Category Archives: Christianity

February 2, 2012 · 12:33 pm

The Power of a Great Theme Song

“Some times you want to go, where everybody knows your name.  And they’re always glad you came…”

The Rembrandts “I’ll Be There For You” was a number one hit in America in 1995.

“So no one told you life was going to be this way.  Your job’s a joke, you’re broke, you’re love life’s D.O.A… I’ll be there for you (When the rain starts to pour)…”

If you read those lines, it is almost impossible to not start humming the tune.  These, of course, are lines from two of the greatest TV theme songs.  (If you’re interested in getting an hour or more sucked from your life, you should go to his website, with playable videos of the top 40 TV theme songs of all time.)

What makes these great theme songs?  First of all, they were attached to great shows.  The theme song to Veronica’s Closet might have been a masterpiece, but no one is going to remember it.  Secondly, they were truly “Theme” songs.  Meaning, they set the theme for the rest of the show.

The Friend’s theme is upbeat and youthful.  You can clap along to it, and identify with the emotion of starting off in the world.  It captured what was so popular about the show.  It’s lyrics about friendship and being there for each other make the same emotional claim on the viewer that the show was able to make.   The Cheers theme is a beautiful song (ranked number one by that website) that speaks to what made the show great – the desire to be a part of a community.  Lovers of Cheers felt intimately connected to Sam, Norm, Cliff, and Diane, and that connection began with the wistful “Making the way in the world today, takes everything you got.  Taking a break from all your trouble, sure would help a lot.”

The United Methodist Church has a theme song too.  And just like these great TV theme songs, it captures the heart of what the Methodist movement was, and should still be, all about.  The United Methodist Church wasn’t always a church.  In fact, its founders were never members.  John and Charles Wesley were members of the Church of England, and never intended on creating a new church.  Charles, in fact, was adamantly opposed to it.  John saw it more as a pragmatic solution to the problem of a movement that grew too fast for the institution.

“O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” is the unofficial theme song of the UMC, and it captures perfectly what our church once was, and what it could be again.  It is a song that is about two things – the power of a redeeming God and our only proper response.  Charles Wesley wrote this hymn on the anniversary of the day he found a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  He was deeply rooted in the Church of England, but for most of his life he felt no real connection to the loving, merciful, and gracious God that can transform lives.

The song is a reminder of that experience – the power of knowing a God that makes sorrows cease, makes the sinner clean, and restores us to new life.  Wesley’s hymn captures the joy and excitement that is felt when a relationship with Jesus Christ becomes real and personal.

There are very few things that are more personal than a relationship with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.  My relationship with Jesus is intensely personal.  It has had its ups and downs.  We have had times when were were extremely close and times when I’ve alienated myself from him.  Jesus knows the inner depths of my soul and can see the blackest parts of my heart.  He has seen me stumble.  He has seen me hide.  He has seen me fall.  He has seen me get knocked down.  But every time I get knocked down he is right there.  He puts his arm around me and whispers in my ear, “Get up, Robb.”

And those times when I have gotten back up, there is nothing that I can do but sing my praise to God.  My only wish is that I had more than one mouth to do it with.  I wish I had more than one tongue to sing my savior’s praise.  O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing my great redeemer’s praise!   You see, transformation in the Holy Spirit is an intensely personal experience, but it is not private.  Authentic faith in Jesus Christ is a personal matter, but it must never be private.

This dual nature of faith as both intensely personal and never private is what our theme song is about.  Knowing our redeeming God brings tremendous joy.  I am convinced that others are in desperate need of this kind of joy.  They are in need of a relationship with the God transforms lives, transforms communities, and transforms the world.  People are looking for something that gives life meaning.  I have found meaning in a relationship with Jesus and in involvement with the United Methodist Church, and if I am to live up to our theme song, then I must share this with others.  It doesn’t mean that I am going to tell others that they are wrong.  It doesn’t mean that I’m going to insert God into conversations where it isn’t warranted or welcomed.  I’m a grown up with grown up social skills, but I’m also not going to hide from the opportunity to share with someone what God has done in my life and what life in the Church means to me.

John Wesley preaching outside (because most churches wouldn’t let him inside). Notice: He’s using words

“O For a Thousand Tongues” is our theme song, and it captured what was great about the Methodist Church.  It was written for a movement that was driven by the Holy Spirit.  It was the song of a movement that captured the hearts of thousands.  It was written for a movement of people that were willing to take risks – to go places others weren’t willing to go.  It was written for those going into the prisons, for those preaching to the working poor that would never enter a church, for those that were meeting in their homes to have hard discussions about how God was working in their lives.  It was written for a movement of people that were on fire with the Holy Spirit, and could not help but tell others.  It doesn’t mean that they were pushy or judgmental or rude.  It was written for a people that had found the good news of Jesus Christ and found that one tongue to share that good news just wasn’t enough.

In our world where we are inundated with bad news, couldn’t the world use a little bit of good news?  Are people really going to think you’re a nut job if you tell them that you find meaning in worship, study, fellowship, prayer, or service?

Today, many Methodists like to quote Francis of Assisi’s “Preach the gospel at all times.  Use words when necessary.”  There’s a lot about that quote that I like.  If it means “Make sure that your actions back up your words,” or “Don’t just talk the talk, but walk the walk,” I can get on board.  For too many though, this quote is used as an excuse to not talk about their faith.  Sometimes words are needed.  Most of the time words are needed.

“O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” by Charles Wesley
O for a thousand tongues to sing,
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace!

My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad.
The honors of Thy name.

Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease;
’Tis music in the sinner’s ears,
’Tis life, and health, and peace.

He breaks the power of canceled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean,
His blood availed for me.

He speaks, and, listening to His voice,
New life the dead receive,
The mournful, broken hearts rejoice,
The humble poor believe.

Hear Him, ye deaf;
His praise, ye dumb,
Your loosened tongues employ;
Ye blind, behold your Savior come,
And leap, ye lame, for joy.

In Christ your Head, you then shall know,
Shall feel your sins forgiven;
Anticipate your heaven below,
And own that love is heaven.

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This blog was written after I preached a sermon on this topic at Riverside United Methodist Church in Moline, Illinois.  If you are interested in a CD of the worship service, please leave a comment below and I will contact you about a mailing address.

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December 18, 2011 · 10:32 am

You are Highly Favored

“It is no small thing to be highly favored by God.  Especially when you are acutely aware of how preposterous this idea truly is.”^

To know that you are higly favored by God can be a life-changing moment.  It is the kind of thing that changes your perspective on the world.  I remember when I realized that I was highly favored by God.  It didn’t come to me an instant.  It was something I realized over time, and when it finally struck me, it changed my world.

When you realize that you are highly favored by God, nothing will ever be the same.

For me it came in junior high.  The realization came to me when I realized that God loved me for me.  It came to me when I knew that nothing I did or said could earn God’s love.  When I knew that I was highly favored by God I learned that my missing homework assignment couldn’t change that.  My disappointing test couldn’t change that.  The things that I forgot, misplaced, or mishandled were not bigger than the steadfast love of God.

I can’t point to any one moment when I realized that I was highly favored by God, but it was no small thing, for it changed the way I saw myself, and it changed the way I saw the world.

In the Gospel of Luke we find Mary’s Song, also known as The Magnificat.  It is Mary’s song of glory after meeting Elizabeth.  Elizabeth, who was herself expecting a child whose conception was surrounded in mystery, was filled with the Holy Spirit and pronounced God’s blessing upon Mary and her child.  Mary’s response:

“With all my heart I glorify the Lord!
In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior.
He has looked with favor on the low status of his servant.
Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favored
because the mighty one has done great things for me.
Holy is his name.
He shows mercy to everyone,
from one generation to the next,
who honors him as God.
He has shown strength with his arm.
He has scattered those with arrogant thoughts and proud inclinations.
He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones
and lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty-handed.
He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,
remembering his mercy,
just as he promised to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to Abraham’s descendants forever.”

Mary is highly favored by God, and it is no small thing.  When she came to that realization, she sang praise to God.  She realized that through her the promise of God would be fulfilled.  She sings a song of praise and promise.  It is praise to the God that has held her in favor.  It is praise of the God that will turn the world upside down.  It is a song of the promise of God that this has already been fulfilled in the baby she is carrying.  God’s promise has not begun with the coming of Jesus.  It has been fulfilled.

The gift of Jesus is from the God that scatters the proud and fills the hungry.  This is a God that has turned the world upside down by becoming flesh.  Everything would be different because of the coming child.  For all of this, Mary sings out in praise and thanksgiving.

This however, was not Mary’s first reaction.  A few verses earlier, when the angel told Mary what was coming, her response was marked with confusion, fear, and a quiet resolution.  It took Elizabeth to stir in her the power of praise.  There is a lot to be said of the bond of one mother to another.  Elizabeth was a person that Mary knew and presumably respected.  She was a relative – maybe a cousin, certainly older.  I like to think of her as Mary’s aunt.  Mary went to her Aunt’s house when she was in trouble.  She found there a woman who loved her, who comforted her, and who made her feel empowered in a way that even the angel could not.  I can imagine the remarkable bond between Elizabeth and Mary because I knew an aunt much like that.

In the midst of her trouble and fear Mary was given hope and grace through the words of someone that loved her.  She realized that she was highly favored by God.  Her response was a song that has lived through the ages as a testimony to God’s power.  It is a song that reminds us that God used Mary to fulfill God’s promise.  It is a song that we may rise and sing today.  In the midst of your trouble and your fear, I want you to know, “You are highly favored by God.”  Trust in God’s love, and your life will never be the same.

Know that God loves you and wants to use you to fulfill God’s promise.  You are highly favored by God, let your heart glorify the Lord.

 

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^I wish I remember where I read this.  As I was doing some reading for my sermon this Sunday on the Magnificat, I read these words on someone else’s blog.  They hit me with such a force that I didn’t even keep reading, but I built my sermon – and this blog – around this idea.  This might not be a direct quote, but I didn’t feel right not attributing this to someone.

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December 17, 2011 · 9:26 pm

Christmas Cover Photos

It would be awesome if at some point this Christmas season, #BeChristThisChristmas could trend on twitter.  These two cover photos could help people start thinking about how they can do something more at Christmas than complain about store signs and school plays that don’t proselytize.

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December 13, 2011 · 2:57 pm

Waiting for the child

My perspective on waiting for Christmas was forever changed when my wife was expecting our first daughter.  During my first Advent as a  pastor, I was not only expecting the coming of the Christ child, but was eagerly anticipating the coming of my first daughter (who would be born in January).

Anticipating the coming of a child is like no other kind of waiting I’ve ever experienced.  We did our best to prepare.  We put together a crib.  We stocked up on diapers.  We were given clothes and books and toys and countless well-wishes and prayers.  We were overwhelmed by the generosity of our family and friends.  As we waited for the child to come we knew that we were surrounded by an entire church family that was eagerly waiting with us.

It was appropriate that the process of giving birth began in church.  At the end of a Bible study, surrounded by a few of our closest friends, my wife knew that the baby was coming.  About 18 hours later we were holding our daughter.

I held that precious, fragile, resilient little baby in my arms and I knew one thing: I was not ready.

There is no way to be totally ready for a baby to come.  There are certainly different levels of preparedness, but no one can anticipate, guess or even imagine what it is like to suddenly be entrusted with a child.  In that moment I knew that I would do anything – any thing – to protect that child and her mother.  She changed my perspective.  She changed my goals.  She changed my dreams, my hopes, my fears and my worries.  For the rest of my life my joy would be magnified by her smile, my despair would be multiplied by her tears, and my peace would depend on her safety.  A baby changes everything – and that is the message of Christmas.

The birth of Jesus changed everything.  The eternal Word of God was made flesh, and nothing would ever be the same.

At Advent we are called to prepare the way of the Lord.  There are many things that we can do to prepare the way of the Lord.  I’ve been tweeting #BeChristInChristmas with ideas and ways to work for the Kingdom of God during the Christmas season.  We can read the Bible, pray, study, worship, serve, and wait.  There are so many ways that we can prepare for the coming of the Christ child, but the fact remains is that we can never be fully ready.

The birth of Jesus changed everything, and as we move through Advent my prayer is that Christmas can break through the hearts and minds of all who would separate themselves from God.  Allow God to change your perspective.  Allow God to change your goals.  Open up and let Jesus change your dreams, your hopes, your fears and your worries.  Allow your Joy to be magnified by the glory of God.  Invite the Holy Spirit to weep with you in your times of despair.  May the peace of Christ – the peace that surpasses all understanding – be with you.  This Christmas, Jesus can change everything.

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November 30, 2011 · 3:42 pm

Be Christ This Christmas

There are so many ways that we can be the body of Christ.  The holiday season is a difficult time for so many.  As a Christian, is there any better time to share the love of Jesus than on the day we remember his birth?  So let’s share ideas and be inspired by the ways that we can be Christ this Christmas.  If you are a twitter user, use #BeChristThisChristmas, because our actions speak louder than words.  What are you doing to be Christ this Christmas?

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This idea has been popular on FB, can we get #BeChristThisChristmas to trend on twitter?

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November 29, 2011 · 12:29 pm

Prayers for Liberia

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. Photo taken by Rev. Robb McCoy.

The Illinois Great Rivers Conference and the Liberian Conference of the United Methodist Church have a deep and growing partnership.  I became a deeper part of this relationship in February 2011, when I went with a group of new clergy to Liberia.  The people of Liberia remain in my heart, and my heart has been troubled over the last few weeks.

Prayers for Liberia are needed.  For months people have been looking to October 2011 as a major test of Liberia’s fragile peace.  The wounds of 14 years of civil war are still fresh, and many of the major players in that war are still in positions of leadership in the Liberian government.  The Presidential election of 2011 was basically a three-way race between current President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Winston Tubman, and Prince Johnson.

On October 11 the election saw a voter turnout of 71%.  In that election, it was Johnson-Sirleaf (44%), Tubman (33%), Johnson (12%).  Since no candidate won a majority of the votes, a run-off election was planned for November 8.  After the election Johnson threw his support behind President Sirleaf, essentially ensuring her victory.  Despite the fact that all independent election authorities called the elections fair and transparent, Tubman declared that there was mass voter fraud and disputed the results.

He advised his followers to boycot the run-off election and staged demonstrations across the country which intimidated people from voting.  Some of the demonstrations became violent.  Clashes between the Liberian National Police and demonstrators caused at least two deaths.  The leader of the LNP recently resigned after pressure from President Sirleaf.

In the run-off elections, the turn-out fell to 38.6%, and President Sirleaf received over 90% of the vote.  Tubman’s party, the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) continues to protest the elections.  They have promised to make Liberia “ungovernable” if their demands are not met.  They are calling for a second set of elections, and seem to be holding the nation hostage with threats of violence.

The situation remains fluid, but there seems to be some signs of hope.  On November 29 there was a Peace and Reconciliation Jamboree.   And the CDC seems to be falling apart.  According to this news article, five influential leaders have been ousted.  From what I have gleaned from different sources, these leaders were the most vocal and were the ones trying to organize the kind of rallies that so often turn violent.  According to this story, the CDC has backed off of plans to have street protests.

All of these stories come from a source called allAfrica.com.  It seems to be a credible source.

There is still relative peace, but the situation is fragile.

Brief summary of the primary candidates in the 2011 election:

Prince Johnson was a primary leader in the civil war.  He gained much notoriety for capturing, torturing and executing President Samuel Doe.  In the early stages of the war, he was an ally of Charles Taylor, but the two ended up bitter rivals.

Winston Tubman is an Americo-Liberian and was a member of the Doe administration.  He was Johnson’s  primary competition in the election after joining with George Weah.  Weah was Tubman’s running mate, and was the runner-up to Johnson in the 2005 elections.

George Weah is probably the most famous Liberian in the world.  In 1996 he won the FIFA Football Player of the Year Award, and was named the African Football Player of the Century.  He ran for President in 2005, but lost in the run-off with Johnson.

Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has been a public figure in Libria for three decades.  She is a Harvard-educated financier, and worked for many years for the World Bank.  Her international and business experience is second-to-none in Liberia. In 2011 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Partners in Hope Video I created after my trip.

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November 27, 2011 · 4:52 pm

Advent in Two Minutes

This is a great two-minute video that was produced by a Catholic group called Busted Halo.  They have a lot of short educational videos.  The one below is very good.  It explains the relationship between Advent and Christmas pretty well.  I found it by f0llowing @rethinkingyouth on twitter.  The Rethinking Youth Ministry website is a great resource.

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November 27, 2011 · 10:28 am

Healing

I love Christmas lights.  I don’t put very many up myself, but I love other people’s (from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day.  I’m not so much of a fan of them on Valentine’s Day).  I especially love displays that have well-synced flashes.  I remember as a kid there was a house on our block that always had perfectly neat and straight lights running along their gutter, and they blinked in a way that created a wave.  I thought they were so pretty.  The ones I didn’t like so much were the ones that blinked, and you could could exactly how many strands of lights were strung together because each one blinked at a different time.  It seemed like every once in awhile they were merge and it would look like they were synced, but it was just a trick of timing and pretty soon they would all be random again.

I think our lives are a lot like Christmas lights.  Sometimes it seems like everything is happening at random and there is no way to sort out the mess.  Things are happening, but there is no way to make sense of any of it.  Then there are the times when we are synced up.  There might be a lot happening, but we feel like we can handle it.  I know that there have been times when the Christmas lights of my life looked liked this:

This is an amazing video to watch.  Isn’t it great when our lives feel like this?  When everything just seems to fit.  To me, this is what healing is all about.  Healing is not the absence of disease. It is the presence of order. The source of cure is the chemical compounds that I do not unerstand. The source of healing is the mystery of God that creates order out of chaos, creates light out of darkness, and gives new life to what was once dead.

Healing was a huge part of the ministry of Jesus Christ, and as Christ’s Church it needs to be a part of what we are doing.  Unfortunately in most churches healing is seen either as a money-making gimmick of sheisters, or it is limited to the “concerns” part of the congregational prayer.

I believe we need to reclaim the healing ministry of Jesus.  We need to stop focusing on cure, and start thinking of how Jesus orders our lives.  That amazing light display took hours of time.  It took a central computer to coordinate all of the parts.  All of those blinks and flashes, if seen on their own, would have appeared to be nothing more than a random display.  But since all of those lights were plugged into the central source of power, you get to see this remarkable display.

Our lives are no different.  If we are not connected to the central source of power – the Holy Spirit – we will be nothing more than a collection of random blinking.  When we connect to the power that is offered in Jesus Christ, watch out.  Amazing things can happen.  Much more amazing even, then the video above.

So this Advent season, as we prepare the way of the Lord, let us first prepare the way of the Lord in our hearts.  Do as Jesus said, and “Open Up.”  Open up to the power of the Holy Spirit.  Open up to healing.  Open up to forgiveness.  Open up to reconciliation.  Open up to grace.  Open your heart to the power of the Holy Spirit, and watch what can happen.

At Riverside UMC, we will be offering people a chance to open up every Wednesday evening in Lent.  We will come to the chapel with the sacrament of Communion laid out in front of us, and we will open up to the power of the Holy Spirit.  So come every Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. and be healed.

Advent Poem

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November 22, 2011 · 12:32 pm

Keep Christ in Christmas

I tell people, “Happy Holidays.”  Does that make me any less of a Christian?  I don’t think it does, but apparently some people do.  As we approach the holiday season, I am bracing myself for the onslaught of “Keep Christ in Christmas” slogans on facebook.  I decided to make a preemptive strike, and created this picture.

Happy Holidays

It seems to have struck a chord.  Maybe I’m not the only one that is tired of the righteous indignation of people that think that there is a war on Christmas because a department store puts up a sign that says “Happy Holidays.”

Believe me, I want to keep Christ in Christmas, but I’m not looking for Christ at JC Penny or Kohls.  If I want to find Christ in Christmas I will look to a local food pantry or a wardrobe ministry.  I will look to a homeless shelter or domestic abuse shelter.  If I want to find Christ in Christmas I will go to worship with my brothers and sisters in Christ.  I will sing the songs of the ages, and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to the world.  I will invite my neighbor to worship with me, or I will read the Bible and pray.

Nothing can keep Christ out of Christmas if I endeavor to be the body of Christ this Christmas.  So please, spare me the “war on Christmas” rhetoric.

Do you want to know who is waging a war on Christmas?  Do you want to know who is spoiling the birth of Christ?  It is not the people that have the gall to greet you with “Happy Holidays.”  The ones waging a war on Christmas are those that think greed and discrimination are Christian values.   They are the ones that think that performance fleece, ipads, diamond earrings, and flatscreens have anything to do with the birth of Jesus Christ.

And before I get too carried away with this rant, let me pause for confession.  I know that I can get caught up in the consumerism of it all.  I enjoy buying presents for my family and my daughter.  I enjoy receiving presents, and am already thinking about “What I want for Christmas.”  I know that I will enjoy a holiday in a warm home with plenty of food, and a few gadgets that I certainly don’t need.  But I’m going to try.

I’m going to try and live simpler.  I’m going to try and seek the true gift of Christmas – the peace of Jesus Christ.  I am going to pray more.  I am going to read more.  I’m going to give a little more.  I’m going to sin, but I’m also going to forgive.  My economic gain or lower prices will come at the cost of another, but I’m also going to do justice.  I’m going to be selfish but I’m also going to show mercy.  I’m going to be very happy if this little picture catches on and goes viral, but I’m also going to try and walk humbly with my God.

I’m going to do all of those things because that, I think, is the true meaning of Christmas.

On twitter use #BeChristInChristmas to share how you are working for the Kingdom of God this Christmas season.

11 Ways to Be Christ in Christmas

Be Christ This Christmas – Another poster for Facebook.

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November 15, 2011 · 3:56 pm

Err on the Side of Grace

I’m a pretty safe driver.  I’m a safe driver for a lot of reasons.  One reason is that I hate the idea of getting a ticket.  I’ve gotten pulled over for speeding before, and it sucks.  It’s expensive.  It’s a pain.  You know that feeling you get when you drive past a squad car going a little over the speed limit, and then you look in your rear view mirror, hoping it doesn’t pull out?  I hate that feeling.  This, combined with the simple fact that I don’t want to die, is the reason I drive safely.  I get passed a lot on the interstate.

This photo is used with permission. It was taken by Dave King http://www.flickr.com/photos/djking/

I don’t go exactly the speed limit (partly because the way people drive, that in itself would be somewhat unsafe), but I’m never the lead car either.   I have realized that in the course of driving somewhere, I have to make many decisions.  Should I pass?  Should I wait behind this truck for the exit?  Should I change lanes now?  Each decision usually involves either speeding up or slowing down.  Whenever I’m driving, and I have a decision to make that can be boiled down to this, I almost always choose the option of slowing down.  Maybe it’s not always the best choice, but it seems like a good rule of thumb.

“I choose to err on the side of grace.”  A seminary professor of mine said that once in class.  He was not talking about driving.  He was talking about interpreting the Bible.

The Bible can be interpreted a lot of ways.  With any given issue, people of faith can go to the same Bible, pray to the same God, seek out the same Holy Spirit, and come up with very different answers.  Take any issue: homosexuality, immigration, the treatment of the poor, abortion, gender roles, warfare, capital punishment, gun rights, euthanasia, the environment, education, etc. and people of faith will come to very difficult conclusions.

Some try to group these things into neat little packages like liberal and conservative.  I’m not a fan of those labels, or of any labels really.  I think most people are more complicated than our labels.  I know that the world is.

That said, I think my seminary professor was right.  He taught a lot about grace and the Hebrew word hessed, which he translated as “God’s steadfast love.”  When asked once about God’s judgment he said (more or less), “For most issues, people lean either on God’s grace or on God’s judgment.  When I think about those two sides, I choose to err on the side of grace.”

It might not always be the right choice, but it seems like a good rule of thumb to me.  I choose to err on the side of grace.  Some may think that sounds wishy-washy.  Some may say that I am preaching “cheap grace.”  I understand if you think that, but I disagree.

I choose to err on the side of grace because I love and respect the Bible too much to narrowly focus on a few verses that do otherwise.  I choose to err on the side of grace even when it is inconvenient, unfair, or unsavory.  I choose to err on the side of grace because when I look at the Biblical story, that is what I see my God doing time and again.  Yes, there are moments of God’s judgment.  Surely there are warnings of dire consequences as a result of sin.   But I believe that the story of God’s redeeming love, mercy and forgiveness permeates the entire Bible.

The good news of Jesus Christ rests on the grace of God.  Above all, that is why I err on the side of grace – because that is what I believe Jesus did.  That is why he invited sinners to be his disciples.  That is why he ate with tax collectors and pharisees.  He healed gentiles and children and women.  He forgave the unforgiven and welcomed the unwelcome.  Time and again he leaned on the grace of God and for it he was betrayed, denied, abandoned and crucified.

So yes, I err on the side of grace.  It’s not always the easy choice, but it seems like a good rule of thumb to me.

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