Radical Grace

In this season after Easter, we are taking a deeper look at our mission statement at CLC:

Real People

Inclusive God

Radical Grace

Inspired Growth

We are asking what it means to live out each of these values in our church. This week we are specifically questioning what it means to be a community of Radical Grace. Personally I feel like many of us realize there is a need for grace in our world. We cannot be expected to behave perfectly in all circumstances. However, if we are not careful, we can become consumed by comparing ourselves to others. We love to show other people that they are wrong, and we love to sing our own praises when we are right. We may love the idea of grace, but we don't always put these ideas into practice. When I look out at the greater world, I see many of the same issues. Leaders feel like they have to prove themselves constantly. Grace is seen as a sign of weakness. However, living without grace tends to lead us down a road of constantly escalating tensions...

Earlier this week, I had a proud parenting moment. My oldest son decided to share a gift he was given. It wasn't a big present, but other kids were starting to feel jealous. When he decided to give it away, I could almost see him realizing that he already lived in abundance. He didn't need to hold onto everything so tightly. In fact, there is joy in sharing the abundance with others. 

John 10:10

 I am come that you might have life, and have it in abundance. 

I think Jesus understood that in order to experience grace we need to open our eyes to the fact that we are surrounded by blessings. It is far too easy to see only the scarcity. We remind ourselves everyday about all the things we do not have. What if we flipped this around and decided to count our blessings. Perhaps this would help us to realize that sharing and receiving grace is not as impossible as we may have first thought.

We all need grace. If everyone was constantly pointing out every imperfection of mine, I would never have felt free to live up to my potential. Grace frees us to a deeper and greater form of living. Today I hope you can all be reminded of the blessings in your life, and I hope you can share these freely and graciously with others.

Peace,

Pastor Brian