Our Unique Offering

I had a "work friend" once who was a Presbyterian – I only mention the denomination because it’s important to the story that she felt that she had an affiliation with a church. Her church was a small one, and I think it may be the one her parents attended. She told me she didn’t go very often because she felt that her lifestyle (my word, not hers) wasn’t good enough for church, and she wasn’t ready to change it.

Off of my Yancey Grace notes grocery list, here are a few quotes:

“If grace is amazing, why don’t Christians show more of it?”
“What are we doing to spread the aroma of grace in the world rather than the stench of ungrace?”
A church should exist to offer “grace on tap.”

I was interested in the idea that Christianity is the only religion which believes that God’s love is unconditional. Our unique offering to the world is the grace of God’s unconditional love, and yet so often we don’t offer the world the one gift that only Christians can offer.

I don’t blog very often about politics. Have I ever blogged about politics? I notice at times that when politics become the subject of a blog, grace leaves. It isn’t that we can’t talk about government or politics in a “grace-filled” way – it’s that we often just do not. In the fervor of being “right” (meaning correct), we loose sight of being loving.

What is even more disturbing to me is when we have the same attitude – one of ungrace – about our faith. How is it that we can throw hate at people in support of a God of grace? Doesn’t it seem to be at contrary purposes?

My younger son has received lots of anti-smoking education at his school (and home). He’s learned how unhealthy it is for the smoker and his companions. He’s started holding his breath around smokers (which often proves to be an interesting test of endurance). What most disturbs me is when he says, “I hate smokers.” How is it that hating smoking can turn into hating the smoker?

I read a discussion the other day about Calvinism versus Arminianism. I don’t even know what Calvinism and Arminianism are, but I gathered from the discussion that it is the debate as whether our salvation depends on man’s will or God’s will. The discussion in the post and in the comments turned nasty, with people arguing their viewpoints – each convinced that the Bible supported his interpretation. The whole time I was reading it, I kept wondering if any of it were really important. I don’t mean salvation – I mean the labeling of people’s beliefs. Isn’t it enough to love God and love each other and then leave the rest up to God himself – who will understand it much more than I could – much more than I am ever expected to. Is the label so important that we would exchange grace in defense of the argument?

I don’t mean that we should always agree, or that we shouldn’t try to express our beliefs. One of the great joys of fellowship is that pull and tug of discussion – each working with the other to grow in the faith. When we approach it with grace it becomes a learning experience. When we approach it with ungrace, it becomes disconnected with what we are trying to do in the first place.

Do we offer grace-on-tap in our churches? Blog/smog, let’s get down to brass tacks. Do we welcome sinners? Would my friend feel the touch of grace in my church? I have found enough grace there myself to believe that she would also.

One point Yancey makes is that we are able to recognize our own shortcomings, our own sins, and love ourselves anyway (usually). One of the gifts of grace we receive from God is that we are able to recognize the sins of others, and love them anyway. “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” (MT 22:39b)

So, if I were to add to yesterday’s Grace list, I might add today:

Grace
Abundant
Free-flowing
On tap
Loving others as we love ourselves
An unnatural response
A God-given response

Note: Yes, I know. From yesterday’s post copy-write should have been copyright. I kept wondering why my spell check was rejecting it, and then I realized it this morning.

Speaking of churches: I was at our local Emmaus gathering this month and ran into someone I haven’t seen in about 18 years. We sat a while and talked. She asked me what church I attended. I told her, and mentioned that I had been there for about 26 years. “Do you like it?” she asked.

Image: Sky across the street from our house.