Gathering the Gleanings: Reflections on Life in the Ministry

The word grace is so often associated with church, in fact limited to the confines of the church buildings. Perhaps, when we say it it often has too little meaning. We superficially use it, toss it around a little. A little grace here and a little grace there.

Yet does grace have to be something we say God gives to us or that occasionally we say to someone “Give yourself some grace in that”? Or boldly yet, “I give you grace in the midst of this”.

What does grace even mean?

When we think of God’s grace, it’s a lot like God’s love, it’s unconditional. We can not earn God’s grace or favor. God grants it to us God’s beloved children. A foundational scriptural text about grace comes from parts of Romans 3: 22-25. Paul writes:

For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

You see and hopefully hear God’s grace given through Christ’s death and resurrection is a gift. We don’t pay for gifts – gifts are free.

When we say to someone “grace I extend to you” or something that has a similar meaning or sentiment, it is NOT something to toss around. Giving someone grace is serious and becomes a spontaneous gift of forgiveness. We do not extend grace lightly or haphazardly. We we extend or gift grace to others we invite them to breathe and rest in knowing they are loved and forgiven.

Whelp, Whelp, here it comes – self grace! For me this is next to impossible. I struggle with it. It’s like there is a 100 pound weight tied to it and threatening to pull me in a deep dark hole. The knitting expert I often knit with tells me there is grace in knitting….I think huh maybe in her seat where there is little to no mistakes being made. And I’ve retaken up sewing and I want it to be perfect from the first stitch and when it was not I was ready to throw in the towel….Joe said keep going, you have not sewn since you started your doctoral work (at least five years ago). Then there are those sermons, I don’t preach the best, surely no one got much out of them. Until folks say “good sermon pastor”. Well they are just being nice, I think. When my fibromyalgia flares and I can not do much of anything, I feel useless. Where is that self grace – uhmmm, no where. I guess that’s my less for today and a multitude of days ahead – learning to give myself grace in my non perfection. My non perfection that God would still say “This is my daughter with whom I am well pleased.” Or the imperfection that I would never laugh at or hold anything but admiration and grace to someone else – they tried right?

Grace is not a word only to be used in Church settings or among church folk – it is a word and actually more a way of living that would make the world a better place.