"Wrestling with Grace"
"What does the eternal require from you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God."
We have a chalkboard sign out front,
in the garden,
where we write the week’s sermon title and preacher’s name.
This week, Michael Kelley received the honor
of making sure our sign was up to date.
One afternoon as I left the church,
I noticed Michael standing in front
of the sign.
It was still blank,
and you could tell Michael was mentally scratching his head
as he considered the sign.
He saw me looking over,
and he said,
“I’m just wondering what kind of image
I can draw that would capture
you, Rev. Tera, wrestling with grace.”
Since then,
I’ve had fun imagining, what would that look like?
Me against a big burly monster?
Me, with an angel?
A whirlwind or tornado?
My hope is that all of you,
in some way or another,
have done your own gentle wrestling
with grace over the last few weeks.
In worship we’ve talked about what grace means in our lives,
how we can receive gifts with grace and gratitude,
how we practice grace as leaders in this church,
and the compelling definition of grace
offered to us last week by our Intern Minister,
Everett Howe:
Grace is a life-changing gift
that we were not guaranteed.
In each sermon this month,
all of us who preached on this topic,
Lynn Sexton, Everett and me,
acknowledged that while the idea of “grace,”
is prevalent in our society,
the meaning of this theological concept
can be elusive for Unitarian Universalists.
In thinking about that sign out front,
my suggestion for an image next time
would be ... an octopus.
Now, not because they are often depicted in cartoons
strangling poor unsuspecting people
or other sea creatures with their many arms.
But because when I was an active scuba diver ...
discovering an octopus
hiding among the undersea rocks
was cause for celebration.
Seeing one is a big deal.
During the day, these solitary creatures
mostly hide out in their dens,
resting under rocks
or tucked into crevices.
And they are hard to see,
one, because mostly they only move around
at night, to hunt.
And two, because they change the color and texture
of their skin to match their surroundings.
Your best chance of encountering an octopus in its natural environment
is while scuba diving or snorkeling at night.
With only a dive light as your guide,
the octopus blending in so well with the scenery -
spying one becomes quite a challenge.
But well worth braving the dark depths of the water,
because when you finally come across one - yes!
Such a beautiful, playful, and amazing creature to see.
It is like finding a hidden treasure.
Coming into contact with an octopus takes intention.
Just like welcoming grace into our lives.
Grace challenges us,
not only because of the traditional Christian meaning,
“the unmerited favor of God,”
which can be a stumbling block.
But because, no matter how you define it theologically,
grace is beyond our personal achievement.
We don’t experience grace because of our educational level,
or status at work,
or the number of tasks we can do in one day.
Grace isn’t a SMART goal we can set for ourselves,
with specific, measurable,
achievable, realistic and timely outcomes.
Grace comes for us when we are
ready and willing to receive it.
And that openness to receiving it emerges
when we are humble and present
for the people we help
and those who help us in return.” (1)
Humility and presence.
We cannot wrestle grace into our lives.
But we can develop in ourselves these
two incredibly important spiritual characteristics,
humility and presence,
so when grace appears
we are able to accept it.
By humility I mean
understanding that while we are each an essential part of the universe,
we are not the totality of it.
By presence I mean
grounded enough in who we are,
knowing our foibles and our gifts,
that our hearts can be filled
with compassion towards ourselves
and towards all living beings.
Those two attributes - humility and presence -
may not always come to us naturally.
At times our egos become bloated.
At times we become completely self-absorbed.
Our individual desires overwhelm our understanding
of the communal good.
Through these, we cause suffering.
We see that in our world:
environmental degradation
war
proliferation of cheap goods at the cost of humane labor practices
And we experience it more intimately in our personal lives:
spending too much money
choosing convenience over health - our own and the planet’s
getting stuck in our way or the highway
We may break our vows,
yet we keep on.
Intent to live engaged lives,
framed by our shared values.
We are stronger together
in part because we remind each other
of these higher aspirations
we carry in ourselves.
A few of us from Thoop were reminded of this
on Thursday morning.
We attended the annual Giants of Justice Awards breakfast
hosted by CLUE, the organization Rabbi Jonathan leads.
Four outstanding justice leaders
were honored for the work they do,
bending the arc of the universe ever closer to justice.
And each of these people were introduced
by an activist or organizer
who also claimed an incredible
breadth and depth of change work.
Port truck drivers,
long-time civil rights activists and non-violence educators,
justice-seeking rabbis and pastors,
leaders of the LA county federation of labor.
We celebrated, yes.
It felt really good to hear stories of successful campaigns,
of religions reaching out across our divisions
and working together for the communal good.
But the morning also reminded us of the very real devastation
that families in Los Angeles experience.
We heard two stories of mothers losing their sons
to tragic, violent deaths
because of US immigration policy.
Today isn’t the time to go into the particulars of that.
However, I mention it because
heart-wrenching stories just like those
propelled each of the acclaimed honorees
into lives of public action. `
Stories, realities beyond their own
gave shape and meaning to their lives.
I don’t think we heard the word “grace” used that morning
in reference to any of the honorees.
Though, several times,
as justice leaders were introduced,
we heard these words from the Book of Micah:
What does the Eternal require from you ...
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God.” (6:8)
That’s one of my favorite phrases
from the Hebrew Scriptures.
I have a chalice with those words
inscribed on it.
I love the work of justice.
I do my best to practice kindness.
It’s the “walk humbly with”
that breaks my heart open.
That line describes an accompanying with Creation.
We walk neither in front of, all ego;
nor behind, in servility.
But alongside.
Forging deep solidarity with Creation,
proclaiming and sustaining
the interdependent web
of all existence.
This doesn’t come easily.
It’s elusive.
We forget.
The values we hold most dear can get lost,
hidden among the crevices of the demands of
our lives.
Maintaining our spiritual practices.
Maintaining our connections with each other,
with what we name as holy ...
shines a light on this treasure.
At those times,
“we are able to receive fragments of holiness,
glimpses of eternity,
brief moments of insight.”
When they come,
“let us gather them up
for the precious gifts they are and,
renewed by their grace,
move boldly into the unknown.”
Notes:
1. Orenstein, David I. and Linda Ford Blaikie. Godless Grace: How Nonbelievers are Making the World Safer, Richer, and Kinder, p. 11.
in the garden,
where we write the week’s sermon title and preacher’s name.
This week, Michael Kelley received the honor
of making sure our sign was up to date.
One afternoon as I left the church,
I noticed Michael standing in front
of the sign.
It was still blank,
and you could tell Michael was mentally scratching his head
as he considered the sign.
He saw me looking over,
and he said,
“I’m just wondering what kind of image
I can draw that would capture
you, Rev. Tera, wrestling with grace.”
Since then,
I’ve had fun imagining, what would that look like?
Me against a big burly monster?
Me, with an angel?
A whirlwind or tornado?
My hope is that all of you,
in some way or another,
have done your own gentle wrestling
with grace over the last few weeks.
In worship we’ve talked about what grace means in our lives,
how we can receive gifts with grace and gratitude,
how we practice grace as leaders in this church,
and the compelling definition of grace
offered to us last week by our Intern Minister,
Everett Howe:
Grace is a life-changing gift
that we were not guaranteed.
In each sermon this month,
all of us who preached on this topic,
Lynn Sexton, Everett and me,
acknowledged that while the idea of “grace,”
is prevalent in our society,
the meaning of this theological concept
can be elusive for Unitarian Universalists.
In thinking about that sign out front,
my suggestion for an image next time
would be ... an octopus.
Now, not because they are often depicted in cartoons
strangling poor unsuspecting people
or other sea creatures with their many arms.
But because when I was an active scuba diver ...
discovering an octopus
hiding among the undersea rocks
was cause for celebration.
Seeing one is a big deal.
During the day, these solitary creatures
mostly hide out in their dens,
resting under rocks
or tucked into crevices.
And they are hard to see,
one, because mostly they only move around
at night, to hunt.
And two, because they change the color and texture
of their skin to match their surroundings.
Your best chance of encountering an octopus in its natural environment
is while scuba diving or snorkeling at night.
With only a dive light as your guide,
the octopus blending in so well with the scenery -
spying one becomes quite a challenge.
But well worth braving the dark depths of the water,
because when you finally come across one - yes!
Such a beautiful, playful, and amazing creature to see.
It is like finding a hidden treasure.
Coming into contact with an octopus takes intention.
Just like welcoming grace into our lives.
Grace challenges us,
not only because of the traditional Christian meaning,
“the unmerited favor of God,”
which can be a stumbling block.
But because, no matter how you define it theologically,
grace is beyond our personal achievement.
We don’t experience grace because of our educational level,
or status at work,
or the number of tasks we can do in one day.
Grace isn’t a SMART goal we can set for ourselves,
with specific, measurable,
achievable, realistic and timely outcomes.
Grace comes for us when we are
ready and willing to receive it.
And that openness to receiving it emerges
when we are humble and present
for the people we help
and those who help us in return.” (1)
Humility and presence.
We cannot wrestle grace into our lives.
But we can develop in ourselves these
two incredibly important spiritual characteristics,
humility and presence,
so when grace appears
we are able to accept it.
By humility I mean
understanding that while we are each an essential part of the universe,
we are not the totality of it.
By presence I mean
grounded enough in who we are,
knowing our foibles and our gifts,
that our hearts can be filled
with compassion towards ourselves
and towards all living beings.
Those two attributes - humility and presence -
may not always come to us naturally.
At times our egos become bloated.
At times we become completely self-absorbed.
Our individual desires overwhelm our understanding
of the communal good.
Through these, we cause suffering.
We see that in our world:
environmental degradation
war
proliferation of cheap goods at the cost of humane labor practices
And we experience it more intimately in our personal lives:
spending too much money
choosing convenience over health - our own and the planet’s
getting stuck in our way or the highway
We may break our vows,
yet we keep on.
Intent to live engaged lives,
framed by our shared values.
We are stronger together
in part because we remind each other
of these higher aspirations
we carry in ourselves.
A few of us from Thoop were reminded of this
on Thursday morning.
We attended the annual Giants of Justice Awards breakfast
hosted by CLUE, the organization Rabbi Jonathan leads.
Four outstanding justice leaders
were honored for the work they do,
bending the arc of the universe ever closer to justice.
And each of these people were introduced
by an activist or organizer
who also claimed an incredible
breadth and depth of change work.
Port truck drivers,
long-time civil rights activists and non-violence educators,
justice-seeking rabbis and pastors,
leaders of the LA county federation of labor.
We celebrated, yes.
It felt really good to hear stories of successful campaigns,
of religions reaching out across our divisions
and working together for the communal good.
But the morning also reminded us of the very real devastation
that families in Los Angeles experience.
We heard two stories of mothers losing their sons
to tragic, violent deaths
because of US immigration policy.
Today isn’t the time to go into the particulars of that.
However, I mention it because
heart-wrenching stories just like those
propelled each of the acclaimed honorees
into lives of public action. `
Stories, realities beyond their own
gave shape and meaning to their lives.
I don’t think we heard the word “grace” used that morning
in reference to any of the honorees.
Though, several times,
as justice leaders were introduced,
we heard these words from the Book of Micah:
What does the Eternal require from you ...
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God.” (6:8)
That’s one of my favorite phrases
from the Hebrew Scriptures.
I have a chalice with those words
inscribed on it.
I love the work of justice.
I do my best to practice kindness.
It’s the “walk humbly with”
that breaks my heart open.
That line describes an accompanying with Creation.
We walk neither in front of, all ego;
nor behind, in servility.
But alongside.
Forging deep solidarity with Creation,
proclaiming and sustaining
the interdependent web
of all existence.
This doesn’t come easily.
It’s elusive.
We forget.
The values we hold most dear can get lost,
hidden among the crevices of the demands of
our lives.
Maintaining our spiritual practices.
Maintaining our connections with each other,
with what we name as holy ...
shines a light on this treasure.
At those times,
“we are able to receive fragments of holiness,
glimpses of eternity,
brief moments of insight.”
When they come,
“let us gather them up
for the precious gifts they are and,
renewed by their grace,
move boldly into the unknown.”
Notes:
1. Orenstein, David I. and Linda Ford Blaikie. Godless Grace: How Nonbelievers are Making the World Safer, Richer, and Kinder, p. 11.