When going on a bear hunt, you’re going to need some grace
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 85, 86; PM Psalm 91, 92; 1 Sam. 2:1-10; Eph. 2:1-10; Matt. 7:22-27
Do you ever have a “heavy” day? I’m not thinking of the times when your pants are too tight, rather those days when life feels hard. And you are dragging, and maybe your words and presence drag others down, too. I’ve been there myself and I’ve been around others in that space.
As I think about how we manage those days that are difficult, the children’s book "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" comes to mind. When facing a big obstacle, we can’t just climb over the heavy day, and we can’t dig under it…we simply get to go through it to get to the other side. Avoiding the hard parts of life or faith does not bring resolution or growth. Going through the heavy days and hard conversations is what brings us deeper connection…and we do not go through these spaces of muck and challenge alone. God is here, knowing us, creating us, and continuing to weave us together in a community, and there are people who love us and pray for us.
In the apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus, he writes, “But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ…” These words inspire me this morning. Our Lord, overflowing in care and love, does not leave us in these heavy and hard times, even when we feel beyond hope because of our own choices or the circumstances around us. God extends life and hope to us in Christ…we are rescued from the heaviness. Paul says, “by grace you have been saved”. My friends, we are saved by Jesus.
I want to pause for a moment with the word “saved”. Those of us raised in the Episcopal church may not always use the word “saved”, unless the conversation slips to money put aside for vacation, children, or retirement. I fall into this category. Do you often talk about Paul’s claim that by God’s grace you and I are saved?
I wonder - what would heavy days be like if we were reminded that we are grounded in the assurance of our faith in God? Ponder that image of seeing your feet upon the strong foundation that you are saved, rescued, protected, and revived by God’s grace. I can imagine that if I allowed myself to pause from the mire of grouching, this message of rootedness could help me get through a few more steps of the heavy day.
Our reading from Ephesians 2 has a bit more that we need to carry with us: this grace is not because we have earned it. It is not our own doing. It is the gift of God and not the result of works. We cannot earn more of it and we cannot lose it, either. It is a gift from God. And what do we do with this grace? This grace is a gift to pick us up from the floor when all is lost and we are completely aware of our brokenness. It is the gift that lifts our eyes up to the heavens for praise, for guidance, for hopefulness. It is the gift that nourishes us so that we may show generosity and care for others. It is a gift for building the goodness of God’s creation.
Paul reminds us that we are what God has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which is the way of life that shows our faithfulness. We are shaped to do those good works. And it is God’s grace which forms our hearts and minds and bonds of community so that we live into those good works that shape the lives of others. For just as one person’s heaviness is palpable and contagious in a room of others, so is God’s goodness.
My friends, we cannot avoid the heavy days. We must go through them, and know that even when we feel low and flummoxed with everyone, God continues to make us alive together in Christ. God keeps nourishing the bonds of connection and wholeness.
Blessings in Eastertide,
Katherine+
Connections in Your Life
Spend a bit of time re-reading Ephesians 2 this weekend. How is Jesus calling you to grow in this scripture? Ponder what “being saved” means to you in this phase of your life. Journal about this. Pray about it. Talk with a trusted friend or member of clergy.