Grace Intersect

Paula, you have mentioned many times in our relationship over the last 30 plus years how you have struggled at times with your image of God. And I think the experience that you have is not going to be too unusual. I think a lot of us have similar experiences, and I'd like for you to share that.

Do you sometimes wish you had a “Get Out of Hell” card that God would honor? Does God’s grace qualify?

The church I grew up in believed you could “fall away” from the grace of God. The idea of eternal security--where God never disowns any of His family--was strongly opposed. In fact, it was not unusual for that idea to be mocked.

It was derisively called “cheap grace”. This meant that grace wasn’t worth much if we didn’t lose something--like our relationship with God--when we messed up. It also meant that we would probably feel free to mess up all we wanted because there would be no eternal consequences.

What is actually happening here is that it is really hard to accept that God would not run out of grace. It just goes against everything that makes sense to us, so we have to find justification for it. In fact, we might be able to teach God a few things since He seems to get His priorities of justice and mercy mixed up sometimes.

Bottom line, we are relying on our human experience to determine how God should do things. If He would just listen to us, this world would be in a much better condition. OK, let’s be honest, sometimes He should just listen to me because there are times you are just wrong. (Sure hope you are catching the sarcasm along the way here).

We all have this soul-deep need for love and to love. We crave it. There is something about loving and being loved that gives purpose and meaning to living. But, how does that work? What does that look like? What kind of love are we thinking about?

The drive for intimate, loving relationship comes from deep within our souls. We want to know and be known in a safe relationship where the purist love possible blends each person into fulfilling intimacy with the other.

A special personal highlight for me was having the honor of officiating the wedding. This was a first for me. Trying to figure out what to say was an opportunity to think and pray about what would be good for Maddy and Stephen and all of us to hear in the context of a wedding.

What do you think? Do most people go to their graves still wondering? Of all the questions you ask yourself, I’ll bet this one comes up often. I know you have asked this question, and you have heard others ask this question --probably many times: “Who am I?” Oh, that question. Does it make you feel frustrated just hearing it? Depending on where you are in your life experience, you may be ready to just ignore that question. After all, have you heard a really satisfying answer to it? Have you figured it out yet? Do you think you ever will?

Do you remember the 1969 haunting song by Peggy Lee called Is That All There Is? Here are lyrics toward the end of the song: “I know just as well as I’m standing here talking to you, when that final moment comes and I’m breathing my last breath, I’ll be saying to myself, Is that all there is, is that all there is?”

In the usual physical and spiritual patterns that we can relate to most easily, we are chained to a process full of rules and regulations, things we are suppose to do or not do to become what we are suppose to be. Even those who profess no religion have their own rules and priorities with which they measure themselves for better or worse. In this arrangement, freedom of some sort, even spiritual freedom may be a goal, but it sure doesn’t seem to be part of the process of getting there. Even if it does somehow enter into the process in some respects it is limited, inconsistent and insecure.

The practice of Christianity has not been immune from this common theme of religion. Many have preached and continue to preach a form of Christianity that includes a lot of what we expect in a religion. For example, there may be required activities and specific behaviors for desired blessings. Otherwise, there is a risk of getting denounced. There are some really warped ideas about promises for health and wealth. Some are even willing to speak for God. Of course, there is a lot more.