Grace for all

Over the last few weeks, our church has been looking at the book of Galatians in the Bible. This letter was written almost 2,000 years ago to a church that was struggling, not with finances or so many of the concerns that affect churches today. The church in Galatia had lost sight of what it means to live by grace. This is also a problem in our world, but we tend to be more concerned with other things. To Paul, the pastor who wrote the letter, grace was a primary concern. The church loses something essential if we start judging others. We judge people's economic status. We judge cultures. We find all kinds of ways to put some people down and lift others up. Paul saw this as a critical problem in the early church, and I believe he would still see this as a problem in our world today. 

The church talks about grace all the time, but this is very different from living it out. I encounter people every week who tell me how they were just about to leave the church entirely. They felt beaten up and worn down by the church. It's too easy to let these judgments rule our lives. 

This morning I was a little stressed getting my one year old ready for daycare. I was in a rush, and he was not. He was in a great mood. He loved playing with his brothers, running around the house, and putting blueberry pancakes in his hair. I was trying to prepare for the day, and I was getting a little overwhelmed trying to clean up after him. However, I had to admire the joy he was living in. He was laughing and playing, and everything seemed right in the world. Eventually, I had to get to work and he had to get to school, but I had to stop for a minute to watch this little guy live in the moment. He was not feeling any judgment or any other stress. He was happy to be right where he was. 

Today I hope we can all let go of the burdens that Christ doesn't want us to carry. Jesus wants us to be free. Let's open our hearts and live in God's Grace.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian