What is Grace?
Posted March 15, 2021
Dear parents,
“By grace you have been saved” (Eph 2:8)
Yesterday in Family Worship, we learned about Paul’s letter to the Church in Ephesus. He talked a lot about grace. What even is that word?
Grace. Coming from the Latin gratus, it translates to “God’s unmerited love.” As a parent loves a child, so God loves us. God’s unmerited grace was so boundless that He gave us Jesus: God, in human form. Jesus tells us this almost word for word in yesterday’s Gospel: “For God so loved the world that He sent His only Son” (Jn 3:16).
Think about a time when you were the recipient of unmerited grace. It doesn’t matter how big or small; grace is grace. How did you feel? How did it impact the rest of your day? A few days ago, on two separate occasions, people went out of their way to show me grace. They must have seen me struggling to open the door to my building because my arms were full. Truthfully, in no way were they obligated to help me out at all.
So, it is that principle which caused God to send Jesus to us -- but on a (much) grander scale. God was not obligated to save us. When Adam and Eve dropped the ball and listened to the serpent in the Garden of Eden, God could have banished them AND cut ties with them, thus cutting ties with humans. Instead, in his loving-kindness and grace, He chose to continue to reconcile us to Him. John 3:16 really does say it all.
We grow nearer to the devastating crucifixion and victorious Resurrection of our Lord. In His memory and to His glory, I challenge you to offer grace to someone new each day this week: help an eldery person put his/her grocery bags in the trunk. Don’t fly down Lincoln Drive. Give yourself a break and enjoy a good cup of coffee (because you deserve to offer grace to yourselves). However you choose to show grace, remember that we are called to do so. For it is by grace that we have been saved.
Questions to guide conversation:
- How has someone shown you grace in your life? Was it a stranger or someone you know?
- Have you ever shown someone grace? How did it make you feel?
- Who is the most graceful person you know? What makes them that way?
If I can help you and your families talk about grace or the love of God, I am here for you.
Prayerfully,
Anne Alexis
Minister for Children, Youth, & Families 215 247 8716 Anne Alexis Harra (she/her) was born and raised in Wilmington, DE. She and her beloved partner, Cole (he/him) currently live in Manayunk. Anne Alexis graduated from Washington College in May 2019 with a B.A. in English and a minor in Philosophy. Anne Alexis has served on the Diocesan Council in the Episcopal Church in Delaware, as well as the Racial Justice & Reconciliation Commission, and the Diocesan Assessment Committee. Since moving to Philadelphia in January 2021, she has served on the DioPA Youth Leaders Team and the DioPA Dismantling Racism for Youth Leaders Team. She is passionate about children's spirituality and using education as a force for good in their spiritual lives. Beginning with the waters of baptism, Anne Alexis has devoted her life to serving God in the Episcopal Church. Raised on Godly Play in Sunday school and moving into a tight-knit youth group, she is aware of the positive impact that the Church’s presence can have in the life of a young person. She is passionate about encouraging children and youth to explore their faith on a personal level while also committing to a community-centered effort to enact change for the greater good. Anne Alexis is passionate about racial justice and healing, as well as advocating for the rights of children in the context of the Christian faith. She hopes for a church where all of God's beloved are welcomed, heard, and included. She seeks and envisions a church where every member feels the true love of God in Christ. Anne Alexis is deeply aware of the profound impact of Jesus' unyielding love for all, including the most tender and vulnerable in our society: children. Hopeful for a day when all marginalized peoples are treated with equity, she continues "to seek and serve Christ in all persons." The Baptismal Covenant and Sacrament of Eucharist guide her ministry. Anne Alexis’ father owns and is president of a local funeral home in Wilmington. Some of her earliest childhood memories include observing him engage with bereaved families in a way that can only be described as ministerial. Her mother is a hospice nurse who guides her patients and families through a dignified palliative care stage. Anne Alexis’ parents have left a huge impression on her heart. A ministerial goal she has at St. Martin’s is exploring the often taboo topics of dying and death in the hopeful context of the gospels. In her free time, she enjoys weightlifting, reading, spending time with her family (notably her godson, Will), and watching new shows with her beloved cats by her side. She and Cole enjoy trying eclectic restaurants in their neighborhood -- observing COVID restrictions, of course!Anne Alexis Harra
Tags: Children & Families / Lent + Holy Week at St. Martin's / Connect
