Grace

God’s gift of love and forgiveness freely given to undeserving sinners.
(via Lutheran Basics for Teachers)

Ephesians 2:8–9

⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— ⁹ not the result of works, so that no one may boast.

What Grace Isn’t

God’s grace is not defined as God being forgiving to us even though we sin. Grace is when God is a source of wholeness, which makes up for my failings. My failings hurt me and others and even the planet, and God’s grace to me is that my brokenness is not the final word … it’s that God makes beautiful things out of even my own s#!&. Grace isn’t about God creating humans and flawed beings and then acting all hurt when we inevitably fail and then stepping in like the hero to grant us grace – like saying, “Oh, it’s OK, I’ll be the good guy and forgive you.” It’s God saying,
“I love the world too much to let your sin define you and be the final word. I am a God who makes all things new.                                                    

• Nadia Bolz-Weber, Pastrix (2013)

Reflection & Prayer

Grace is a gift. Out of gratitude for the abundance of grace given, who can you surprise with a gift this week – a gift of your time, your talent or your possessions? Not a gift for any sort of accomplishment but a gift simply because they are loved by God.