Thursday, March 19

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. Ephesians 2: 8-10


Well, there it is in black and white right from the Bible. We are saved by grace through faith—not by works. On some level, this basic tenet of the Reformed faith flies in the face of conventional wisdom—the “Protestant work ethic”, if you will. Paul is pretty clear on this—it is not our own doing—it is God’s grace, bestowed upon us through the person of Jesus Christ.

“So why BE good, why DO good?” If we get dessert anyway, why eat the vegetables? If we know we will pass the test, why study? If we know we will cross the finish line, why run the marathon—why not just sneak into a cab? If we know that we have been saved and given eternal life, why are we spending so many hours in this place??

We are here, because, God has prepared THIS to be our way of life. And like so many things in life, the joy of the journey is rich and fruitful. The nutrients of the vegetables, the knowledge gained while studying, the satisfaction of a runner’s sore muscles... and the countless ways that we enrich each other here all are such necessary components of a journey.


Loving God, though we can never be deserving of the gift you have given us, help us to continue to respond with gratitude for our blessings. Amen.

Becky D’Angelo-Veitch, Coordinator of Children’s Ministries and Congregational Life