Grab a Big Handful of Grace

Last month we celebrated communion by intinction, fondly known also as “rip and dip” at my church.  As the pastor, I hold the bread, with elders holding chalices on both sides.  Congregation members come forward to “rip” a piece off the loaf and “dip” it in the juice before returning to their seats.  Most people take a small piece of bread from the loaf: little more than what they can pinch between two fingers.  Every now and then someone ends up with a bigger-than-expected piece because the bread rips in an unusual way.  When this happens, they usually look up at me with an embarrassed expression, as if to apologize for taking so much.

Not Jacob.  I can see the gleam of excitement in his eye even before he steps up with a smile to take a big handful of bread from the loaf.  His mother, grandmother, aunt, or whoever is with him may wince a bit and look at me to confirm that I understand the situation and won’t take offense.

Jacob is an adult member of our congregation who has Downs Syndrome.  His smile and cheerful greetings, and his eagerness to lend a hand at church events, display how God works through Jacob in wonderful ways.  And he teaches us by how he takes communion to enjoy God’s blessings more than we typically do.

God does not want us to be content with tiny morsels of grace in our lives.  He wants us to grab onto all that he offers with joyful gusto.  We do not need to worry that we’ll use up all the bread or that the cup will run dry.  Remember: he is the One who fed a crowd with five loaves and two fish.  If the Lord had felt the need to be careful with how much he gave, perhaps the 5,000 would have gotten only enough food to keep their stomachs from growling until they got home.  But not Jesus!  Not only did everyone have plenty to eat, but they ended up with twelve baskets of leftovers (Matthew 14:15-21)!

During our church’s mission trips each year, I joke that God is a terrible accountant, because it never makes sense how much money we have left over at the end.  One year our finance committee chair wondered if we had spent any money at all after we returned what we hadn’t spent.  This year’s trip will cost significantly more than trips in previous years, but it is already fully funded.  God has displayed his generosity once again.

We may worry at my church about the mortgage we still owe on our new building.  And we may be anxious about how to pay for the extensive roof repair work that we need.  But God is unconcerned.  As you’ll read in this newsletter, he has arranged through the generosity of an anonymous donor to have our entire parking lot paved!

Take a clue from Jacob.  When the Lord offers a blessing, do not be content with a tiny morsel, to make sure there’s enough to go around.  Grab a giant handful of what God offers, trusting in what one scholar has called Jesus’ “logic of superabundance.”

Elemental Spirituality

Scientists have identified 118 elements that make up all matter.  The ancients had it easy: they believed there were only four: earth, fire, wind, and water.  Different combinations of these elements, they thought, compose everything that exists.  And because they didn’t separate the studies of science and religious belief, as we tend to do today, their relationship with God, described best by considering them as aspects of these four basic building blocks of creation.  Although our understanding of the physical world has developed far beyond that of these people from the past, we can continue to benefit from the wisdom they developed by considering God’s work through the four elements. 

EARTH: We still talk about being well “grounded,” or having a stable basis for our lives and what we do.  We call someone “down to earth” if they are well-connected with the practical aspects of life.  In the Bible, the psalmist praises God by declaring, “My feet stand on level ground; in the great congregation I will praise the Lord” (Psalm 26:12).  On the other hand, as he puts it, “You place [the wicked] on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin” (Psalm 73:18).

How does God enable you to remain grounded in the everyday aspects of your life?

FIRE: We describe someone as being “on fire” when they are doing an exceptional, amazing job at whatever task they are doing.  The “fire” of God captures, electrifies, and excites us.  In Scripture, God used fire to speak to his people (Exodus 3:2) and guide them (Exodus 13:21).  When the Lord’s very Spirit came upon his people as “tongues of fire” on Pentecost, they were so filled with his power that in day the church grew from 120 people to over 3,000!

When has God filled you with the “fire” of his presence and power?

WIND: When life has become stagnant and empty, it’s good to have a “breath of fresh air.”  Like the wind, God brings newness and life in powerful but unseen ways.  As Jesus once said, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:8)

How has God brought fresh new life to you, in powerful and unseen ways?

WATER: Just as water nourishes the thirsty ground, God’s presence rejuvenates us and  brings us to life.  The Bible ends with a description of the “river of the water of life”  that brings healing and nourishment (Revelation 22:1-2).  Just as water washes away dirt and stains, God removes all our guilt and shame.  The sacrament of baptism expresses this cleansing power in our lives, as the author of Hebrews encourages us to “draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22).

What “dryness” in your life can God refresh?  What “stain” can he wash away?