If you approach someone and ask him to take on a responsibility, but his answer is, "I have a very full plate," what does he mean? Does he mean, "I can’t do it right now because I just sat down to dinner. Let me finish eating and I’ll do it"?
No, if you ask someone to do something and he replies that there is too much on his plate, he is not referring to a pile of asparagus or a mound of sage dressing. He is telling you that his life is too full, he has too much to do, he cannot take on any more. A full plate.
These past two Sundays we have thought together under the theme, "Growing and Giving in Grace." I suspect that at some point along the way a number of us have felt that our plates were too full. We have felt that too much was being asked of us, too much demanded.
Two weeks ago, for example, the focus was on growing ... “Growing and Giving in Grace” means growing. In a message entitled, "On Your Mark, Get Set, Grow", I hit you about growth. I enjoined you to set personal growth goals; I encouraged you to use your gifts for the church’s growth; and I warned you we would all feel some pain this year because our financial needs were growing faster than our contributions. I imagine you left two weeks ago feeling as though you had a full plate.
Then last week the focus was clearly and decisively on giving. “Growing and Giving in Grace” means giving. We spent some time with Elijah and the widow of Zarephath, and we worked on the priority question: using what you have instead of crying for more, setting a priority on God’s work. Again we thought together about the church and I promised that if you will be faithful in tithing for the Lord’s work, the church will be faithful in using those resources wisely and well. But I imagine that once again some left feeling that your financial plate was full.
But notice: the theme for these weeks is "Growing and Giving in Grace". In grace. So today I do not want to add to that full plate of responsibilities. Instead I want to offer you a second full plate, a plate full of grace rather than a plate full of burdens. I want to offer you a true Thanksgiving feast plate, full of grace and love, alongside your full plate of responsibilities. Growing and giving in grace. Two full plates.
I see this morning as a quiet time, a thoughtful time, a few moments to feast in the grace of God.
So now will you shut your eyes ... as nearly as you can, emptying your mind of all distractions. Take a deep breath and hold it for a moment …let it out very slowly ... again a deep breath … release it slowly. Be aware of your own body and its rhythms, its need for silence. How tired you are ... how much you have been doing.
Now … with eyes closed … with regular, steady breathing ... hear the word of God in grace:
PSALM 23
Please repeat after me, "Surely goodness and mercy/ shall follow me/all the days of my life."
Grace comes when we see how God gives us space and time. Space in which to back off from our labors. Time in which to disengage from our duties. Grace. Quiet grace. A full plate of grace. Two full plates of grace, in fact.
You have been given an outline of the message. I did that because there will be too many points for you to remember on your own, and also because I want you to experience worship today as grace, as space and openness for you. Having the outline guides you but it also gives you freedom to let your mind wander in the pleasant pathways of grace.
Feel free to write down not only some things I say, but also what your heart says. Let this be a moment of grace.
One other thing. At the end of each of the brief statements I will be making about the dynamics of grace, I will invite you to repeat with me the verse we just used, "surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life." Sharing in these words will help bring home the constant loving presence of a gracious God.
By the way -- I can’t resist this -- did you hear about the fellow that brought his three grown children into court and petitioned the judge to change their names? This fellow had three grown children, none of whom had jobs, none of whom showed the slightest interest in getting married and starting a family, not one of whom lifted a finger to help around the house, and all of whom were constantly borrowing money. Three lazy, overgrown louts. And so he asked the judge to change their names. The judge said, "Well, what do you want their names to be, and why do you want those names?" The fellow answered, "I want their names to be ’surely’, ’goodness’, and ’mercy’, because they follow me around all the days of my life."
All right. Two full plates of grace. Turn to your outline.
I
One of the full plates of grace is the plate of gifts. Our God is a giving God. There is at this Thanksgiving time more to be grateful for than there is to be anxious about. Grace means a full plate of gifts.
A
First, grace is time and space in which it is no longer important to want things. Grace means that God creates for us so full a plate of possibilities that no longer are we obsessed with wanting. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."
The word, "want" has two meanings. It can mean "lack" ... that is, I shall not lack, I shall not need. Or it can mean "desire". I shall not desire, I shall not spend my energy panting for the things I do not have. That’s the meaning that has grace in it, space in it.
It is one thing to be poor. It is another thing to let poverty take us over and dominate us. Grace means that God gives us enough possibilities, enough hope. "I shall not want."
Or again, on the other side of the ledger, it is one thing to be rich, but it is another thing to let the protection of riches take us over and dominate us. Grace means knowing that it is not necessary to want. It is not helpful to crave. "I shall not want."
Let us appreciate what we have before we press hard for more. Even if we do not have what seems to be enough, there is grace. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not [get caught up in wanting]".
And there is God’s promise; repeat it with me: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."
B
Now also on the full plate of the gifts of grace there is rest. Quiet. A moment of purity and of peace. Time. Time for ourselves.
"He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters." Green pastures, still waters. Images of rest, images of grace, gifts to appreciate, not to use. We don’t always have to be busy using; that’s part of the other full plate, the full plate of burdens. The full plate of grace is to appreciate.
A group of tourists were standing watching Niagara Falls in its endless, mighty flow. As the waters tumbled over the precipice and others watched in astonishment that majestic beauty, some bustling businessman was heard to ask, “Yes, I see it. But what does it do?!”
Grace means that there are times when we do not have to do. We can simply be. Time to ignore the clock, time to leave off boasting about our ability to work ten and twelve hours at a stretch. Time to be with a God who is not all that impressed with our 110% efforts. Grace.
Grace means space. Space to lie down and listen to great music. An afternoon to while away at the art gallery, without feeling guilty. Thursday I wedged in an afternoon hour at a used book sale. I tried not to feel guilty, but I got caught. I looked up from a book table and there was somebody from the church. Well, my tang got all tungled up trying to explain why I was not working, why I was not at the office or the hospital or wherever. Why did I feel so driven, why so guilty for an hour’s respite? Why cannot I give myself the grace God give me?
Of course the fact that that other person was a staff member, Dr. Winfield, did mean that I also had a moment of wondering why you weren’t at work!
No, no. Grace. Quiet. Respite. “He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters.”
What is God’s promise? “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of life.”
C
Third, the full plate of grace gifts includes restoration. Renewal. The gifts of God and His grace provide refreshment for the exhausted spirit. "He restores my soul."
You see, some of us do not own up to having exhausted souls. We refuse to acknowledge our weariness. We do not listen to the rhythm of our lives. But God has placed on our plate of gifts the grace of restoration.
The rhythm of our lives. Is there a Sabbath day in your life? Six days shall you labor and do all your work, but the Sabbath, the seventh, you shall keep holy for the Lord. Well, you come to church. But are you listening to the rhythm in your life? Are you keeping a Sabbath, a time for restoring the soul?
What does the Scripture say? "Six days shall you labor and do all your work, and on the sabbath you shall rush to Sunday School, hustle into worship, push through a quick church committee meeting, grab a bite watching the second quarter of the game, dash back to the office for some paper-pushing, zip back home, rake the leaves, and fall asleep during ’Murder She Wrote’ !"? No, our frantic performance is a denial of grace; we are not listening to the rhythm of our lives.
The gift that is on the full plate of grace is, "He restores my soul". Quietly wait for Him; else there will be no soul left to restore. Sometimes I think the best thing I could offer you on Sunday morning would not be a 30-minute sermon but a 60minute silence. “He restores my soul".
What is God’s promise? "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."
D
Finally, the full plate of grace gifts involves guidance. Grace is the time and space God gives in order for us to discern the right choices and to do the right things for the right reasons. And the rightest of reasons is to decide what to do because of Him.
"He leads me in the right paths for his name’s sake." The grace gift is the ability to wait, not to feel compelled to do the impetuous thing, just because it seems good at the time. The grace gift is to wait until the right path opens up and the motive is pure, bound up with our relationship to God. "He leads me in the right paths for his name’s sake".
A few weeks ago, recognizing that there were an increasing number of single parents in our fellowship, someone said to me, "The church needs to respond to these single parents." That was not on my immediate laundry list, but in that statement and in those circumstances there seemed to be a hint of the Lord’s guidance.
Within the next few days several things happened: information about single parent support groups appeared. A committee chair and a very well qualified person volunteered their services. Two or three additional single mothers came to light. What to do?
The impulse was to run with it and do, do, do. But discernment, the gift of grace for guidance … first we went to the deacons and let them discern together. We went to a committee chair and asked her to collect advice from wiser sources. Most of all, we’ve gone to some of the mothers themselves and listened. Now we will do the Single Parent Support Group. But it will be different, it will be better just because we have waited, and listened, and expected the grace gift of guidance. “He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.” To wait; for love of God and not for boosting of egos. “He leads" -- the grace gift of guidance.
And what follows? "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."
II
But I have spoken of two full plates. I have spoken of the grace gifts. I must now take you back to the other plate, the growing graces. The grace of God offers growth. Remember our theme, “Growing and Giving in Grace.” Grace means discernment of what might be as well as what is. Grace is an openness, a space, not just for rest, but for growth.
A
Notice, first, that on the full plate of growth graces there is the possibility of choosing the dismal side of life. Choosing the valley of the shadow. "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil."
Usually we think of the valley of the shadow as something we are thrust into and we just have to make the best of it. No one chooses that. But read the verse this way, "Even though I choose the valley of the shadow, I will fear no evil."
One of the grace gifts of God is to lead us to choose the dark valleys with and for others. We can come alongside those who are facing severe trials and can face that with them. When we do so, it is not only that we are doing something for those who suffer; we are also appropriating grace ourselves. We are then in the presence of God.
"Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff -- they comfort me." There is no more powerful experience of the presence of God than to stand at the bedside of a dying person and simply let God be God. It is an unspeakable privilege to sit in a hospital room or at a hospice, holding someone’s hand, quietly murmuring the Scriptures and breathing a prayer. It is a grace-filled moment. No rush. No hurry. Nothing to achieve. No goals to reach. No expectations, no evaluations, just the comforting presence in the valley.
There is an opportunity for growth. When you, your church, your church leaders choose to enter into the valley of the shadow with others, you too are there, supporting that presence, and you are blessed.
What comes to a people who will support others entering into the valley of the shadow with those who suffer? “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”
B
Next, the full plate of growth opportunities means knowing that the grace of God will prepare us for hostility. In fact, God’s grace not only prepares us for hostility; that same grace leads us to choose the hostile and difficult place. We can choose to sit at table with the enemy. God’s growth grace includes His taking us into the enemy’s camp and giving us peace and confidence, even there.
"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies." The presence of the enemy is a growth grace. The great historian, Arnold Toynbee, had a theory about what makes a nation great. As he had studied the history of many civilizations over many centuries, he concluded that it was only those nations which have been challenged and tested by their enemies that became great. Other nations became soft and flabby, they fell in on themselves, rotten at the core.
Our gracious God promises that in the very midst of hostility He will be grace, He will prepare us a table so that we can be confident, right in the enemy’s camp.
To me, that’s a wonderful picture of what the church is. Right in the enemy camp, right off the strip with its drug sales and its violence, right in the middle of racial tensions and wounded lives, there is a witness of confidence and calm. For nearly three-quarters of a century, this your church has stood and offered its witness. Sometimes shaky, sometimes unclear, sometimes fruitless; but always confident of the presence of the living God. That confidence, that shelter from the storm, deserves your loving support now, for it is an evidence of grace.
A growth grace: "[The Lord] prepares a table before me in the very presence of my enemies." On this rock I will build my church and the very gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Grace.
What has God promised to us? “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”
C
A little deeper still. On the full plate of growth graces there is the ability to accept responsibility. Even when life is very full and there is a lot going on, the growth grace which God gives is the ability to choose the responsibility He wants for us.
“You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows." What does it mean to be anointed? It means to be chosen for responsibility. To be anointed does not mean to be given all sorts of lavish resources or extra talents. To be anointed means to be chosen for responsibility.
In fact, it’s the same word that in the New Testament is translated, "Christ." Jesus Christ means Jesus anointed. It means he was chosen for a very special role. He was Christed. And so are you. So are we. We are Christed of God, anointed, little Christs. There are things He wants us to do in the Kingdom.
If your life is very full, how do you squeeze in more? Well, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you let others things go in order to accept what God wants you to do.
The growth grace is the chance to choose priorities. The growth grace on our full plates is the chance to get rid of some of the clutter in our lives, some of the unnecessary complications, and then to focus on God’s will.
You say you have too much on your plate, too much to do? I will say to you there is less spiritual danger in having too much than in having too little; I have observed that when people have too little to do they become even more disorganized than those with too much to do. God will grace us with the ability to choose what is important and to get rid of the rest.
’You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows."
Again, what is the promise? "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."
D
And at last, then, that full plate of growth graces is filled out with one more opportunity. On the full, full plate of opportunities is the growth grace of being in the family of God throughout our days. A long-term, unyielding commitment to the family of God called the church.
“I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.” Grace means knowing you are at home. Grace means space and time to be at home, in the family, and yet space and time in which to change and develop.
There is nothing like feeling at home with one another. My son called the other night just to talk about a couple of concerns he had; I found myself remembering the days when his speech to me consisted of single words, clipped off like precious gems: "Yeh " “Naw" "Never r" " Pay”. But now he’s nearly thirty, and he’s matured. He’s matured? Well, yes, I guess I’m no longer in my twenties either. Our relationship now is pure delight. It’s comfortable. We will dwell in the family together, all our life long. A growth grace.
This very week I’ve seen how redemptive and wonderful this family of faith is for some who have committed to it. It’s home. It’s grace. It is space and time in which to mature. I know there are others who have distanced themselves for a while ... emotionally, financially, sitting loose because something was done that offended you. I only hope these will not continue to punish themselves. We are still family. The family means grace. "I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.”
And I know that there are others who are not yet fully a part of the family. Just around its edges and fringes. Sometimes I have persuaded and cajoled you to do what is right and to get on board. Today there are no arguments, no pleas. Today I simply offer you family and grace, love and gift. Grace have we all received, grace upon grace.
Two full plates. One a plate full of gifts, the other a plate full of growth. But both of them bounteous stores of grace. Come and be embraced by a heart of grace.
What has our God promised? "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”
