Rhythm of Grace

Rhythm of Grace 

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with Me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message) 

The family and I got to spend some of the recent Memorial Day weekend with our friends at Americas Keswick. It was a privilege to be able to applaud Bill and Jan Welte for their 15 years of dedicated service to Keswick and to rib Bill for some of the practical jokes he played on me while I had my stay at the Colony during the summer of 2003. 

I was doubly blessed to have met a man named Twan-Wo. What he had lacked in sight in one aspect he made up for in our conversations. But the crux of the blessing comes in that of a book I found in the thrift store. Its title is “The Godward Gaze” by Steve McVey and it only cost me about seventy five cents. Sorry Pastor McVey…I am sure someone actually paid the cover price. 

Anyway, while sitting on the porch of Victory Hall I begin to page through this book before I seriously take to reading it. I come to page nine and in bold lettering I read a sub-title called “The Rhythms of Grace”. Having read “Grace Walk” Pastor McVey now has my attention. He mentions finding the term in The Message and I make a mental note to myself that I need to get to my copy of it and see where I can find it. (side note here...I had to Google the term) It really could be what other writers have called spiritual disciplines and they are something we may not want to think we ought to do.  

Quite frankly I am not a fan of the word discipline because I see it as more of a rod coming at me rather than a practice of living. But as I read some of what Pastor McVey states in this part of what is actually the books introduction he encourages us to consider spiritual disciplines as gifts from God. He continues to say these rhythms of grace can draw us into a greater awareness of God’s love for us. I now begin to wonder what my view of God’s grace really is. I wonder if the way I conduct myself before I approach God’s word and His will for me is something I feel I want to do or I ought to do. 

Pastor McVey includes a very informative quote from Richard Foster, who ironically wrote this book titled “Celebration of Discipline” (Do we really celebrate discipline?) Foster warns of turning spiritual disciplines into laws and writes that law-bound disciplines breathe death. How many Bible studies have we been to when this absolute thought of practicing law-bound disciplines rears its ugly head? Foster goes on to say that we are not left to our own human devices, we have Jesus Christ to be our ever-present Teacher and Guide if we are willing to listen to the heavenly Monitor.  Even McVey says to look at this concept of spiritual disciplines through the lenses of grace and not of legalism. 

So after I found out where Peterson used the term “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace”, I could only hear it straight from the mouth of The Savior himself. Then I shared it with the FaceBook world and that’s where my other brother of thunder agreed that this has the tone of grace. I found it in Matthew where Jesus is encouraging us to take His yoke upon us and learn this walk from Him. I now understand why there will be a need for me to change my lenses when I continue on with my read into ‘The Godward Gaze” or whenever I do approach a spiritual discipline I need, not ought, to practice. I also think, nah, want to re-read “Grace Walk” because I really think I missed something. Just by re-reviewing the Matthew passage has made me want to re-review the word discipline…how about you? Does this sound like a rod coming at you or an easy yoke for you to wear? Chris Hughes graduated from the Colony of Mercy and is a faithful writer for our e-devotional.

Team YOU: 2 Chronicles 25-27; Proverbs 6; John 16

Motivations: If I am afraid to speak the truth, lest I lose affection, or lest the one concerned should say, "You do not understand," or because I fear to lose my reputation for kindness; if I put my own good name before the other's highest good, then I know nothing of Calvary love. Amy Carmichael

Practice to Remember: Level 1: Ephesians 6:18; Level 2: Ephesians 6:21-24

Powered Up:  Patience in prayer is nothing but faith spun out. Thomas Watson