“Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”
Exodus 3:5b
Today, I am grateful for The United Methodist Church's teaching on Justifying Grace in Jesus Christ.
One of the things we teach about the forms of Wesleyan Grace (Prevenient, Justifying, Sanctifying) is that they come to us multiple times in life.
Since I was raised in the church and never knew a time where I felt excluded from God's love, my sense of justification did not come in a single moment growing up. I remember my baptism at age eight and while I knew this was an important rite in the church, I would not say I fully understood it at the time. At this age, we would likely say it was more about prevenient grace although baptism does contain elements of justification (and sanctification) in it every time it is administered.
There was a sense of being justified the first time I took Holy Communion (at an even younger age).
There was justification certainly in my confirmation and especially when I answered in the affirmative to the vow, "Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as your Lord, in union with the church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races?"
As we grow in maturity, we sometimes begin to ask tougher questions about our faith.
I remember being at Camp Egan in high school for Tulsa District Camp. We were in the chapel doing a guided meditation and I started thinking about hearing God's voice. I wondered why I had never heard God's voice like they did in the Bible.
So I decided to put God to the test (sorry, Jesus but I was a teenager!).
I wanted to hear an audible voice (or at least one in my head) communicating something to me. If I didn't hear a voice, I was going to write off my belief in God.
I wasn't unreasonable though and did give God to the count of ten.
I counted backward because that's what kids who were raised with NASA countdowns did in those days.
"Ten, nine, eight..."
I wasn't worried yet - plenty of numbers left.
"Seven, six, five..."
Okay, God's probably just being a little dramatic, not wanting the reveal to come too soon.
"Four, three, two..."
Okay, anytime now, God!
"One. Zero." Nothing.
At first, I was crestfallen but then I began to have what I later learned was a mystical experience. I began to hear all of the sounds of the camp outside the chapel. I heard the creek flowing and the crickets chirping and the birds singing. I heard other youth on the slab playing. It was uncanny and a deep sense of peace washed over me.
It was as if God was saying to me, "I don't always speak on demand and I may not manifest myself in ways you expect. But I'm always here if you are willing to stop. And listen rather than count!"
It was a profound moment of justifying grace in my life. I felt chastised and accepted and loved all at once.
This experience has helped me to understand that my stewardship is also tied to caring for God's creation. John's Gospel teaches us from the first chapter that Christ is a part of this as well.
How have you experienced the love of God in your life? It may not come in a mystical moment and in fact, it probably comes in more ordinary ways on a daily basis. To reflect on this is to find forgiveness and love and sometimes even meaning.
May you be blessed today and know that God loves you!
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