A few weeks back, I read a note written by John Hay Jr. entitled "Making Faith Hard." These are my thoughts after reading John's note.
This is my apology to any and all of you for wherever I made faith hard for you.
A few years back, I wrote a song with this hook, "God screams to me with whispers of grace . . ." I too am a recovering Pharisee and I am so thankful that God continued to scream at me with his whispers of grace. (Seems to be a few of us recovering Pharisees out there.)
I have often said upon reflection of growing up in a Nazarene preacher's home, I can count on one hand the number of sermons I heard on grace before I was 30. What I am trying to learn is how to hold holiness and grace in creative tension together. I have come to believe that it is not a balancing act but an embracing - 100% holiness and 100% grace. And as I have begun to embrace grace with all of my being, I have learned that holiness looks, feels, smells, and acts entirely different than the concept I was raised with, often taught, and tried to live for so many years.
God forgive me for the people I have injured along the way with my graceless acts and words of holiness!
God forgive me where my graceless holiness endangered true justice.
God forgive me where my graceless holiness shunned the stranger and alien in my midst.
God forgive me where my graceless holiness shoved, even kicked the questioning soul outside the community of saints.
God forgive me where my graceless holiness made me judgmental and unforgiving.
God forgive me where my graceless holiness filled me with pride and arrogance.
God forgive me where my graceless holiness made me self centered and blind to the needs of those around me.
GOD FORGIVE ME FOR WHERE MY GRACELESS HOLINESS CAUSED INJURY OF ANY TYPE TO ANY PERSON WHO IS READING THIS. MAY THEY FIND YOU AND SEE YOU IN SPITE OF MY SIN.
With fullest sincerity,
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