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Posts Tagged ‘Grace’

Grace vs Pragmatism

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , , on November 19, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Acts 15:39a
They [Paul and Barnabas] had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company…

I think about all that Paul and Barnabas had been through and wonder how this disagreement finally tipped the scale. Maybe they were always kvetching with each other and this was one kvetch too many. Who knows? But clearly, these wunderkind apostles did fight.

It appears that Barnabas was ready to extend grace to John Mark for his disappearing act when they were all traveling together before (near Pamphylia), but Paul was not. For Paul, it was simply unwise. He didn’t think they could “count on” John Mark.

Both Paul and Barnabas were considered apostles. Both men were familiar with the Holy Spirit. Both men were prayer warriors. Both men were leaders. And yet, they could not agree.

It is no different today. There will always be disagreement between leaders … between believers. Some lean toward grace and some lean toward pragmatism. Is one right where the other is wrong? No, they are simply different roads.

John Mark went on to write the book of Mark which has been included in the canon of scripture. Barnabas disappears from the story after leaving Paul. Silas, Paul’s new companion, went on to work with Timothy. And of course, Paul continued his own journeys. Each man contributed to the story in his own way.

There is a place for both: grace and pragmatism. They are not necessarily on opposite sides of the coin.

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Power of Grace

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on November 17, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Acts 15:11
“No! We [Peter speaking of Jewish disciples] believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they [the gentiles] are.”

Grace, grace and more grace. It is grace that does all the work. Grace = Jesus.

No human being can operate faithfully and fully within the laws of God alone. It is simply impossible. We are fallible, imperfect, careless, and prone to err. Perhaps we intend the best, but we bring far less to the table of life. We are handicapped in one way or the other. We hurt each other. We fail each other.

My daughter has told me how I am the only one she can trust, that I have been steadfast, that I am her hero. And I tell her… get ready, because I will fail you eventually, whether perceived error or truly just blowing it. I keep trying to bend her trust toward the only One who is totally reliable. It’s not me, I know.

God has poured so much grace upon me already. I am thankful for family, shelter, work, food on the table, transportation, freedom, and health.

Who are the gentiles of today? Isn’t it possible that God will pour out his grace on those unlike us… whose lives are different than our own? Who are we to decide what someone else’s faith walk will be like?

There was much damage done by many well-intentioned missionaries who entered cultures unlike their own and did everything they could to recreate those cultures. Look what the well meaning “whites” did to the Native Americans here in the United States… not just condemning their faith, but stripping Native Americans of their dress, their music, their land, and their history. Or, what of the Africans who were brought to this country? They too were forced into a new life, often under the trappings of “saving their souls” because they were categorized as barbarian or primitive.

Grace is more powerful than anyone’s culture. Grace knows how to integrate into any culture and reach the heart. It is the power of grace that transforms the human spirit. Lives are not changed at my insistence that they worship the way I do or read the text the way I do or pray the way I do.

The Jews who had accepted Christ had to a make a huge shift in thinking in order to embrace the gentiles. Can we do any less to those of other cultures, sexual orientation, or race? Let us trust Grace.

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Giving Up Circumcision

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , , , on November 16, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Acts 15:5
Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”

Circumcision was one of the most important signs or acts that a Jewish man did. It went way back and it was sacrosanct. And yet, here was Jesus turning something else inside out. I mean, at this point in all the conversions, there were even Pharisees who had become believers. The Pharisees were taught to obey the law to its “nth” degree. And yet, here was Paul, who had also been a Pharisee, saying that gentile believers did not need to be circumcised just because Jewish believers were circumcised. That’s huge!

The question that comes to my mind is how many customs and traditions have Christians developed over the years that are just like circumcision? For some it’s baptism of a certain type, for others it’s speaking in tongues (or other manifestations), for others it’s going to church, for others it’s communion specifics, for others it’s designations of priest or pastor to sanctify various things, for others it’s certain social issues, for others it’s sexual orientation, for others it’s certain types of prayers… you get my point.

If God pours out the Holy Spirit on someone who does not match our rules and customs, what then? Is it any different from giving up circumcision?

Jesus turned the Jewish world upside down… but I think Jesus is still turning worlds upside down.

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Do you have an appointment?

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , on November 11, 2009| 1 Comment »

Acts 13:48b
“…all who were appointed for eternal life believed.”

My husband is totally annoyed by telephone marketers. We have put ourselves on all the “don’t call” lists and yet, every once in awhile, it still seems as though a few get through. If they do call and it’s Mike that answers the phone, he yanks their chain a bit and asks them, “do you have an appointment?” It really throws them off their game. And in the end, he tells them that he does no business on the telephone unless they have an appointment. I am waiting for the industrious sales person who actually writes Mike and requests an appointment.

When we lived in Atlanta, we had a friend who was very interested in Calvinism, Armenianism and predestination. I am not a good one to explain the nuances but I do know that there are many people who hold to the idea that only those who are “predetermined” or “chosen” will accept Christ. While others, believe that anyone can be saved. Some denominations are known to follow along these lines, Presbyterians are generally Calvinistic while Methodists are Armenian.

Certainly, this scripture fragment seems to imply that only those who were appointed for that time accepted the message that Paul and Barnabas preached.

But here’s my answer to all of this… an appointment can be for today or it can be for tomorrow. Just because someone’s appointed time is not today does not mean that he/she will not have another appointment with Christ in the future. It is not for us to judge. I believe I missed some of my appointments with the Lord and surely, my life would be different today had I accepted Christ in a meaningful way as a teenager or in college.

Now, I know that the Calvinists take it the next step and say that the appointment they are talking about is the “ultimate appointment.” In other words, everyone who is chosen by God in advance will eventually find God. Since God is sovereign, no one can really resist God. We have free will but, really, God can hit the override button at any time.

So, in the end, because I agree with that one key part, that God is sovereign, I believe God can override any destiny … any destiny. There are none who need to live out their lives separated from the grace, peace and love of God.

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Evidence of Grace

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , , on November 3, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Acts 11:23
When he [Barnabas] arrived [in Antioch] and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.

Antioch was a huge city in those years, possibly even 100,000 strong according to Wikipedia. There was a large contingent of Jews there as well. But the point here is that Greeks were hearing the message about Jesus in overwhelming numbers for the first time. It was such a big deal that the Jerusalem apostles heard about the conversions. Probably with some alarm, they sent their best diplomat, Barnabas, to check it out.

What does he find: “evidence of grace.” So what does this evidence look like?

Back then, I would imagine it looked very similar to the early church in Jerusalem where believers gathered together often, worshiped God, and practiced caring for those less fortunate: they fed the poor, the widow & the orphan. There was joy and hopefulness. There were healings and miracles. There was change.

We must remember that grace, by its definition, is a gift given to someone or something that is undeserving. It is hands-on mercy. What Barnabas saw was tangible gift-giving.

But like a “wave” at a stadium, unless everyone does it, the wave falters and fails. Each individual must make the decision to participate. It’s active.

How does the wave start at a sports game? Supposedly, it only takes about a dozen fans to start a wave in a stadium. Isn’t that an interesting number?

But before there are twelve… there is one…. one with an idea and a vision. Where is the evidence of grace at my own house… my street… my neighborhood… my town? Where is the wave? Am I the one to start it? Are you?

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Incremental Truths

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , on August 25, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 12:16
“I have still many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them or to take them upon you or to grasp them now.” [Amplified]

The whole truth and nothing but the truth?… it’s not going to happen. Even though the Holy Spirit (Spirit of Truth/Counselor) is here with us, is even within us, still we are unable to handle the whole truth. Nothing much has changed on that score.

Is the Bible truth? Yes, but no one has the inside track on the meanings, interpretations, inspiration, implications of that collection of writings. Truth may be absolute, but our world is not. We are limited in our ability to understand truth and apply it to our world, to our culture, to our daily lives.

Like the story about Corrie Ten Boom whose father showed her by example that she could not carry the heavy suitcase off the train until she was older/stronger. The father would give her the suitcase suitable for her size and ability.

The Holy Spirit, through Christ Jesus, gives us the truth we can bear and understand.

Sometimes, we fight these truths. I have heard myself say, “Don’t tell me, I don’t want to know…” to my teenagers. There is a perceived safety in ignorance. But that is foolish.

Today, I open my heart and mind to the truth God is willing to give and I ask forgiveness for the truth I have turned away. Grace and mercy can only abound where truth lives.

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Keeping the Grace

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , on July 4, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 8:54b-55
“…My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word.”

I claim the Father as my God. I seek to know Him. But knowing God, the Father, is to keep his word. And there’s the rub.

If I could keep God’s word in my own power, I wouldn’t need a savior.

And when we talk about his word… what exactly do we mean? The 10 commandments? I’m dead in the water there. And what about the Great Commandment from Jesus (coined by Scot McKnight as the Jesus Creed) [Mark 12:29-31]:

“Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no commandment greater than these.

How are we doing on that one? Of course, in the end, the entire New Testament was written to help us work out what these two commandments mean and demand of us as followers of God, as disciples (students) in the way of Jesus.

I have no strength. I fail daily. I confess daily. I call on the grace of Christ Jesus. And that’s THE way.

Grace is the whole point. So now, whenever I see the phrase, “keep His Word,” I replace it with the truth, I “keep the Grace” and for that grace, I give thanks to Jesus who offers it freely.

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