GRACE UPON GRACE - April 26, 2009
John 1:16 "From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace."
God's Grace. Amazing Grace. This is the blessing of God's presence for us.
We began a talking about Grace before Easter, with prevenient Grace -- the Grace that comes before we even know what Grace is, or who God is, or why this is important. It is through prevenient Grace that God woos us out of our complacency, out of depressions and despondency, out of our worries and preoccupations, out of simply being too busy. God gives us opportunities to find true Grace -- true caring, respect and agape love that is steadfast through all life's ups and downs. The Grace of God lovingly and gently prods us to open our eyes to see ourselves and neighbors in a new way.
And then there is that moment of "yes" when we know that God's Grace not only calls us and reaches out to us, but surrounds us and sustains us every day. This is what we call Justifying Grace.
But how do we know that God's Grace is for us? How do we know we can trust that grace?
There is a story of a college student, a junior music major named Alisa, way too busy as most college students are, whose roommate was moving out the 2nd semester of the year. She was looking forward to the peace of having a room to herself, when down the hall came Megan, a freshman who was also a music major, was always turning up at the least-opportune time, and just a little too overbearing.
"I'm looking for space in your dorm next semester," she said. "Do you know anyone whose roommate might be leaving?"
"No," Alisa replied, feigning sympathy. "I don't know of anyone. I hope you find a place." She closed her door, and later went to the music building to make reeds for her oboe. She just couldn't get it right. Oboe reeds are difficult to make and require attention to small details, and she realized it was because she was tense and frustrated. She just couldn't relax and do the fine work that she needed to do.
"What's wrong?" She asked herself, already knowing the answer. "Okay, God," she said, sighing. She put down the reed, then prayed, "Forgive me for lying to Megan and having an unloving heart toward her. I want more than anything to do your will, so if you want me to invite her to live with me, I'll do it."
But she paused. She asked herself, "How would I be able to tell whether or not this is what I really should do?" So she continued: "God, if you want Megan to live with me, please show me by . . .by bringing her up to this very room and having her knock on the door." That seemed safe. But she hedged her bet. "One more thing, God. If she shows up and knocks and then sits in the chair beside me, I'll know for sure you want me to ask her."
She was confident. She was sure she had requested the impossible. The reed room was tiny and crowded. The chair next to her held a toolbox and a stack of sheet music. No one ever sat in it.
She felt more relaxed, returned to her work and within an hour finished two reeds that sounded fine. She was cleaning up when there was a knock at the door. "It can't be." Alisa murmured to herself. And she opened the door with a sinking feeling. "Oh, you're in here," Megan said. "I was looking for someone else."
Then, as Alisa watched in astonishment, Megan edged past her, moved the toolbox and sheet music to the table and sat down in the chair. "I don't quite know what I'm doing here," she said.
Alisa knew, and invited Megan to room with her.
Instead of it being a disaster, Alisa found that Megan studied hard. She was neat, and she went to bed at a decent hour. With her former roommate, Alisa had been living in clutter, staying up too late, and her life had felt a little chaotic. With Megan, she appreciated the order and stability. Later, Megan confided that she had moved out of the other dorm because of a terrible roommate situation, and was depressed to the point that she didn't want to live.
Alisa spent more than a few minutes marveling at the way God had brought them together. Yes, she enjoyed the new friendship, clean room, and ordered living. But, she said, "I had also discovered that when God was involved in my choices, I got something far better than what I had thought I wanted."
That was a story about two young women. It might seem that when we learn our first difficult lessons early in life, we have it made -- no more mistakes, misjudgments, wrong evaluations of people.
Don't we wish that were true?
But we know there will always be bumps in our road, mistakes that we will make and lessons to be learned. Jesus talked to the disciples in parables, they often didn't understand. Even after being with him for three years, they needed teaching, coaching, and the Grace of forgiveness and understanding.
But we also know that God is always with us, for that is the promise of the presence of the Holy Spirit in John 14:16 "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate (Helper), to be with you forever." and in John 14:26 "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you."
How do we know that we are still growing in Grace?
We come to one of my favorite Bible passages, Galatians 5:22-23 ". . .the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things."
These are the qualities of God, and the qualities that we want to cultivate in our lives, each day, through the nitty-gritty of the decisions we make each day.
Whether we are in elementary, jr. hi. or high school or college students, or if we are grandma's or grandpa's -- and everything in between -- it is these qualities growing in us that are the signs of the growth of God's grace.
It might seem like it is bad news that we are always going to need to grow in God's grace. The Apostle Paul, who gives us the words that we often use for Grace, grew from a murderer to one of the greatest church starters we have ever known.
He had his wake up call and his eyes opened in the vision on the road to Damascus. This first, grateful, overwhelming sense of God's forgiveness and love he called Justifying Grace, that we have already talked about.
But Paul, with the help of Barnabus and Timothy and other friends in the faith, spent his entire life learning and growing, and he called this continual growth in the Spirit, Sanctifying Grace. John Wesley called this "Going on to perfection." Because, of course, we never completely arrive.
This is not a bad news, good news situation that we find ourselves in. It is a good news, good news situation. That's what the word "gospel" means -- the Good News. It is the Good News of God's Grace that we always have this opportunity to learn and grow in God's steadfast love.
Someone said, "Some day I would like to visit that church in Kansas City where, we are told, they have this slogan in their bulletin: "Wake up, sing up, preach up, pray up, stay up, pay up, but never give up or back up or shut up until the cause of Christ in the church and in this world is built up!"
I want to focus on one Fruit of the Spirit -- Joy.
Joy comes in smiles, as a result of helpful words and deeds, of good times, and sometimes simply being there for someone else. Sometimes it comes through our work, and the satisfaction of a job well done.
Joni Eareckson Tada, who is a quadriplegic because of a swimming accident, tells us "Jesus is the one who helped me smile, not because of my disability, but in spite of my disability." (Holy Humor p. 235)
One woman wrote this poem after a very dark depression:
Jesus
I believe you laughed
As Mary bathed you
And Joseph tickled your toes.
I believe you giggled
As you and other children
Played your childhood games.
And when you went
To the Temple
And astounded the teachers,
I believe you chuckled
As all children chuckle
When they stump adults.
And surely there were
Moments of merriment
As you and your disciples
Deepen your relationship.
And as you and Mary
And Martha and Lazarus
Fellowshiped, mirth
Must have been mirrored
On your faces.
Jesus,
I know you wept
And anguished. But
I believe you laughed, too.
Create in me
The life of laughter. (Holy Humor p. 238)
Our faith is about Grace upon Grace.
Grace that sustains us in the difficult days.
Grace that brings order and friendship from the most unlikely people.
Grace that brings joy and laughter even in our disabilities.
Grace that comes from the love of our Creator God for all the Creation,
from Jesus the Christ, God's anointed one who teaches us to love one another,
and through the power of the Holy Spirit to renew us through both tears and laughter.
Yes, our faith is about Grace Upon Grace.
Amen
Pastor Fran
