Posts Tagged ‘grace’
A Cycle of Grace
Written for Voices and Silences, 2003 Grace, Giftedness, Giving and Growth – these four words, from Clif Christopher and Herb Mather’s book, Holy Smoke!, prompted me to reflect on these themes in my life. For me, they flow in a cycle, a deepening spiral, which begins and ends with God’s grace. From God’s side, it’s…
Read MoreA Radiant Grace
I often picture God’s grace as a multifaceted jewel, reflecting God’s Light from different angles, each in a different way from the vantage point of a person’s unique life and circumstance. Just think of all the facets, all the rays of light, for all of us human beings! It may shine amethyst in a person’s…
Read MoreA Living Legacy: Grace upon Grace
Even the most financially ambitious among us hunger for more than just the money standard in our lives. Somewhere along the way, we want the assurance that our lives have been not only successful, but valuable. Most people want to leave something behind that would be not just a money gift to a cause, but…
Read MoreJohann Sebastian Bach, gospel steward
Today, this year, March 31st is the 331st anniversary of the birthday of Johann Sebastian Bach, one of the greatest composers of all time, whose musical works expressed the very height of baroque music. Doing some research, I discovered that the term baroque refers to an irregularly-shaped or oddly-colored pearl. This word led to the…
Read MoreCancer Lessons in Grace
The diagnosis of breast cancer came as a shock. It took several weeks before that wore off, and it occasionally returns at new bends in the road. But the cancer was caught very early and after surgery remained at Stage 1. Even so, there’s radiation ahead (gratefully missing out on chemo) and hormone therapy for…
Read MoreThrowing Open the Door
I’ve been thinking recently about what constitutes abundant life in our daily living. Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of Romans 5:1-7 (The Message) says that when we throw open our door to God, we discover that God has already thrown open God’s door to us. “We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand –…
Read MoreMeans of Grace
“Discipline” can be a scary word. Even when we hear it in churches, as in “spiritual disciplines,” our first instinct might be that it’s punishment or obligation. When that unconscious reaction happens, it’s hard to respond out of a place of gratitude and joy. So maybe it’s better to say “framework” or means of grace.…
Read MoreGenerosity – Yielding to God’s grace
When we consider the “Y” in “Generosity,” we realize it could stand for yielding to God’s grace. One phrase I read somewhere years ago has earned a cherished place in my home. It says “choosing to be utterly dependent on God.” Of course, we always are utterly dependent upon God, but it is the act…
Read MoreGrace and Temptation
I hate being sick. When I do get sick, my temptation is to refuse to acknowledge the reality that would allow me to rest and focus on healing. When I engage in such denial, I try to plow ahead with my own plans, and then get worse. Use of the word “temptation” here is deliberate,…
Read MoreStewards of Grace
Sunlight peeks through smoky pearl skies. Raindrops shimmer, suspended from fine, fragile pine tips. Creation awaits fulfillment in the One who is to come, God incarnate. We are “servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries,” called to be found trustworthy and faithful (1 Corinthians 4:1). How can we possibly be worthy of trust in…
Read MoreNine Ways We Change the World
Table Reflection Questions: Stewarding God’s Multifaceted Grace 1 Peter 4:10-11 Choose any of the following questions to spark your reflection together at your table: 1. Recall a time when your presence, words or actions were a gift to someone. 2. How can you live as a steward of the “precious jewel” of God’s…
Read More