Once in a while, a word comes up...again and again...over and over...making me think about it's definition at great length. Here's one:
Grace
What do you think of?
Saying grace before a meal?
We call it 'the blessing' most of the time at my house...and when my son says it, he likes to add "may we all live long and prosper"....you know...the Vulcan grace....I guess.
A church name?
We attended Grace Church in Mahomet. Several churches have the word "grace" in their name.
A person's name maybe?
One of my parent's friends was named Grace. And I'm a huge fan of Burns and Allen-George Burns and Gracie Allen. "Say Goodnight,Gracie."
My family watched "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" last night...and the secretary's name is Grace.And maybe you think of the t.v. show "Will and Grace"....or the song "Amazing Grace"...
maybe...like me...sometimes you're thinking about the 'grace period' you've got with your credit card bill.
Or you've watched "Dancing with the Stars" and thought, "My, I had no idea that Emmet Smith could be so graceful!"
Maybe you've said, "There, but for the grace of God"....
Or perhaps, (again...like me!)...you're watching PBS and someone British says, "Your Grace"...with that way cool accent.
Okay...so maybe you're not like me watching PBS....but I'd venture a guess and say that we've all used the word "Grace" in several different ways...and I'm wondering if you've considered what it means.
Could you tell someone what "Grace" is?
It's all the things I've just listed...and more.
Oh...and before I forget....thank you for gracing me with your presence today... now let's look more closely at this word "grace".
As a noun -
1. elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion, or action.
2.a pleasing or attractive quality or endowment.
3.favor or good will.
4.a manifestation of favor, esp. by a superior: It was only through the dean's grace that I wasn't expelled from school.
5.mercy; clemency; pardon: an act of grace.
6.favor shown in granting a delay or temporary immunity.
7.an allowance of time after a debt or bill has become payable granted to the debtor before suit can be brought against him or her or a penalty applied: The life insurance premium is due today, but we have 31 days' grace before the policy lapses. Compare grace period.
8.Theology.
a.the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God.
b.the influence or spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them.
c.a virtue or excellence of divine origin: the Christian graces.
d. Also called state of grace. the condition of being in God's favor or one of the elect.
9.moral strength: the grace to perform a duty.
10.a short prayer before or after a meal, in which a blessing is asked and thanks are given.
11.(usually initial capital letter) a formal title used in addressing or mentioning a duke, duchess, or archbishop, and formerly also a sovereign (usually prec. by your, his, etc.).
12.Graces, Classical Mythology. the goddesses of beauty, daughters of Zeus and Eurynome, worshiped in Greece as the Charities and in Rome as the Gratiae.
Wow. That's a lot of information, isn't it? Gotta love dictionary.com....
2.a pleasing or attractive quality or endowment.
3.favor or good will.
4.a manifestation of favor, esp. by a superior: It was only through the dean's grace that I wasn't expelled from school.
5.mercy; clemency; pardon: an act of grace.
6.favor shown in granting a delay or temporary immunity.
7.an allowance of time after a debt or bill has become payable granted to the debtor before suit can be brought against him or her or a penalty applied: The life insurance premium is due today, but we have 31 days' grace before the policy lapses. Compare grace period.
8.Theology.
a.the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God.
b.the influence or spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them.
c.a virtue or excellence of divine origin: the Christian graces.
d. Also called state of grace. the condition of being in God's favor or one of the elect.
9.moral strength: the grace to perform a duty.
10.a short prayer before or after a meal, in which a blessing is asked and thanks are given.
11.(usually initial capital letter) a formal title used in addressing or mentioning a duke, duchess, or archbishop, and formerly also a sovereign (usually prec. by your, his, etc.).
12.Graces, Classical Mythology. the goddesses of beauty, daughters of Zeus and Eurynome, worshiped in Greece as the Charities and in Rome as the Gratiae.
Wow. That's a lot of information, isn't it? Gotta love dictionary.com....
#8. caught my eye as I read through those. "the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God."
Yeah, I've heard that. I know about that. There's nothing I can do to earn it. It's a gift.
Good stuff to remember. But look at the next line.
"The Spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them."
I don't know about you...but there are times when I do NOT feel strong. When I can't handle the weight of the world any longer. When I could use some strengthening. When I think I'm at my weakest...the Bible has references to grace and it says "full of grace"....or "abounding in grace"..."more grace is given". It's like there's more than enough to go around. Plenty for me and for you.
Good to know. Reminds me of another reference to grace:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace
I don't know about you....but I feel stronger already! Grace to you, my friends...
1 comment:
Spock, the Vulcan grace, my mind is spinning at the comment possibilities . . .
The phrase that stuck out to me in all of the rest of it was "unmerited favor". I'm not very good at extending grace if I think it's not merited, and I know I don't merit the grace or favor that has been extended to me.
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