Recently I was called over the loudspeaker to report to the manager’s office at my work.  Not sure why I was being called, I mentally reviewed my recent activity to see if I had messed up on anything. (I find it interesting how quickly my mind can go into “uh-oh” mode but that is another subject.)  Coming up with nothing, I was nevertheless concerned as to why he wanted to see me as I walked into his office. 

As it turns out the news was good, I was being named “Employee of the Month”.  It came with a nice certificate declaring what a fine worker I have been, a modest cash gift and a handshake from the boss.  Oh yes, and a little ribbon to hang on my name tag that says I’ve won this award so everyone could know how terrific I am.  And it felt pretty good.  I did my best to ignore the fact that the bar is set pretty low to get this.  Basically, if you show up for work every day and on time, do the job you were hired to do, and try not to offend anyone, you are pretty much assured to get the award sooner or later.

But my company, like many others, is smart.  They know that people like this sort of stuff and will respond well to the concept of being recognized for our efforts.  And most religious systems are built on the same principle.  If you do what is required, God – or the universe or whatever – will reward you.  But Christianity is different.  Our foundation is grace.  God loves and redeems us not because we deserve it but in spite of the fact that we don’t.  It’s a free gift, a love that we don’t deserve but that God extends to us anyway.

When we are aware of our sinfulness, at the points in our lives where we have really messed up, we are eager recipients of grace.  I know there have been times in my life where I have been immensely grateful for the grace of God and also for the graciousness of Peggy or others I have offended.  Yet deep within all of us the desire to “earn” God’s love or the love and respect of others never goes away.  There will never been a great demand for an “Employee most in need of grace this month” award.

You would think that we Christians would be walking ambassadors of grace.  We read Paul’s letters where he begins and ends each one with grace.  We have accepted the grace of God in coming to the cross of Christ.  We know deep in our hearts that we are saved by grace and not works.  Yet this does not seem to be how we are perceived.  Ask non-Christians what we believe and you are most likely to get a list of things we are against. 

In the same way, ask many in the church what the Christian life is and you are most likely to get a list of things we “ought to” do and not do.  Sometimes those lists seem pretty good and sometimes not.  I was once told that Christian men should not wear mustaches.  I didn’t have one at the time so I felt more startled than guilty.  Sadly, it is often our “ought to” and “ought not” lists that have come to represent who we are and what we believe, both inside and outside the church.  And grace?  It is reduced to a one-time, back-there-at-salvation event.  And now I am trying my best to live a life that proves to God he was right to save me.

But if we take Scripture at face value, grace is to be an ongoing reality for us all.  We should experience it and show it every day.  By the grace of God (ah, there is that word again) this is the first message in a series we will be calling “Everyday Grace.”  The world is full of non-grace.  But there are also many wonderful examples of grace out there too, often in places you’d least expect.  This series will present thoughts and observations on grace.  Soon, we hope to have it set up so you can comment on and discuss these postings too.  My hope is that through this exercise we may find ourselves growing in grace and that grace may abound more and more in our lives.