Let me give you a little insight into my world. Grace is big in a pastor’s life. Most people think pastors are official grace givers at any event.  At dinner, about 98 percent of the time, people will look to the pastor to say grace.  At wedding receptions, banquets, barbecues, family gatherings, dinner out with friends, anywhere food is being served, probably the pastor will be asked to say grace.

Sometimes I can see the whole thing unfold. Just before the meal the host will scan the room.  At this point, I can read their mind: they’re thinking, “Whom can I get to say grace?”  Then they spot me, their eyes get big, the expression on their face changes from concern to relief, a smile appears, and then the head nod that says, “ah yes, the pastor. Why didn’t I think of him before?” Then they make a b-line to me.

Actually, I count it an honour to say grace in public.  A few years ago my old high school celebrated its 50th anniversary (not that I was in high school 50 years ago). I received a phone call asking if I was planning on attending, and if so, would I say grace at the gala dinner banquet.  Based on their knowledge of me in high school, they would never have asked me, but now that I’m a pastor, saying the grace was a perfect job for me.

 There are some people who think the pastor has a corner on grace and not just saying it.  I’ve had many people ask me to put in a good word for them with the “Big Guy”. There have been times where people have made a comment like, “well, you know, he has God on his side.” I could go on, but you get the idea:  people think pastors are grace sayers and grace receivers.

The other day I had something different happen.  We were at our trailer, opening it up for the year, and a neighbour who heard I had had a heart attack said to me, “You having a heart attack? You have to wonder about that.”  He said it as if he didn’t think bad things happened to pastors, or he was questioning what I did to get God mad at me. It’s even possible he was thinking that my heart attack proved there is no God.

That bothered me because usually people see pastors as being on the good side of grace. I wanted to say, “Wait a minute!  The fact that I’m still here, standing and breathing is a sign I’m on the good side of grace.”  But the opportunity didn’t arise at that moment.

Grace is an amazing thing. It can be spoken as a thanks to God, it can be used as a name (I have a niece named Grace).  It can be given, as undeserved favour, and it can be withheld as punishment or, at the very least, as being uncaring.

But the real amazing thing about grace is that we are ALL on the good side of grace.  God sent Jesus, His only son, to us as an instrument of grace.  What we need to do is make sure we have received God’s grace by believing in Jesus and claiming him as Lord … and then, live out our days knowing that nothing we have done, said, thought or contributed has any merit towards us being recipients of God’s grace. It is God’s unmerited favour on us.  That is truly amazing!

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

What ways do you see the grace of God showing up in your life?  Leave a comment below.