The Sacrament of Unction, or healing prayer, testifies to the healing presence of God. We literally acknowledge that we are in God's hands, and that no matter what happens, God will be here loving us through it all.

Stories of Grace is our series where members of Grace Church share how God's grace is moving in their life. Sharing our stories and naming our blessings are important parts of the Sacramental Life. Today we hear from Josephine Dru. 

The sacrament of reconciliation gives us an opportunity to reflect and reconnect with God's love. This sacrament is concerned with our relational health - with ourselves, with God and with others.

The love, forgiveness and generosity that you share with your spouse, has the capacity to show the world what God's love looks like. We recognize a holy dimension to a relationship of a couple who has made the commitments of the sacrament of marriage. 

 

Sometimes it's important to receive. To take what we need, and know that we're loved. At Grace Church that's what we do each and every week around the communion table. In the Sacrament of Holy Communion we come and receive. We open our hands and let God fill them with his presence.

Sacraments help shape our lives. Like a cairn, the sacraments serve as markers on our spiritual journey. They mark holy moments in our relationship with God and help us recognize that every moment of life from birth to death can be lived with God and for God. 

We often get caught up in expectations and to-do lists that leave us worn out and frustrated. Jesus invites us, like he invited Martha, to rest in his presence and find our worth in his unconditional love. 

As humans, we often divide ourselves into groups and push out those who are different to make ourselves feel better. If someone ever earned the right to be mad at a group which casted him out, it was Joseph. His brothers disowned him for being different and sold him into slavery. Later in life when he came into power and reacquainted with his brothers, Joseph could have sought revenge, but instead he chose to show them grace.

 

Finding God in the heartache, brokenness and isolation is often difficult. Blessings are what help us trust in God's goodness even when life seems anything but good. The story of Joseph is a perfect example of God's blessing.

 

Jacob gets tricked by his brother Laban - its a story that reminds us of the powerlessness of women and the ways our own views of women may be sinful today.  But God longs for our blessing, despite our sin.  His judgment is righteous and leads toward growth.