Grace and Mercy

Good Morning All,

Yesterday I was in Wilson at the Regional Office of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in NC to conduct the quarterly meeting of the Commission on Ministry. During our meetings we spend most of our time listening to the faith stories of those who believe God has called them to serve in various forms of ministry as well as learn about what they are experiencing as they serve a congregation or as seminary students. It truly is a privilege to hear how God is at work in their lives. Often times they say things that cause even the most experienced of ministers to sit up and take notice or at the very least to ponder for a while.

One such minister shared a part of his story as one in need of forgiveness for a past behavior. We can all relate to being in need of forgiveness from time to time, right? He told us how one of his mentors in the faith once asked a group of ministers, “Can you tell me the difference between grace and mercy?” The ministers began to share their understanding of these meaningful, yet “churchy” words…but he told them they were a bit off the mark—which usually means, he had the answer and they had yet to come close to his answer. :)

“Listen carefully,” he cautioned. “Grace is getting what you don’t deserve and Mercy is NOT getting what you deserve…” Hmmmmm…interesting distinction, isn’t it? I spent some time thinking about the difference between the two and hope you will as well...And let me stir the waters just a bit and add this one fact: of all the major world religions, Christianity is the ONLY one that embraces grace or even has the word grace expressed in the basic tenets.

I believe that God is the source of both grace and mercy; that grace and mercy go hand in hand; that God’s judgment is tempered with grace and mercy. Grace comes to us a gift, freely given; grace is the unmerited, free act of God to plant and nourish within our hearts a new spirit. And it is God’s mercy that allows us to embrace a new way of being; a new lease on life; that gives us the strength and courage to be drawn closer and closer to the love of God.

Frederick Buechner reminds us that, “Grace is something you can never get, but only be given. There’s no way to earn it or deserve it or bring it about any more than you can deserve the taste of raspberries and cream or earn good looks or bring about your own birth. Grace is a good sleep; good dreams. Most tears are grace. The smell of rain (I we certainly could use some), is grace…

…The grace of God means something like: Here’s your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn’t have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. It’s for you I created the universe. I love you.

There’s only one catch. Like any other gift, the give of grace can be yours only if you’ll reach out and take it. Maybe being able to reach out and take it, is a gift too…”
(Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC, Frederick Buechner; 1973. Harper & Row)

May God’s grace and mercy be yours today…Blessings, Joanne