Tag Archives: God’s Grace

Works/Grace

Lent

March 5, 2020

Scripture Reading: Romans 4:1-5, 13-17

What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.’ Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. –Romans 4:1-5

Abraham is called the first monotheist. God, of course, is the only one who knows the truth of that attribution, but he was the fore-bearer of monotheism among Jews, Christians, and Muslims. My guess is that is why Paul chose to use Abraham’s example as one reckoned as righteous rather than being justified by works. I suppose works vs grace has existed ever since Abraham had his aha experience.

Balancing works and grace is challenging particularly with our Puritan work ethics background. We humans seem to have a need to measure our worth through comparison with others rather than accepting our worth as children of God.

We, however, are called to love the Lord [our] God with all [our] heart[s], and with all [our] soul[s], and with all [our]  mind[s]*. This is not the noun “love.” Jesus is instructing us to live our love in all our actions.

Prayer: God grant us the joy of your grace and enable it to be reflected in our works. Amen.

*Matthew 22:37

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Loving God

Living in the Spirit
November 3, 2018

Scripture Reading: Mark 12:28-34

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, ‘Which commandment is the first of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The first is, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” –Mark 12:28-30

In my senior year in college, two of my friends and I lived off campus in a garage apartment. After getting settled, we all agreed there was one thing missing. We needed a dog and we got one. He was small and smart. With our diverse college and work schedules, he was rarely alone. Afternoons he often spent with our landlords’ children playing in the yard. My friends and I loved music thus he loved music. The neighbors enjoyed his Christmas caroling with us. He was an unconditional lover readily sharing licks and cuddling. Toward the end of the school year, I heard him barking ferociously in the front of the landlord’s house. Racing out to see what was happening, I came upon a tragic scene. The children were crying standing on the grass next to the street, a car was stopped in the street with our dog lying dead in front of one of the tires. The car owner with tears in his eyes said, “I can’t believe it. He saved these children’s lives.” The children were in the street rescuing a ball when the driver came up over a hill in heavy traffic and saw the little dog dart into the street snapping at the heels of the children forcing them back into their yard. He gave his life without a moment’s hesitation to save the kids he loved.

I am sure God loves dogs too, so I do not think God would mind if a story about a dog is used as an example of the way to share love with God since God’s son chose to give his life out of love for us. While we celebrate such unconditional love, I fear we do not give much thought to how God experiences our love of God. Spending quality time with God surely is paramount to loving God. God gets joy from seeing us share our love with one another. Since God created us, God expects us to take care of ourselves and work to fulfill our potential. God also must like it when we sing together in harmony.

Prayer: God of Grace, accept our attempts to love you as fully as we possibly can. Thank you for your saving grace and unconditional love. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Grace as Glue

Lent
March 2, 2017

Scripture Reading: Romans 5:12-19

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned— sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come. –Romans 5:12-14

How do we change something bad that seems to be unchangeable? Humans seem to be unable or unwilling to stay in constant sync with God. Is the gift of freewill so heady for us or perhaps scary to us that we are drawn to test whether the gift is real or not by acting in ways that are not good for us or for anyone else? What could be accomplished if we were able, through faith, to maintain a constant connection? God seemed to desire such a partnership or God would not have created us. God incarnate, Jesus Christ, came to fill any gaps in our ability to stay in sync with God enabling us to participate fully in developing the world God envisions.

A friend suffering from a re-occurrence of a particularly troublesome form of bone cancer is now undergoing another round of treatment. Before that could happen the hallow places in his bones caused by the cancer were filed with what might be defined in laymen’s terms as glue.  It seems to provide the stability necessary to allow treatment to go forward. I could not help but think when I heard about this preliminary step that it sounded a lot like grace.

So, what is our response to such a gift as this? First, we thank God for graciously filling any gaps in our souls that are impeding our full potential in God’s service. Second, we must humbly accept God’s grace as Ephesians 6:13 puts it: Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.  Finally, we must live God’s love in all aspects of our lives without fear and with the sure and certain nature of the sufficiency of God’s grace.

Prayer: God of Might and Miracles, forgive us when the problems of the world overwhelm us and we break away from your love and your grace. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the new Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

My Yoke is Easy

DolphinsLiving in the Spirit
May 26, 2016

Scripture Reading: Galatians 1:1-12

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! –Galatians 1:6-8

If we really analyzed our ways of being carefully, I think we would find it is easier to follow Christ than to not follow Christ. Our wholeness was developed to exist within a relationship with God. If we accept that Jesus showed us the way of God than our whole being should be in tune when we get in step with Jesus. Life becomes difficult when we try to find our own way in the darkness. Or when we are so caught up in the things of the world we just cannot let them go, when,they do not fit well with God’s ways. We thus begin to work really hard at creating a god in the image we want God to be, resulting in the loss of part of ourselves.

Some of the Christians in Galatia had apparently reached this threshold of faith development when Paul wrote to them. He certainly could have written the same lesson to us today. It is heartbreaking to see what is being done in the name of God that does not seem to be based in loving like Jesus loves. Power and privilege are charming teases to our souls and the love of money still remains the root of all evil.

If we are tired of being caught in such a rat race, we need to just let it go and be whole with God. When we find we just cannot “let it go”, we need to hold on tightly to God’s grace as God can enable the release of all things that are damaging to our souls.

Prayer: Lord, we are all tempted at times to turn back from your gracious love and test the waters of the world. Help us turn our faces to you and learn that your yoke is indeed easy*. Amen.

*See Matthew 11:30

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

We are Not Alone

Backpack of foodEastertide
March 29, 2016

Scripture Reading: Acts 5:27-32

The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, so that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.’ –Acts 5:30-32

What acts of God have we each witnessed in our lives? While we can and certainly should carry on the stories of the acts of Jesus when he was on the earth and the acts of his first disciples following his resurrection, including that very resurrection, where is God acting in our world today? We take so much for granted, sometimes we do not stop and see God in the outcomes of our lives.

The blossoming of Oklahoma City after the bombing that shredded our peace of mind in 1995 has been amazing. Surely the Lord has been in this place. We are a kinder people. I sense the same reality for New York City after 9/11. The transformation of many oil-well scared properties across our state into fields of bountiful, primarily grain production and beauty reveals the influence of the earth’s creator. Thousands of children whose primary source of food is the school lunch program have sustenance over weekends through the backpacks of food sent home with them from school at the end of each week.

While our peace is still being shattered by terrorist and we still have much to do to care for the earth, while there are too many lives being wasted in prisons rather than restored to productive citizenship and too many hungry children and sick people with no means of obtaining care, we need to lift our eyes to the hills and see the hope in Jesus Christ as we continue to carry his way into the world.

Prayer: Lord, restore our hope remind us that your love is greater than any calamity we might face. Give us strength and courage for the journey. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

Trusting God with Our Loved Ones

Living in the Spirit
July 31, 2014

 Scripture Reading: Romans 9:1-3 

I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. — Matthew 11:23

One of my relatives had no time for religion or any of its trappings. He was not necessarily obnoxious about it but he was unwilling to even give it any consideration. My mother never stopped trying. He just would laugh and make a little light fun of her as he did the last time I saw him. We were getting ready to leave from a visit, and Mom’s parting words were I love you and God does too. She said more but he had long ago tuned her out. I felt sorry for her. He hugged and kissed her goodbye and she left thinking she had failed him. He died some months later and she mourned her failure once more.

Paul wanted to bring the hope of Christ crucified and resurrected to his brothers and sisters in the temple and synagogues, but he was rejected and he eventually turned his attention to the gentile population and the Jews of the dispersion. Like my mothers’ pain, it hurt him to the core of his being.

I do think that we need to tell the story of Jesus with our lives and our words whenever and wherever we can and do it with all the love we can muster. Ultimately though an individual’s relationship with God is just that his or her relationship and we must do what we can and trust God through Christ to do the rest in mercy and with grace.

It is at that point that a rich prayer life is absolutely necessary. Our roots in God’s mercy and grace must be deep indeed to release our loved ones to his care.

Prayer: God grant me the serenity
 to accept the things I cannot change;
 courage to change the things I can;
 and wisdom to know the difference*. Amen. 

*From the Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr (Read the full prayer at http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/special/serenity.html)

 

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.