James’ Letter to the Church

1. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. James 5:16

2. James’ Letter to the Church • Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. • Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:14-16

3. James 5:14-16 • confess your sins to each other • and pray for each other • so that you may be healed. • you will be forgiven. • Still sick? Ask Elders to pray for you • the sick person will become well; • the Lord will raise him up. • The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

4. Lifestyle of confessors • A congregation where individual Christians honestly confess their sins to one another will cleanse their lives and their fellowship of sin, hypocrisy and sickness. They will develop in humble love for each other. They will reflect God’s holy nature in their behavior. They will see the hand of God do miracles in their midst. The whole church body will be healthy as well as everyone in it.

5. Confess sins? What sins? • James 1: • :2-4 fear, worry, anxiety complaining, blaming despairing, giving up • :5-8 ambivalence, doubleminded listening only to God’s word when it benefits me • :9-11 feelings of inferiority arrogance, feeling superior to certain others demeaning attitudes, words, behavior

6. So, what’s the sin – sickness connection?

7. Stress response • In a stress response, the hypothalamus sets off an alarm system in your body. The adrenal glands, situated atop your kidneys release a surge of hormones, mostly adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline increases your heart rate, elevates blood pressure and boosts energy supplies. Cortisol increases glucose in the bloodstream and increases availability of substances that repair tissues. Cortisol also curbs nonessential body functions, alters immune system, suppresses the digestive system, the reproductive system and growth processes. MayoClinic.com

8. Long term stress • The long term activation of the stress response system can disrupt almost all your body’s processes increasing your risk of obesity, insomnia, digestive problems, heart disease, depression, memory impairment, physical illnesses and other complications. The immune system can run unchecked attacking your own body’s healthy cells. MayoClinic.com • “It has been found that most illness is related to unrelieved stress.” IVF.com

9. How does my sinful handling of life situations contribute to stress? • 1:2-4 Fear complex: focused outward • 1:9-11 Anger complex: focused inward • 1:19-20 Anger complex: focused outward

10. God’s Stress Busters • Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. • Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

11. God’s intention and provision • Your body functions best in a state of homeostasis, where all your body functions are in balanced working order. • A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. Proverbs 14:30 • Your body responds to long term stress by disrupting homeostasis and putting your physiological systems in a state of suppression or agitation.

12. Medical Research • More fatal heart attacks occur on Monday morning than any other time of the week. Linked to job dissatisfaction, feeling inadequate, out of control. The Stress Effect, Meaning and Medicine

13. Medical Research • Health problems more likely when people are stressed and socially isolated. 7,000 people were surveyed in Alameda County, CA about levels of social interaction. Nine years later mortality level was assessed. Mortality was greatest among those with lowest degree of social interaction. Even when variables such as socioeconomic status, smoking and other poor health practices were factored in. Meaning and Medicine

14. Medical Research • Fibromyalgia, a group of disorders characterized by achy pain and stiffness in soft tissues, muscles, tendons and ligaments. Usually occurs in previously healthy young women who may be depressed, anxious or stressed.

15. James 1:2-5 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

16. Medical Research • Type C personalities, extremely cooperative, patient, passive, lacking assertiveness, suppresses or represses negative emotions, particularly anger, while struggling to maintain a strong and happy façade – “Our results appear to agree with findings that cancer patients tend to deny and repress conflictual impulses and emotions to a higher degree than do other people.” When the Body Says No

17. Medical Research • A study of nearly 200 men and women conducted at the John Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, in 2000, found that hostility and a drive for dominance were ‘significant independent risk factors for coronary heart disease.’ A great volume of research has connected hostility with high blood pressure and coronary disease. When the Body Says No

18. God’s intention and provision • Your body functions best in a state of homeostasis, where all your body functions are in balanced working order. • A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. Proverbs 14:30 • Your body responds to long term stress by disrupting homeostasis and putting your physiological systems in a state of suppression or agitation.

19. Living with stress 10 x bitterness resentment driveness 5 complaining anger impatience irritation x Joy homeostasis Peace anxiety worry complaining 5 fear dreading depression x 10

20. Living with stress 10 5 x Joy homeostasis Peace I’m no good I don’t have what it takes I’m such a screw up I can’t do anything right 5 I’m such a loser Self-loathing x 10

21. Bones • A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22 • Bone marrow (or "medulla ossea") is the tissue comprising the center of large bones. It is the place where new bloodcells are produced Erythrocytes (red blood cells), platelets, and all but one kind of leukocyte (white blood cell) are manufactured in human red marrow. The marrow releases about 10 million to 15 million new erythrocytes every second, while an equivalent number are destroyed by the spleen.

22. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. James 5:16

23. James’ Letter to the ChurchJames 5:14-16 • Is any one of you sick? • He should call the elders of the church • to pray over him • and anoint him with oil • in the name of the Lord. • And the prayer offered in faith • will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. • If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. • Therefore confess your sins to each other • and pray for each other • so that you may be healed. • The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

24. Medical Research • The discovery of nerve fibers in the immune system has overturned the old notion that the mind and body are separate. “Well, I think that notion is down the drain. . . . In view of the multiplicity of connections from the brain to virtually all systems.” David Felten, M.D., Ph.D. Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy at the University of Rochester School of Medicine. Healing and the Mind

25. Medical Research • “I think the implication is that there may be a way to use psychological tools and interventions (relationships) to alter our emotional state in ways that would have positive effects on our immune system.” Margaret Kemeny, Ph.D is a psychologist with postgraduate training in immunology and psychoneuroimmunology and is assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles.