When we got into those great conversations around tables remembering stories of God grace – so many came up for us.  Stories of Jesus birth, teachings, and miracles, the grace Jesus shared on the cross and through his last supper with the disciples all came up.  There were mentions of King David and the apostle Paul, the prophet Daniel and the woman at the well.  One of the stories that was most surprising for me to hear was the story of the prophet Jonah. 

Many of us know the story of Jonah – he was the one swallowed by a whale right?  Well, actually, it was a fish (for us biology geeks, it matters!).  But we often forget the real meaning of the story and get caught up in the absurdity of someone being swallowed whole by a giant aquatic creature.  The real story is so full of grace in the most unexpected ways. 

God called Jonah to go to Nineveh, a foreign (non-Jewish) city full of wickedness.  Jonah was to warn them of their sin and call them to repent before God.  Well, Jonah doesn’t really do what God asks him to.  He goes the exact opposite way … literally running away from God’s call. It is here that he boards a boat to get as far from Nineveh as possible, causes great storms (because of his disobedience) and decides he should be thrown overboard to calm the seas and save those on board.  God provides a fish to swallow Jonah and save him from drowning in the turbulent waters.  Grace.

Jonah then prays, gets vomited back onto land (more grace), and follows God’s call to Nineveh.  He starts the 3-day walk across that enormous city, warning “In 40 days, Nineveh will be overturned.”  The people of Nineveh believe Jonah and become humble and go into mourning and prayer.  And God has compassion on them and does not destroy them.  Grace – for an entire city of non-Jews who respond to God’s call to repent. 

Now, warning his enemies that they are going to face destruction might have been a little bit too satisfying to Jonah.  Because he is actually angry with God for showing mercy and compassion to these people.  But God has grace for Jonah also – teaching him how big and wide and powerful mercy truly is.  You see, grace isn’t just for the people we like or who are like us.  God shares this grace with foreigners and those we might think of as wicked.  God shares this grace with disobedient religious-types and entire cities and all the life within them.

This is the radical grace we are called to share! 

In January 2019, the Faith congregation adopted a new mission statement:

Led by the Spirit to share God’s grace.

On Sunday, May 5, all were invited to engage in this mission so that it could inspire our shared ministry. Pastor John opened with a reflection on “Led by the Spirit.” Then participants engaged in guided discussion around “Led by the Spirit.” Feedback was collected on sticky notes, and Deacon Nina summarized the discussion for the large group. The same format was followed for “to share God’s grace.”

This is the fifth of a seven-part series to share the results of that discussion.