See http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/practices/practices.php?id=10

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UUCF Theme of the MonthDecember 2013: Grace

Welcome to UUCF’s Theme of the Month page! Every month, September through June, we explore a different theme - in worship, in our religious exploration programs for children and youth…and now, right here online. We want to help you engage with our monthly themes wherever you are, all week long, not just on the weekend. So read on for thought-provoking quotes, images, and ideas for practicing this month’s theme: Grace. And then add your contribution: email Rev. Laura with your favorite readings, quotes, images, and practice ideas, and we’ll add as many as we can to these evolving pages. Thanks and enjoy!

Quotations

Grace overcomes shame, not by uncovering an overlooked cache of excellence in ourselves but simply by accepting us, the whole of us, with no regard to our beauty or our ugliness, our virtue or our vices. We are accepted wholesale. Accepted with no possibility of being rejected. Accepted once and accepted forever. Accepted at the ultimate depth of our being. —Lewis B. Smedes in Shame and Grace

One of the powers of the faith community is its capacity to provide a lasting steadiness through all the waverings of its individual members. When I cannot pray, the prayer of countless others goes on... Where I am in conflicts, others are at peace. Most important, when I cannot act in loving ways, there are those in my communities who can. —Gerald May, Addiction & Grace

Grace is the light or electricity or juice or breeze that takes you from that isolated place and puts you with others who are as startled and embarrassed and eventually grateful as you are to be there. —Anne Lamott in Traveling Mercies

When we lose our map, our real knowledge of the path begins...once we admit that we're not sure where life is taking us, then we are ripe for transformation. —Mark Nepo, Seven Thousand Ways to Listen

A family in my sister's neighborhood was recently stricken with a double tragedy, when both the young mother and her three-year-old son were diagnosed with cancer. When Catherine told me about this, I could only say, shocked, "Dear God, that family needs grace." She replied firmly, "That family needs casseroles," and proceeded to organize the entire neighborhood into bringing that family dinner, in shifts, every single night, for an entire year. I do not know if my sister fully recognizes that this is grace. —Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love

When we open our hearts to each other we allow grace to enter. It is as simple as that. And suffering — events that break open the heart — can become the refiner's fire that leaves us fully open to the truth about love and compassion. —Kathleen A. Brehony in Ordinary Grace

Grace can never be possessed but can only be received afresh again and again. —Rudolf Bultmann

Grace is uncontrollable, arbitrary to our senses, apparently unmerited. It's utterly free, ferociously strong, about about as mysterious a thing as you could imagine. First rule of grace: grace rules. —Brian Doyle, quoted in The Best Spiritual Writing 2001, edited by Philip Zaleski

Grace happens to me when I feel a surge of honest joy that makes me glad to be alive in spite of valid reasons for feeling terrible. Grace happens when I accept my wife's offer to begin again with me in love after I have hurt her. It happens when I feel powerfully free to follow my own conscience in spite of those who think I am either crazy or wicked. Grace is the gift of feeling sure that our future, even our dying, is going to turn out more splendidly than we dare imagine. Grace is the feeling of hope. —Lewis B. Smedes in How Can It Be All Right When Everything Is All Wrong?

Reflections from UUCFersGrace is an important word to me. My only daughter is Debra Grace Bellamy.

I think that the concept which ties together graceful, gracious and grace is the ability to make something that is difficult not appear to be so.

In general gracefulness is not nearly as important to me as the other two concepts, but I do love to watch Roger Federer play tennis. He plays so gracefully that what is difficult looks beautiful and natural.

Graciousness is, I think, much more important. My mother was gracious. She could make people feel welcome and appreciated even when there might have been a hidden cost to making them feel so. The plan was that there would be 15 people at my wedding including the minister and organist. The morning of the wedding the one cousin who lived a few towns over (and had been invited to the wedding) called to say that she had a houseful of company, could

they all come. Well, of course. My mother pulled together what was needed for the extra 8 people and they all felt welcome.

As someone who grew up a Presbyterian, grace for me is associated with salvation by grace and by that I mean unearned forgiveness. I think that it is a wonderful concept. I think that we are too focused on "people getting what they deserve". None of us deserve as much as we would like to have (and I am talking about a whole more here than money). We can increase the supply of happiness in the world if we can love even when that love might not technically be deserved.

—Mary Bellamy

Readings

Family-friendly Mary Bellamy suggests this children’s book: Mr. Gumpy's Outing by John Burningham. She says: “Mr. Gumpy is joined on a boat ride by children and animals. He warns them what not to do, they do it anyway, they all fall in the water, he takes it well and then they have tea together. At the end Mr. Gumpy invites them all to ‘come for a ride another day.’ It is such a wonderful example of grace.”

Readings for adults and teensFrom the Spirituality & Practice website:

Grace is a gift….We can't earn it. We can't control it. We don't have to deserve it.

…Grace confounds certain very natural human tendencies. We want to believe we are in control. We assume there are specific moves we can take to ensure that we are rewarded….But grace does not work that way. Instead, it teaches us to let go….Not only are we not in charge, we don't have to be. We just need to stay open to receiving the sacred.

Receptivity, in turn, requires that we give up shame - those persistent feelings that we are unworthy, that we don't deserve all that we have, that we're not as good as people assume, that we've messed up, that our whole life is a mistake. Grace doesn't listen to that litany. It isn't based on a scorecard. Grace happens.

You can also explore more reading ideas at the Spirituality & Practice site. They have a theistic slant but non-theists may find much of interest here too.

Here are three poems about grace:

The Avowal

As swimmers dareto lie face to the skyand water bears them,as hawks rest upon airand air sustains them,so would I learn to attainfreefall, and floatinto Creator Spirit’s deep embrace,knowing no effort earnsthat all-surrounding grace.

—Denise Levertov

Why I Wake Early

Hello, sun in my face. Hello, you who made the morning and spread it over the fields and into the faces of the tulips and the nodding morning glories, and into the windows of, even, the miserable and the crotchety... Watch, now, how I start the dayin happiness, in kindness.

—Mary Oliver

When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

—Wendell Berry

Film & video clips

Images

“Falling with Grace,” by UUCF member Shari MacFarlane

Artist’s statement: This is one of the first abstract paintings I ever created from my intuitive spiritual side. It was during a very challenging time in my life when I wasn't sure if everything would be all right. I like my paintings to speak for themselves, so I don't usually tell much about the process or what each painting means to me. I do remember that during the time I was painting this piece, I questioned whether I was, "Falling out of Grace." When I noticed a few dark lines at the bottom of the painting that resembled a man up-righting himself as he was falling, I smiled and said to myself,"I am not falling out of grace, I am falling with grace." The painting title became, "Falling with Grace." Grace has held me upright ever since. When others have viewed my painting, they have seen other symbols of grace, a chalice, a fish, and a dragonfly. All are a surprise to me as there was no conscious intent to put them in the painting.

***

Here is a work by artist Makoto Fujimura called “Tree Grace” from his “Images of Grace” series.

And the physical grace of dancers and athletes! Here are just a few photos to enjoy:

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Kirven James Boyd and Glenn Allen Sims in Robert Battle’s The Hunt. Photo by Andrew Eccles

Italian skier Christian Lanthaler at the 2010 Winter Paralympics

Martha Graham

Pro basketball player Briann January (Indiana #20) and Renee Montgomery (foreground, Connecticut #21)

Classical Indian dancer

Figure skater Evan Lysacek

MusicRev. Laura says: My favorite song about grace is by the Austrian composer Hugo Wolf—no. 19 in his Italian Songbook. Here’s one lovely recording. Listen to the beautiful piano toward the end. Here is a translation from the German—to me this poem is about the way people can fight and fight, and then something shifts and melts and tenderness is possible again:

We have both been silent for a long time, All at once came to us our speech again. The Angels, which down from heaven flew, They brought after the war, peace again. The Angels of God have flown-down, (and) with them peace enters. The love Angels came overnight And have (brought) peace to my heart.

I’m also thinking, a month late I suppose, of one of my favorite songs by singer-songwriter Peter Mulvey, “November”:

You'd better let someone love you instead of pushing us all awayUntil time rolls right over all that you wanted to say…

Still i forgive youI would not have it any other wayI can say it only once more, I love youStayStayStay

This one feels like grace in waiting, I think. It’s special to me also because of the line about “looking for the poems beneath my feet”—a reference to the T stop in Davis Square, outside of Boston, Massachusetts, where Peter used to play and I used to listen to him on my way to work. The station had poems carved into the brick floors—another little bit of grace.

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We have some wonderful hymns about grace too:

“Amazing Grace”

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch* like me! I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved; how precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed!

Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; 'tis grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.

When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we'd first begun.

And these less familiar ones too:

#33 Sovereign and Transforming Grace

Sovereign and transforming Grace, we invoke your quickening power; reign the spirit of this place, bless the purpose of this hour.

Holy and creative Light, we invoke your kindling ray; draw upon our spirit's night, as the darkness turns to day.

To the anxious soul impart hope, all other hopes above; stir the dull and hardened heart with a longing and a love.

#91 Mother of All

Mother of all, in every age, in every clime adored, by saint, by poet, and by sage, your praises high have soared.

Goddess of nurture and of love, all nature sings your care. In life's extravagance you prove the gift of giving fair.

O spirit of unfolding grace and deepest mystery, teach us compassion's gentle face and wisdom's mastery.

Teach us to cherish this proud earth, its fragile beauty praise, and for the dreams your joy gives birth, a hopeful future raise.

#142 Let There Be Light

Let there be light, let there be understanding, let all the nations gather, let them be face to face.

Open our lips, open our minds to ponder, open the door of concord opening into grace.

Perish the sword, perish the angry judgment, perish the bombs and hunger, perish the fight for gain.

Let there be light, open our hearts to wonder, perish the way of terror, hallow the world God made.

And of course “Silent Night,” sung at UUCF each Christmas Eve, with its closing verse:

Silent night, holy night, child of God, love's pure light. Radiant beams from thy holy facewith the dawn of redeeming grace.Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.

Questions to live with...What does grace mean to you?

What are some of the unearned gifts in your life right now? Is there anything you’d like to do or say to celebrate them?

Have you ever felt accepted in a moment when you felt unacceptable?

Is it easy or hard for you to accept the help of others? Recall a situation when you did not want to rely upon someone else’s kindness. What was behind that?

Spiritual practices

On your ownIf grace is out of your hands, so to speak, how do you engage in the spiritual practice of grace? Accept that you are accepted. Practice receiving. Receive objects, love, help. Notice when presents and presence come to you without your effort. —Spirituality & Practice.

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You might choose to work with this mantra in the form of three affirmations using Frederick Buechner's definition of grace:

There's nothing you have to do.There's nothing you have to do.There's nothing you have to do.

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Read Denise Levertov’s poem “The Avowal”:

As swimmers dareto lie face to the skyand water bears them,as hawks rest upon airand air sustains them,so would I learn to attainfreefall, and floatinto Creator Spirit’s deep embrace,knowing no effort earnsthat all-surrounding grace.

Now breathe out three times. See yourself as a swimmer floating face up in the water. Sense how the water holds you without your effort.

Breathe out one time. See yourself as a hawk soaring above the earth. Sense how the air holds you without your effort.

Breathe out one time. See and sense yourself in freefall, floating into the deep embrace of spirit. Know that you are being surrounded by the light of grace. Now open your eyes.

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In addition to recognizing grace when it happens to us, we can help bring grace to other people's lives. Ask yourself: how can I embody grace for someone else today?

Practicing as a familyYou might talk with your children about grace as the love you feel for them just because they exist. They don’t have to do anything or be any certain way to earn your love - you just love them.

You can also talk about ways we can bring grace into someone else’s life. Could you do something nice for someone else that they aren’t expecting?

CreditsMany thanks to UUCFers who contributed reflections, artworks, and ideas. The website Spirituality & Practice also has a wonderful resource on Grace, from which we borrowed many ideas.