God seeks us as actively as we might seek God. In a thoughtful article written for the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., Ethan Raath suggests that God is like a persistent wooer, calling us into a loving relationship. He writes: “Grace is God’s goodwill and favor reaching out to redeem us. God’s grace is like that—God ‘woos’ us, calls us into a relationship of love. God’s grace draws us to God, justifies us by faith in Jesus Christ, and sanctifies and empowers us by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Ethan Raath, “Grace to You,” Presbyterian Mission Agency, accessed August 14, 2023, www.presbyterianmission.org/what-we-believe/grace/.)
That God seeks us, woos us, and calls us into relationship is an imaginative way of understanding our faith journey. The call of faith is both an emotional and an intellectual process. We are called first to love God, then to love others and our neighbours as ourselves. Learning to be graceful (grace-filled) takes place incrementally; our lives are transformed by a living, loving God and by mentors who show us what it means to live faithfully and gracefully. We learn gradually what it means to receive mercy, to extend it, and to see others as differently abled rather than as lesser or better than ourselves. We put grace into action.
Thinking of grace—its persistent, gentle call to transform us—makes me wonder: where does our name Grace come from? Despite Grace being a beautiful and meaningful name for a church, one with deep resonances in the Bible (the word grace occurs no fewer than 111 times in the New Testament), we are one of only four Presbyterian churches in Canada with the name Grace. In wider circles, the great Episcopal Cathedral of Grace in San Francisco shares our name, and like us, marries deep faith with profound social justice practices. A Century of Grace, the centennial publication that documents Grace Calgary’s remarkable history since the church was founded in 1905, doesn’t seem to provide an explanation as to why Grace Calgary has that name, although perhaps I missed it.
What a good decision though it was to call this church Grace! The word grace, with its many biblical resonances, has become central to our identity. Within our vision, we find this inspiring phrase: “Transforming lives through God’s Grace.”
In the Bible, grace is described both as a gift from God and a call to action. In Ephesians 2:8-9, we read, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast” (NRSVUE). The Bible also invites us to put our faith squarely in Jesus; in him, “the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, NRSVUE).
Presbyterian faith statements point out that grace is central to all that we are as a people of faith. For example, we read in Living Faith, “Salvation means life, forgiveness, healing, wholeness. It comes from God’s grace received through faith in Christ alone.” (Living Faith, 2.5.7). We also read, “God’s grace, received by faith alone, pardons and justifies, redeems and reconciles us.” (Living Faith, 3.4.3). If we become impatient about our own progress in our faith lives, we can take solace that God is at work and “God will bring to completion the work of grace begun in us” (Living Faith, 3.6.2).
This fall, as we start the church year with the theme of a “Fresh Crisp Fall,” how can we experience our faith lives in new and meaningful ways, so that we can transform lives through God’s grace for ourselves and for our Beltline neighbours?
I look forward to exploring this question with you, and to partnering with Rev. Wendy and the rest of our dedicated staff and congregation as together we respond to God’s persistent wooing by turning to God with grace and in hope.
Rev. Geffrey Simmins, Interim Minister
