[Part 1, Chapter 7] It all started with these eight words, “‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’” This is the event that changed the course of history. God showed his hand. He chose to reveal his true heart and nature: favour-bringer. He became one of us. He became me, he became you, fully […]
[Part 1, Chapter 6] Father God does not give us expectations to live up to, but possibilities to live in to. That is the miracle of favour. We have turned grace into a law. In order to receive grace, there are hoops we have to jump through and methods we have to follow. Yes, we […]
[Part 1, Chapter 5] Favour is all about presence. ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’” Many things in life are easier when someone is “with you”. In marathon training, I discovered the boredom and pain of a long run are alleviated when running with someone. Julie and I find housework much more agreeable—certainly […]
[Part 1, Chapter 4] On the surface, I can understand karma. Rationally, it makes sense to me. It appeals to my unredeemed, human sense of fairness. Karma can be seen as action and reaction. It suggests: If we show goodness, we will reap goodness. What goes around, comes around. You reap what you sow. For […]
[Part 1, Chapter 3] When the angel calls Mary ‘favoured one’, he is saying, “You are covered, filled, enriched, and over-flowing with grace.” Grace is not primarily a theological concept. Nor is it solely a definition of either how God relates to us or how we see ourselves in relation to what he has done. […]
[Part 1, Chapter 2] The angel’s greeting was unexpected. Both the best—and the worst—things often are. Mary is going about her business, whatever that may have been. She wasn’t doing anything holy. She wasn’t waiting on God, praying for a visitation, having a quiet time, or attending a prayer vigil. ‘Unexpected’ is one of the […]
[Part 1, Chapter 1] The difference I’ve discovered between jogging in the city and the country comes down to one main thing. It’s not primarily the scenery, the fresh air, the sense of freedom, or being out in God’s creation. It’s the greeting. My running app shows tracked runs in all the cities we’ve been […]