Grace Brings Us Home

II Samuel 7:23-24, And who is like your people; the ones on Earth that God went out to redeem for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out others and their gods from before your people whom you redeemed. You have established your people as your very own forever and you have become their God. 

The above passage is paraphrased, yet it shouts loudly that hope is real and we have a reason for holding onto to it. When we are young we love to play hide and seek, but when we mature we realize that we cannot really hide who or what we are. For some people that is a traumatic realization and brings about real grief and sadness in our hearts. It begins a searching in our hearts that leads us to the throne of our Creator. The fear that we bring to his throne dissipates when we comprehend that rather than finding punishment we are redeemed! Who could even begin to believe that the heart that comes to God in sadness and grieving over what we have become is precisely the kind of heart the Father wants from us.

To be claimed by God as his own is something most of us cannot fathom. Yet his word promises us his claim is not for a lifetime, but forever. Wow! I enter his presence with a broken spirit, a wounded life, and an empty heart, and rather than finding a lecture I find redemption, I find grace, and I wasn't even searching for it.  

In II Samuel 9:13 we read, and Mephiboseth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king's table; he was lame in both feet. When we are redeemed, the Father reserves a place for us at his table. Places at his table are not reserved for the handsomest or most beautiful. He doesn't reserve the best seats for those who look like they have been chiseled from stone. At the King's table there is room for the lame, the deaf, the blind, the bullied, the rejected, the wounded, the grieving, the lonely, the star, the genius, the beautiful, the handsome, the .....  Our God has room for all no matter who we are or what we are. He does not define us the way the world does and that is why grace is so refreshing and needed.  Thank you Father for redeeming me! 

Another Face of Grace

We are surrounded by grace, but usually have trouble recognizing it. While watching a movie the other night I saw a wonderful picture of grace that Hollywood of all places was responsible for. It was a fictional movie, but the message was powerful to me and I appreciated the way it showed what grace in action looks like.

In the movie, Forrest Gump, following another unsuccessful shrimping attempt Lt. Dan said to Forrest maybe he should ask God to tell us where the shrimp are. The next scene is a classic view of grace as Forrest is shown in a southern black church dressed with the choir clapping and singing.  Lt. Dan is sitting in the back of the congregation in his wheelchair laughing at Forrest and drinking hard liquor.  

These two guys didn't look anything like the regular congregation members.  One was kind of slow and the other was more into mocking God than searching for him, yet they still found a place within this congregation, and that is precisely the point grace makes. It's not about what you can bring to God's church, it's about God bringing you into his church even with all of the baggage you are carrying. Inside his people is where God's grace works powerfully, but we have to open the doors to them.

What can a slow witted person like Forrest offer a congregation? Nothing except himself, I may be out of place here, but I will put on the choir robe and sing and clap, because I am searching for God.  In God's people, those like Forrest find open arms and acceptance, because it is about God and not about us.

Lt. Dan had no compelling reason to go with Forrest so why did he go?  I believe he was searching as well, but he was searching on his terms and he'd bring what I want to bring with me in the search. Yet, clearly the director tried to show that even with a bottle of liquor and a mocking attitude this particular church still had an open door for Lt. Dan.

What a great presentation of grace.  Now contrast this picture to the one Tony Perkins presented in his statement about not inviting just anyone to his church? And contrast it also to the picture the pastor painted in the same meeting when he shouted if you don't like what we say you can get out!  Those are not the words of grace.  As Philip Yancey likes to say, grace like water flows down to the deepest depths and can reach anyone.  That's the picture Hollywood painted in this moving scene. Shouldn't we try to paint the same kind of picture ourselves? Transform me my God.

What Does Grace Look Like?

I am reading a book of Essay's by Elie Wiesel and in one of them he shares this thought. "Some will say to me, yes, but when you needed help nobody came forward. True, but it is because nobody came forward to help me that I felt it my duty to help them." 

A humbling indictment of the nature of man! It is so easy for us to say, look I'm comfortable, I'm safe.  Why should I care about those people? It's really none of my business. Besides, I'm only one person what impact could I possibly have? We love rationalization, it does help us to feel justified for looking the other way, for keeping our hands in our pockets, for averting our eyes. Yet deep in our hearts we know it for what it is; a cop out. 

What did the rationalization of the people of his day cost Mr. Wiesel? His mother, his little sister, his father, his friends, his community, his city, his faith in his God. Because nobody came forward, Mr. Wiesel as a young boy watched his mother and little sister walk hand in hand to the gas chamber. No boy, no child, no person should have to watch his loved ones be forced to walk to their deaths. Yet, that is exactly what we allow to occur every time we refuse to come forward. His wound is so deep that Mr. Wiesel cannot sit back and watch others go through the hell he went through. That is why he lectures us so powerfully by saying, "It is one's duty to ask every day, where am I in relation to God and to others?"

What does grace look like? It looks like a man with a wound so deep that he is haunted by memories so many years later, yet, when he sees the longing look for help in the eyes of others today, he steps forward. He doesn't want another little boy to watch his mother and his little sister be forced to walk to the horror of the gas chamber. Grace says, I went through that pain and I don't ever want you to go through it, so I will stand up and fight for you, because you matter! Thank you, Mr. Wiesel, from the depth of my heart that your words have have begun to soften. I was becoming too comfortable, too safe, too full of rationalizations. 

Whose Church, Tony Perkins or Christ's?

In the current issue of Time Magazine, April 2, 2012, Tony Perkins who is identified as an evangelical leader made the following statement at a rally introducing Rick Santorum, "I wouldn't just invite anybody to my church." As I finished the article, I kept coming back to the statement by a "leader" in the organization about not just inviting anybody to "my" church, and the thought that stayed with me was, what a bizarre statement he made.

I have many issues with the mindset of such a statement as well as many questions. My first issue with Mr. Perkins statement is, First I will concede that someone made him a leader of the church, but I don't believe that the Father made him the head of the church. If he is not the head of the church then he should be only saying words the head tell him to say, and I don't believe Jesus told Mr. Perkins to say, "I wouldn't just invite anybody to my church." Jesus pretty much invites everyone to his church.

My second issue is the church has never been described as the bride of Mr. Perkins, but as the bride of Christ, and as a part of the bride of Christ, Mr. Perkins is charged with preparing the church to meet her groom, and that involves reaching out a hand to everyone who Jesus calls into his church, and has nothing to do with who Mr. Perkins believes are "okay" to let into "his" church.

So, I wonder who Mr. Perkins would not invite to "his" church? The woman at the well? Any of the many lepers? Blind Bartimaeus? The man possessed with the legion of demons? The woman with the issue of blood? Souls such as these are as prevalent in our society today as they were in the time of our savior. Which of these would Mr. Perkins not bother with and why? In the same article, another "leader", says to any people who don't like what they say, "you can get out!" The problem for these guys is I don't see that as the attitude that the savior shared with anyone, except one group and that was the religious "leaders" of his day.

So my comments to these guys is to remind you that you need to be quiet and let the head of the church speak, and the church is his church and not your church. The savior also extended an invitation to everyone, because the Father wants everyone to have a relationship with him. If you don't like what the head says then perhaps the ones who should get out are the one's looking back at you in the mirror.

But I also have some critical comments to the rest of us. How long are we going to accept comments like this in silence? Elie Wiesel said the following about silence. "Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere." Or are we silent because we agree with Mr. Perkins? I hope not because those words have nothing to do with grace, and our Father is all about grace for "ALL" of us.

Astonishment in the Presence of Grace

Genesis 43:33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another.

This is the reaction of Joseph's brothers when they approach him for food because of the severe famine that was upon the region. At this particular moment, these brothers did not know Joseph was the brother they had sold into slavery many years before. What they did know was they were aliens in the Pharaoh's land seeking food for their people. If necessary, they came equipped with money to purchase the food if available. Yet, what they found stunned them. Isn't this the universal reaction when there is absolutely no reason for such gracious and kind treatment to be given? The manner and the way they were received is inexplicable and incomprehensible to their reasoning. There is simply no ability within their finite minds to begin to grasp why they were being treated in such a touching, moving, and compassionate way.

Yet, isn't this the same reaction we have to grace? I know myself deeply. My hatred, my anger, my resentments, my self adulation, my using God's name in vain, my lust, my covetousness, my .... Wait this is a disturbing picture, yet God let's me dine at his table while he is present! And all I can think of is I don't deserve to be here yet he insists he wants me with him. His grace leaves me astonished, because there is no reasoning that will explain why he gives it to me, when I very clearly do not deserve it.

Refreshing is the word which comes to mind at the moment. I deserved many other things but I was given grace. God reveals how much he loves me and while it remains beyond my ability to grasp, still this should drive me to humbleness and worship. If it does not, then perhaps I have not fully appreciated what God has given me. Why God would choose to bestow me with grace is beyond my finite brain's ability to grasp. Yet, it should leave me astonished, and when I am astonished that means I may not comprehend the why of it, but I do comprehend the truth of it and this is something I must share with others. Astonish me Father, and heal my hardened heart.

Before Grace

I Corinthians 5:9 ....I am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am,....

It strikes me that without grace we have no worthiness. Sure we may be loved, have friends, money, and all the other things that go with keeping us alive, but ultimately in the deep parts of our hearts we are empty and we feel this profoundly. Whether we admit it or not we are all and always striving for worthiness. Consider Paul, before grace he persecuted, jailed, and murdered people associated with the church. Before grace only Paul's beliefs were acceptable. Before grace Paul relished the spotlight of fame. And then he had an encounter that floored him, and from that encounter transformation occurred.

After grace Paul clearly saw himself for what he was, and while his past cannot be undone, grace made him what he became, and that is the difference. Paul did not become an apostle through his own labor and strength, it was grace that changed the course of his life. His search for worthiness brought him to the thing he needed the most, yet this was the very thing he deserved the least; grace.

Shouldn't this be my story as well? Before grace Ken was judgmental and resentful. Before grace, Ken was filled with hatred. Before grace, Ken wanted payback. Before grace, Ken wanted people to notice him and give him adulation. Can anything be said of me differently after grace? I'm really not sure at this point. Where is my flooring moment? Paul's encounter caused him to take notice of his beliefs, his teachings, his convictions. His whole life up to that moment had been in vain, because his pursuit of God was not bringing him closer to God. After Christ revealed himself to Paul, he had no choice but to rethink his whole life to that moment. I am unsure that I have had a transformational encounter that has caused me to pause and rethink. So my summary to this point is, but by the grace of God, I am what I am.

Meet Me At My Place of Comfort

In Luke 5: 1-11, The disciples first encounter with Jesus occurs in the place where they are most comfortable; a fishing boat. This is an environment they know and understand very well, yet on this particular trip they have come up empty. Now Jesus doesn't call them away from what they know, instead he says let me join you and let's see what happens. Jesus uses this setting to reveal to the fishermen who he really is by causing their nets to be packed with so many fish they were stressed so much they nearly broke and the boats nearly sunk. Because this was a setting that the disciples understood very well and were comfortable with the events that transpired caused them to understand fairly clearly just who Jesus is.

It struck me that this is the way Jesus will meet me as well. I won't find him through some extra sensory encounter, because it won't mean a thing to me. Instead, he knows where I am most comfortable and will come to meet me there, because it is there I will come to understand most clearly who he really is.

Now fast forward to John 21 and we find the disciples in a funk following the Crucifixion of Jesus and the uncertainty of what his resurrection is about. So, they return to an activity they are most comfortable with; fishing. Their last fishing trip before they met Jesus found them up all night with nothing to show for their efforts. The result is the same for this trip as well. Jesus, once again comes to the place where they are comfortable and meets them. This time he stands on the shore and calls out and asks them about their catch and they reply they have not had any luck. So, he tells them to drop the nets on the other side of the boat and they'll find some fish there. The result is the same this time as well and Jesus uses this moment to remind them that he is who he claims to be.

In the same way, when I go through my times of confusion or doubts and retreat to the place that brings me comfort it is there that Jesus will come and meet me. There is a reason why he would meet me in a place of comfort and that is because I understand that place well and it will take something dramatic to make me realize that this is not normal and I will understand clearly, Jesus is who he claims to be. Through an encounter such as this he reminds me just as he reminded the disciples, I am still the same person that you met here before. My power is not diminished and my authority is still unquestioned. So be hopeful and trust in me. Now get up and go where God leads you and accomplish His will. Jesus, let me meet you in my place of comfort so you can reveal to me exactly who you are, the son of God most high!