not arise from pretense, from wearing masks, and from guarding privacy. Rather, it is nourished by a willingness on the part of all to be honest about their needs and to be loving in responding to the needs of others in the community. Unfortunately, we do not always find this kind of intimacy and sharing within congregations today. Why is that the case? What have we lost?

Or, what is it that we neglect that stifles the growth of community?

To be honest takes great risk and great risk takes courage. The women= s group watched a video together about making Jesus and the church a higher priority in their lives. The video made some of the women feel uncomfortable. They said nothing but sat in awkward silence. Finally, one of the younger women spoke up, A That woman on the video with the messed up priorities C that= s me. I am exactly like that.@ Maureen= s candid, honest words broke the ice at that meeting. Others shared admitting that they, too, had a difficult time. By the tend of the meeting, all of the women agreed that they wanted to change, making Christ and the church a greater priority in their lives.

Often we in the church are reluctant to admit our shortcomings with one another. When we are open and candid enough to admit that we are struggling in one area of our lives, then others will open up and share. With honesty, risk and courage, for true community to develop there also needs to be respect, confidentiality, and acceptance. There cannot be judgment, for that will shut down honesty, risk and courage. There cannot be shock or ridicule of any sort, nor can there be any carrying of tales to other people and places. These are the responsibilities of community that come with the caring of community.

And that caring is communicated strongest by listening to one another and then praying with and for one another. For prayer is what brings the healing. Medical doctor and best-selling author Larry Dossey, recounts a story of a patient of his in one of his books. This man of faith was dying of lung cancer. The day before his death, the doctor sat at the man= s bedside, and asked him what he usually prayed for. A I don= t pray for anything,@ the patient responded. A How would I know what to ask for?@ This surprised the doctor C who thought that, of all people, a dying patient would know what to ask for. A If prayer is not for asking, then what is it for?@ A It isn= t > for= anything,@ responded the patient. A It mainly reminds me I am not alone.@

That is the source of the healing. When we pray, we experience the reality that we are not alone. We discover anew that at the very core of the universe is not cold, unfeeling matter, but a heart of love. We discover that God is not some impersonal abstraction, impossibly distant from the joys and sorrows of our lives but one who took on human flesh, and went to a cross for us. And we especially discover this when we pray with others and are prayed for by others.

One final story: There were but six adults, three teenagers and 11-year-old Caleb at the healing service in the shelter for abused women and children that Tuesday evening. During the brief service, Caleb was acting up and had to be hushed. It is hard for a boy his age to sit still. His giggles and whispers made that apparent to all. As the service drew to its climax, everyone, except Caleb C who seemed to be in a different world C came forward for the anointing and laying on of hands with personal prayer for healing. When the service ended, the people quietly left. The pastor started putting things away when a lone voice stopped her. A I= ll do that thing now.@ Turning, she saw Caleb standing there with a grin on his face. A I= m sorry. What did you say?@ the pastor asked, not sure what she heard or what was meant by it. A I= ll do that thing now,@ Caleb repeated as he glanced at the container of oil. The pastor nodded, half in disbelief and half in satisfaction. Had this child been listening? Or, was he just curious and shy? Applying oil to his forehead, she said, A Caleb, child of God, receive the oil of gladness for the healing of your body and soul. Is there a personal prayer you would like me to offer for you?@ Caleb looked around to see that the room was empty. Then, he looked up into the waiting eyes of the pastor. A I want my dad to stop drinking and beating us so that we can be a family again. I want my family back.@ Caleb was indeed in another world than the pastor knew personally, but the prayer that Caleb voiced upward and the words that the pastor attached to it carried a train-load of anxiety and hope to heaven. Let us pray that we might be a place where the Caleb= s around us can discover they are not alone.