Grace and the chairs

Well, it is a minor event in comparison to other landmarks in world history but this is my thousandth post.

So what to write about?

Well, why don't I tell you about grace (again).

What's so amazing about that you ask?

Well, at Live Life this term we are studying Galatians. A dear man has been coming for the last few months but I hadn't seen him for three weeks. I had started to think, as pastor's sometimes do, maybe he won't come again. Imagine my joy to see him spin into the church car park on his bicycle.

He's had a life has my friend. Quite a life.

He set about helping me set up as he has been doing.

Moving tables and chairs and setting up the small group rooms.

The talk was given by Josh and it was about faith. It was also about the difference between law and grace.

My friend listened. He really really listened.

At the end of the night he came up and spoke to me. He seemed stirred.

I asked him why he hadn't been coming to church.

He said the only reason he had been coming early and helping was because he thought that's what he was supposed to do in a church. He thought that's what Christian's do. Strivingly effort-filled good stuff. He had ceased to see the point in it so had stopped coming.

Then he said this,

"I don't have to move chairs do I?"

"No you don't" I replied.

"It's all about grace isn't it" then he paused and said....."that changes everything doesn't it"

"Yes" I replied "That changes everything. Jesus changes everything"

Grace- that's always the ticket.

God must be constantly astonished how often we still manage to make it all about the chairs.