Harmony of Grace

The word p e r f e c t ion  comes with a whole lot of baggage. We all know that no-one is perfect, and yet we are told that practice makes perfect. To be a perfectionist is sometimes seen as a crutch, while at other times we are encouraged to strive for perfection. The founder of Methodism, John Wesley, taught about an idea called C h r i s t i a n P e r f e c t i o n and asserted that followers of Christ could experience this ideal. In Genesis, we read that God created the world and humanity and declared that it was good. Many claim that this implies that God's original Creation was perfect. D a n i e l l e S h r o y e r suggests that perhaps "a more appropriate view of creation would be not perfection but potential. God designed the world to develop and function in a certain way, while allowing for creation to live freely into its potential. Sometimes creation will live up to and into its potential, while other times it will renounce it.... Potential reminds us once agai...

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  "God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers, and clouds and stars." - Martin Luther I have always been someone that connects with God through the beauty of God's creation. I regularly try to retreat into nature, but in recent years, these moments have been few and far between. No matter how busy we are and how much noise we fill our lives with, sometimes we are unexpectedly forced into situations where we will hear God's voice loudly and clearly as if spoken through a megaphone. Last Friday, I experienced one of these special occasions.  I was attending an art exhibition in Bethlehem with my wife and child. It was held in an airplane hangar at our local airport. While I am certainly not an art connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination, I thoroughly enjoyed walking through the exhibit, appreciating the beautiful paintings and the emotional responses that they brought up within me. Due to the late opening of the exhibition,...

Last week Sunday was our church's confirmation service where seven young folk publicly pronounced their faith in Jesus and committed their lives to follow in his footsteps, with God being their helper.  It brings me great joy to see young people experience the abundant life that God has to offer and choose to follow the way of Jesus. The most powerful part of the confirmation service for me is not the confirmees' promises to follow Jesus, but the congregation's response and promise to care for the confirmees. Here are some of the words that the congregation declares together: "With God’s help, we will surround these persons with a community of love and forgiveness, that they may grow in their trust of God, and be found faithful in their service to others. We will pray for them, that they may be true disciples who walk in the way that leads to life." It is in these beautiful words that we are faced with the wonderful reality of the church's true purpose - to be...

This past weekend was our annual confirmation camp where the youth of our church go away for the weekend to prepare for their upcoming confirmation service. We were extra lucky this year as the farm that we were staying on does not have access to electricity (although I don't think lucky  would be the word that our youth would use when describing that fact). But it was a great opportunity to set aside all of the distractions that come with constantly being glued to our electronic devices and focus on connecting with God and each other.  Spending a few days in the wilderness, away from technology and the busyness of life, was truly refreshing for my soul. I have always enjoyed withdrawing to a still, private place for an occasional spiritual retreat, but I was reminded this weekend of the value of good community. One of the biggest things that the COVID pandemic has robbed us of is regular, deep connection with others. Yes, we can experience community virtually and some might e...

Many people tend to think of life in rigid, binary terms. For example, something is either good or bad, right or wrong, male or female, etc. In our churches, we are quick to create rules that define what is acceptable and what is not; or we create walls that allow certain people in while keeping others out. Even when it comes to theology, we try to put our beliefs about God into neat little boxes. Throughout history, humans have invented neat theological phrases to try and define God. While these are certainly helpful at times, they can sometimes get in the way of our growing understanding about God and the world. One of the ways that we define God is by referring to the Holy Trinity of Father, Spirit and Son. This is a helpful way of understanding God as an interpersonal, relational God who is present in three persons. However, one of the problems that comes with this model is that we tend to associate the Trinity with a triangular, pyramid shape. This creates a hierarchal model that ...

In recent years, I have become very outspoken against many types of injustice in the world, particularly those perpetuated by the wealthy and the Church. I believe that this is necessary work justified by my understanding of Jesus and Scripture. Jesus constantly challenged the religious elite and the greedy rich while fighting for the rights of the poor, marginalized and vulnerable. We also know that Jesus told his followers to love their neighbours, even those who they consider to be their enemies. So how do we confront those perpetuating injustice while still loving them? Reading the gospel story of Zacchaeus the tax-collector in Luke 19, I was reminded that while God clearly shows a preferential option for the poor throughout the bible, no-one is exempt from God's love and grace - even those who we feel called to challenge. In this beautiful story, Jesus takes time to visit and eat with Zacchaeus, a man who was rich, greedy and guilty of stealing from many - the exact type of pe...

Most Christian children are taught to say grace before meals.  The obvious reason for this is to show our gratitude to God for the food that we are about receive. The practice come from the Latin  gratiarum actio , meaning "act of thanks." I believe that there is more to saying grace than just offering thanks. As we quieten ourselves before a meal, we are acknowledging Christ's presence with us in that moment. When Jesus shared in the first Holy Communion with his closest friends at the last supper, he declared that they should do the same, as often as they can, in remembrance of him. Most churches officially participate in the sacrament of Holy Communion once a month or even weekly in some contexts. Some Christian communities share the Eucharist together every day, sometimes even two or three times a day! While we may not follow the official communion liturgy or practice every time we break bread and drink wine together, perhaps our act of saying grace before a meal can ...

I recently heard Jason Mraz's cheerful new song called  Look For The Good . Here are the words of the chorus: Look for the good in everything Look for the people who will set your soul free It always seems impossible until it's done Look for the good in everyone It reminded me of how often we are negative rather than positive; how we so often see the so-called bad parts of a person before we see the good things about them; how we focus on the dangers of a situation before we see the opportunities. There is a prevalent idea in many Christian circles of original sin. Basically, because of Adam's decision to sin against God in the Genesis creation story, all future generations have suffered the consequences. We are told that we are born into sin and there is no way that we can escape being sinful. Some Christians even claim that if a child dies before they are baptised, they will be condemned to an eternity in a fiery hell... Can you believe it?!  While the claim of original s...

Many Christians claim that they first met God in a church or while reading their bibles. My story is a bit different. "God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars." - Martin Luther   I was introduced to metal music at a young age. I loved the husky screaming over grungy, melodic riffs on the electric guitar. When I rocked out to Avenged Sevenfold and Killswitch Engage, my soul felt refreshed and overjoyed. I starkly remember visiting one of my friend's youth events at a strict, fundamental church and being told by a leader there that rock music is from the devil and as Christians, we should only be filling our lives with good and pure things (which according to him was the multi-million dollar worship industry of the time). According to this youth leader, there was no holiness to be found in the rock-music scene and it was our duty as Christians to take Jesus to them! The problem was that, while I enjoyed some of the worship...

Psalm 118:1-2, 9-29 Today is the final day of Lent, when we usher in Holy Week tomorrow and continue to journey together with Jesus towards the cross. Today's Psalm is a song of praise in the midst of dark times. It reminds us to seek refuge in God when the world is in turmoil.  I cannot think of a more appropriate time to stamp the words of this Psalm on our hearts and declare them together as God's people.  Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.” It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down. They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down. They swarmed around me like bees, but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them down. I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my ...

Psalm 31:9-16 We are presented with another two beautiful Psalm readings this week. The first is this extract from Psalm 31. In this Psalm, David cries out to God in a time of distress. Perhaps, if you are feeling overwhelmed and stressed about a personal situation, or the situation in our country or the world at the moment, you can declare these words with David today. Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbours and an object of dread to my closest friends— those who see me on the street flee from me. I am forgotten as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. For I hear many whispering, “Terror on every side!” They conspire against me and plot to take my life. But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times ...

Philippians 2:1-11 In our reading this morning, the apostle Paul urges followers of Jesus to display the same humility as Jesus did in his interactions with others. What does it mean to be humble? According to Paul, it means doing nothing for selfish purposes. It means valuing others above ourselves and putting the needs of others before our own. Unfortunately, these are not traits that we often see in Christians and Churches in the world today. To be charitable as a Christian today means to first satisfy our own needs and then if we have anything left, to give it away to the poor. I understand the desire to ensure that we have enough; that we are able to live comfortably; that we are able to provide an exciting future for our family and children. I have the same desires. But I can't help but think that this is not the way of Christ. Everything about Jesus' life and teaching was about lowering himself so that others could be exalted - even to the point of death on the cross.  W...

Isaiah 50:4-9 The prophet Isaiah describes the way of God's servant in this passage. He says that every morning, a servant of God should wake up with the intention of learning and listening to the Spirit of God in the world.  I love this piece of advice.  How often do we wake up with the intention of "showing the world who's boss?" We presume that we have something to offer the world and they better listen to what we have to say.  There might be some truth in this; we probably do have something to offer the world. But the way of the servant of God always has the goal to learn more; to grow in their understanding; to seek God's movement in the world. Even Jesus encouraged his disciples to be more curious; to ask more questions. Jesus rarely answered people's questions outright; he almost always asked another question.  I am always very wary of people who claim to know the absolute truth about anything. The only real absolute truth is Jesus. So instead of waking...

  John 12:12-16 There is a profound truth that we discover in the story of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. It is the truth that, even when our expectations try to interfere, God is always with us.  This does not mean that God is an innocent bystander who is lingering nearby to observe us and monitor our words and actions. God is with us in the sense that when we cry, God cries with us; when we laugh, God laughs with us; When our burdens are too heavy to bare, God carries our load; When we are too weak to carry on, God carries us. God might not always arrive as we may expect or deal with our enemies in the manner that we would like, but God always shows up.  If we can get past our small-minded, self-serving expectations that we place on God then we too can earnestly stand with God’s people and declare: “Hosanna! Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and Glory in the highest! Hosanna!” Prayer: King Jesus, thank You that You are always with me. ...

  John 12:12-16 God’s people were correct in thinking that God was sending them a new king in Jesus, but they were not happy with the type of king that God had sent.  God remembered the people of Israel and provided them with a King. But when their King arrived, they were not thankful because they had a skewed idea of how their king was going to look and behave. While on Sunday the people praised and sang as Jesus entered the City of Jerusalem, a couple of days later on Friday, the people called for Jesus’ crucifixion and supported the murderer Barabbas instead. They were not happy with the King that Jesus claimed to be. Their expectation got in the way of God’s plan for them. The people of Jerusalem were so caught up in their own idea of what their promised Messiah was going to look like, do and say, that they completely missed what God was doing right in front of them. How often is this true for us today? What unrealistic and self-conceived expectations have we placed on God...

John 12:12-16 This week, we are faced with the story of Palm Sunday, where Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem as King, the week before his crucifixion. As we near the end of our Lent journey for this year, we are drawing closer to the greatest moment in the Christian calendar, the Easter story. Let us not miss this opportunity to reflect on what this time means for us as God's people living in the world today. God’s people had once lived in a mighty kingdom, peaking under the leadership of King David. The prophets promised the Israelite people that God would provide them with a new King who would save them, but that dream seemed very distant from where they currently found themselves living under the rule of an oppressive Roman Empire. They currently felt abandoned and helpless. But then rumours began to spread of this charismatic Jesus fellow who was said to be performing miraculous healings and driving out demons in every town that he visited. And now he was coming to Jerusalem...

Psalm 119:9-16 Today's Psalm speaks about what it means to be pure. After we have confessed our sins to God, how do we live lives that honour God's Word, which is Jesus Christ? As we accept the new life that Christ offers us, let us declare the words of this Psalm as our newfound commitment to the light of the world. How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, Lord; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. Prayer: Mother God, Your grace covers all of my shortcomings and transgressions. I offer my life to glorify You, but I am too weak to do it on my own. I need Y...

Psalm 51:1-12 This week's lectionary readings consist of two Psalm readings. I, therefore, offer you an additional Psalm to reflect on today. Today's reading is a Psalm of confession. After we have reflected on repentance and forgiveness this past week, let us use this Psalm as an opportunity to confess our sins to God and accept the forgiveness that God offers to us all. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter th...

Hebrews 5:5-10 Today's reading informs us that throughout his life, Jesus offered up prayers and petitions to God with fervent cries and tears. We also learn that Jesus' prayers were heard by God, not because he was God's Son, but because of his reverent submission and obedience to God. This realisation should be so encouraging to us as Christians today. Just as Jesus had a direct line to God, so do we also have direct access to God through the Spirit of the High Priest who lives within us, Jesus Christ. There is no greater honour and privilege that we have as Christians than to pray. Even when the world is falling apart around us and we don't know what to do, we can pray. Even when we do not have the words to say, the Spirit intercedes on our behalf. And yet prayer is still one of the most neglected spiritual practices in our world today. Perhaps it is because people have a false that they have to say the perfect words or set aside the same amount of time every day to ...

  Jeremiah 31:31-34 The Israelite people were very familiar with the idea of a covenant. God had entered into covenants with the Israelites through many people including Moses, Noah, Abraham, Adam and more.  In the past, the Israelites had to obey their side of the covenant agreement by obeying God's laws. If they broke their side of the agreement, they would have to pay for their sins in the form of a sacrifice of some kind. The prophet Jeremiah claimed that soon God would be making a new covenant with the people of Israel. When this new covenant is made, the law would be in their minds and written on their hearts. This new covenant that Jeremiah speaks about was inaugurated by Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This new covenant was not about merely obeying God's laws, it gave God's people access to a personal relationship with God. This new covenant was so expansive and inclusive that "all will know God, from the least to the greatest." Unfortunately, God's peop...

John 12:35-36 After predicting his death, Jesus told his disciples that they "will have the light with them just a little while longer" and that they should "believe in the light while they have access to it, so that they may become children of light." There is nothing quite as challenging as navigating through an unfamiliar place in the dark before your eyes have properly adjusted. We encounter a similar challenge as we attempt to navigate our lives in this world if we choose to walk in the dark. Jesus is the light of the world. We always have access to Jesus' light living within us today. We need Jesus' light to illuminate the dark places in the world around us. Just like our eyes adjust to the dark, if we live our lives guided by Jesus' shining light, our eyes will adjust to what we are seeing and we will be able to see the world in a new perspective - through the loving eyes of Jesus. There is a famous Christian hymn called "Turn your eyes upon ...

John 12:27-33 At various points in Jesus' ministry, he spoke about his coming death. The disciples often did not know what Jesus was talking about when Jesus predicted his literal death.  As we draw nearer to Easter, we prepare to mourn Jesus' death and begin to reflect on the implications of the cross on our lives today. I wonder what our response would have been if we were with Jesus and he predicted that he would be persecuted and killed for what he stood for? Would we too have denied Jesus' words or would we have had the courage to fall in line with Jesus and be persecuted with him for what he stood for and believed in? Would we perhaps have doubted the resurrection like Thomas; denied knowing him like Peter; or even betrayed him like Judas?  I am sure we would all claim that we would have stuck by Jesus until the end, but if we are honest with ourselves, we might not like what we discover.  As we prepare to reflect on Jesus' final days, let us consider if we are li...

John 12:23-26 The Bible is full of phrases that seem to contradict themselves. We are told that we see unseen things; we conquer by yielding; we reign by serving; we are exalted by being humble; we become wise by being fools for Christ's sake. Another stark contradiction is found in our Scripture reading for today: We live by dying . The kernel of wheat needs to die in order to produce many new seeds.  There are certain things in our lives that need to die in order for us to experience abundant life in Christ.  I could give you a list of things that could be causing you to pull away from Christ, but we all know what the things are in our lives that are preventing us from drawing near to God. It could be hatred, unforgiveness, busyness, fear, the list is endless.  We each have our own personal struggles. Until we are serious about letting these parts of our lives die, we will always struggle to experience new seeds of love, joy, peace, etc. Prayer: Lord God, I acknowledge ...

Psalm 107:1-3,17-22 Today's reading is a Psalm of praise that reminds us that God will save all of those who call on the name of the LORD, no matter their past iniquities.  Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy. Prayer: Loving God, You are worthy of all praise. You are a good, good parent. Thank You for Your unconditio...

Ephesians 2:1-10 The apostle Paul was an incredibly gifted writer. He used his words to tug on our emotions and focus on what is truly important.  After reminding us of our innate tendencies to choose darkness over light, Paul reminds us that even though we fall short of God's expectations for us, God still loves us and saves us. It is because of God's love for us, not by any work of our own, that we are forgiven and saved. This is why, no matter how many times we fail and make mistakes, we do not have to work our way back into God's favour. All we need to do is repent of our shortcoming, return to Christ, and we receive another chance; a fresh start. In our 11th devotion for this Lent season, we learnt about how, like Abraham, we are made righteous because of our faith. The danger with this understanding is that we can end up thinking that we still need to do something in order to receive God's faith - after all, having faith is doing something, right? Paul goes furthe...

  Ephesians 2:1-4 The apostle Paul shares a grim synopsis about those who choose to live in darkness, rather than seeking the light. He says that all people have been dead in their transgressions and sins. This was because they followed the ways of the world and the evil one.  Most of us get to a point in our lives when we realise that we are not living the lives that we should be. Some people's stories are more tragic than others, but most realise that to some extent, we are not as good as we would like to be. Paul echoes this thought in verse 3 when he says that at some time, all of us have gratified the cravings of the flesh and followed its thoughts and desires. We can take comfort in knowing that we are not alone in these feelings of disappointment in ourselves.  The Good News of the Gospel is that we are loved and forgiven of our past mistakes and failings, regardless of what we have done. We have been given a new life to live in honour and glory of the God who has ...