Category: Spirituality

O Lord, you indwell our shabby human life, lifting it now and then above the dominance of animal passion and greed, allowing it to shine with borrowed lights of love and joy and peace, and making it a mirror of the beauties of a world unseen. Grant that my part in the world’s life today may not be to obscure the splendour of your presence but rather to make it more plainly visible to the eyes of my fellow men and women. 

Help me to make a stand today –

for whatever is pure, true, just and good;

for the advancement of science and education and learning;

for the rights of the weak and the oppressed;

for corporation and mutual help in industry, commerce, and government;

for the conservation of the rich traditions of the past;

for the recognition of free movements of your spirit in the minds and lives of people today;

for the hope of even more glorious days to come.

Today, dear Lord –

Help me put what is right before my own interest;

Help me put others before myself;

Help me not to forget matters of the spirit, by being too consumed with matters of the body;

Help me put the attainment of what is true and just and honourable above the enjoyment of present pleasures;

Help me put principle above reputation;

Help me put you above all else.

O God, the reflection of your transcendent glory once appeared unbroken in the face of Jesus Christ. Give me today a heart like his: a brave heart, a true heart, a tender heart, a heart with great room in it, a heart fixed on you, for his name’s sake. Amen.

Written by John Baillie author of “A Diary of private prayer”

 

 

 

Over the Christmas holidays, I found myself taking some time to reflect on grace and how much Gods grace actually pursues us when we least deserve it when we mess up or fail to maintain the right way. There are so many examples throughout the bible of men and women whom you would never expect to be chosen by God because of their flawed character or who failed in different ways – yet these men and women did some truly remarkable things for God. The Old Testament is full of examples where Gods scandalous grace can be seen at work. Once again as I reflect on the journey of my own life I find myself being undone all over again. Just when you think you know grace there is always something more to learn and discover. Could it be that the only way we really get to know grace is through a lifetime of actually experiencing grace?

So what is this grace?

Love that seeks you out when you have nothing to give in return? Or is it love coming to you that has nothing to do with you?

Being loved when you are unlovable – this unconditional love -covers over a multitude – keeps no record of wrong…..

Love that has nothing to do with you – the beloved – but has everything and only to do with the lover.

It has nothing to do with height or weights and measures, or my intrinsic qualities or gifts

It reflects a decision on the part of the giver, the one who loves, in relation to the receiver, the one who is loved, that negates any qualifications the receiver may personally hold…..

So what is this grace?

Is it one-way love?

It doesn’t make demands – it simply gives and from our perspective it always seems to give to the wrong person – the most extravagant sinners – receive the most compassionate welcome.

Yet grace refuses to play it safe, its recklessly generous and uncomfortable.

It doesn’t keep a score – it works without requiring anything on our part – it’s not expensive nor even cheap – its free!

It defies all of our logic – not earned by merit or deservedness – opposed to what is owed – never expecting anything in return.

A contradiction of my view and perspective –  between what we deserve and what we should get. Unconditional acceptance is given to an undeserving person by an unobligated giver.

So what is this grace?

Is it one-way love?

It lets you off the hook when you least expect it or deserve it -a friend who suspended judgement at a key moment in your life and showed you this kind of love at some point along the way.

It’s beautiful and life-saving – yet why do we resist it? Often suspicious of promises that seem too good to be true. Is there an alternative motive of the excessively generous?

Grace – is a gift – pure and simple!

It always offends our sense of justice – it doesn’t seem fair. It makes us feel uncomfortable because it turns it back to us – we should be relieved for we cannot control grace.

It forces us to rely on the goodness of another and maybe that is terrifying. So we domesticate this one-way love and cannot trust it or believe something so radically unbelievable.

It’s too good to be true! Yet the gospel of grace is true – it is dangerous and it will wreck your expectations.

Gods one-way love will never get old and will never outgrow.

Surely this is – scandalous grace!

It never runs out, it always keeps pursuing us.

Turning our expectations – upside down and inside out.