Note: When I posted this on Friday morning, September 8th, it was placed out of sequence for some unknown reason. The "post" that this one is refering to is above this one on the list. Sorry for the confusion. I'm not sure what's going on at BLOGGER. I'm still having trouble posting pictures. Are you?
Look at the title of the previous post...The Unforced Rhythms of Grace. What does that mean to you? What was Eugene Peterson trying to convey?
Here's my 2 cents worth:
Unforced - Not contrived, not achieved by personal, individual, finite effort, not programmed, not selfishly initiated, not worked at for personal gain. That's a lot of negative "nots". So what is the positive side of unforced? Unforced means originating in the heart, mind and purposes of God and given freely without any requirement on our part. Graciously extended because of God's love.
Rhythms - The free flow of everyday life with its ups and downs, highs and lows, mountain peaks and deep valleys or, as a pastor friend of mine used to say, "the daily vicissitudes of life". There really IS a rhythm to life if we would only slow down and take our hands off the controls.
Grace - The gifts and blessings of God extended to His children because of His unconditional, undying love for us. Grace is what we get that we don't deserve. Grace is what God lavishes on us when we think He should withhold from us due to our sin, stubbornness and rebellion. Grace is what is forthcoming from the hand of God when we least expect it. Grace is activity of God reaching out to the needs of man offering what we didn't deserve due to our sin but we receive because of Christ's death which He didn't deserve.
Now somehow try to put all of that together. Difficult isn't it! Let's avail ourselves of the Father's offer and joyfully enter into the "unforced rhythms of grace". How about it?
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