I attended my therapy group this morning and had a chance to talk to my friend Jose. I have known Jose for almost 4 years now, and we have become pretty close. Part of his life would seem fairly normal to you. He lives with his 5 dogs. He loves to garden and grows most of his own vegetables, which is nice since he is a vegetarian. He loves his mother and sisters, and speaks with them often even though they live far away. And he is a good friend.
Relating to other parts of his life may be more difficult for you. Jose has cancer of the liver. He has been undergoing both chemo and radiation treatments for a couple of months now. He has no appetite, has lost far too much weight, and is very weak. He has no idea how long he has left to live. But the cancer is not the only challenge Jose faces daily. You see, Jose is a registered sex offender. He is one year away from finishing his 7 years of probation. And as we chatted this morning, our talk turned to the subject of GRACE.
As Jose lives what doctors tell him will be his last days, what he wants more than anything is to see him family again. They live in New York and Puerto Rico, and his probation prohibits him from travel. I have shared my faith with him on a number of occasions, paying particular emphasis to what GRACE really means. He hears me, and he gets it. What he finds difficult is believing in a God who offers unconditional love and second chances when he is surrounded by a society that offers only condemnation. Even after 7 years of earning a second chance it is not likely to be forthcoming. The label "sex offender" is to this society what "leper" was to Jesus' day. Untouchable. Unforgivable. And as I tell this broken man that God has already forgiven him, and that Jesus came to save the untouchable and the unfgivable with GRACE, he just can't believe it- because he hasn't experienced it. He is not a particularly spiritual man, and the concept of GRACE does not exist in the criminal justice system. Jose lives in a GRACE free zone.
It makes me wonder how many others there are in my life who can't understand God's GRACE because it has never been demonstrated by the people around them- including me. We live in a society that is quick to accuse and quick to condemn, but exceedingly slow to forgive (unless you happen to be an athlete or a celebrity). Jose has repented and turned from the lifestyle of sin that ruined his life. I have also been among the least and the lost, and I praise God that I had family and friends who showed me GRACE. What am I doing to pass God's love along to others who desperately need it?
Please join me in praying for my friend Jose. Pray for his relationship with Jesus, for his efforts to be allowed to go visit his family, and for his health. Then consider this: Who do you know who lives in a GRACE free zone? Join with me in tearing down those walls...
Showing posts with label grace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grace. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Believe It...Or Not!
Let me start by saying I love my church. My family has been attending for over 4 years now, and we are there most every Sunday. Having spent nearly 30 years working for churches, I am not always easy to please. I often have my own thoughts on how things should be done in this huge, very successful church- and strangely enough they don't ask me! But still, I love going to worship with my church family. So I am not sure how to explain yesterday...
My family arrived and took our seats about 10 minutes before the service began (as usual) and began to discuss the previous evening's activities. Our 15 year old son Will had spent the entire previous day auditioning for next year's band drumline (he made snares!) and then hanging out with his buddies. We let him ride to supper with a "new" driver (against his mom's wishes). He somehow stretched supper into a 3 hours event before calling, and he didn't answer his mom's calls. Everything turned out fine, but there was leftover tension as we awaited the start of worship. We discussed it for a short period of time, then turned our attention to Jesus. The conversation was never heated or contentious, but it was quite honest. After the praise set we had the traditional time of meeting and greeting one another. A woman we had never seen before was in front of of us, and had clearly overheard our conversation. She turned to Will, shook his hand and said, "Even though your parents are hard on you, never forget they still love you." He looked totally dumbfounded. Strike 1 for yesterday's service.
Our pastor then began to preach. He is in the midst of a series called Restart. Yesterday's subject was "Restart your Heart." I was expecting to hear about going deeper in my relationship with Jesus, or perhaps about ways to keep my faith fresh. Instead, it was a sermon on tithing. I love our pastor and usually find him to be a brilliant preacher. But yesterday he fell into the trap of proof-texting and teaching church doctrine over the words of Jesus- even twisting the words of Jesus (in my opinion) on one occasion. I felt like it was a bait and switch sermon. Get us there with a great title, then hit us giving money to the church. Strike 2.
At the conclusion of the service we were exiting when the lady in front of us grabbed my wife and encouraged her "not to give up. I know how difficult teenagers can be." Which would have been nice, except our son could not be less difficult. Strike 3.
I couldn't help but think as I walked to the car that if I had been a first time visitor on that day, I would probably never return to that church. But I suppose churches are like the people who attend them. They have off days. They fall short. They need grace - just like I do. So next Sunday we will be there again, seeking to worship our God in spirit and in truth. Jesus loves his church, and me, warts and all. I need to do the same.
In the grip of Grace,
My family arrived and took our seats about 10 minutes before the service began (as usual) and began to discuss the previous evening's activities. Our 15 year old son Will had spent the entire previous day auditioning for next year's band drumline (he made snares!) and then hanging out with his buddies. We let him ride to supper with a "new" driver (against his mom's wishes). He somehow stretched supper into a 3 hours event before calling, and he didn't answer his mom's calls. Everything turned out fine, but there was leftover tension as we awaited the start of worship. We discussed it for a short period of time, then turned our attention to Jesus. The conversation was never heated or contentious, but it was quite honest. After the praise set we had the traditional time of meeting and greeting one another. A woman we had never seen before was in front of of us, and had clearly overheard our conversation. She turned to Will, shook his hand and said, "Even though your parents are hard on you, never forget they still love you." He looked totally dumbfounded. Strike 1 for yesterday's service.
Our pastor then began to preach. He is in the midst of a series called Restart. Yesterday's subject was "Restart your Heart." I was expecting to hear about going deeper in my relationship with Jesus, or perhaps about ways to keep my faith fresh. Instead, it was a sermon on tithing. I love our pastor and usually find him to be a brilliant preacher. But yesterday he fell into the trap of proof-texting and teaching church doctrine over the words of Jesus- even twisting the words of Jesus (in my opinion) on one occasion. I felt like it was a bait and switch sermon. Get us there with a great title, then hit us giving money to the church. Strike 2.
At the conclusion of the service we were exiting when the lady in front of us grabbed my wife and encouraged her "not to give up. I know how difficult teenagers can be." Which would have been nice, except our son could not be less difficult. Strike 3.
I couldn't help but think as I walked to the car that if I had been a first time visitor on that day, I would probably never return to that church. But I suppose churches are like the people who attend them. They have off days. They fall short. They need grace - just like I do. So next Sunday we will be there again, seeking to worship our God in spirit and in truth. Jesus loves his church, and me, warts and all. I need to do the same.
In the grip of Grace,
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