Grace

grace  (grs)

n.

1. Seemingly effortless beauty or charm of movement, form, or proportion.

2. A characteristic or quality pleasing for its charm or refinement.

3. A sense of fitness or propriety.

4.

a. A disposition to be generous or helpful; goodwill.

b. Mercy; clemency.

5. A favor rendered by one who need not do so; indulgence.

6. A temporary immunity or exemption; a reprieve.

7. Graces Greek & Roman Mythology Three sister goddesses, known in Greek mythology as Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, who dispense charm and beauty.

8.

a. Divine love and protection bestowed freely on people.

b. The state of being protected or sanctified by the favor of God.

c. An excellence or power granted by God.

9. A short prayer of blessing or thanksgiving said before or after a meal.

10. Grace Used with His, Her, or Your as a title and form of address for a duke, duchess, or archbishop.

11. Music An appoggiatura, trill, or other musical ornanment in the music of 16th and 17th century England.

tr.v. graced, grac·ing, grac·es

1. To honor or favor: You grace our table with your presence.

2. To give beauty, elegance, or charm to.

3. Music To embellish with grace notes.

Idioms:

in the bad graces of

Out of favor with.

in the good graces of

In favor with.

with bad grace

In a grudging manner.

with good grace

In a willing manner.

---

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin grtia, from grtus, pleasing; see g^wer-² in Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Last Sunday our youth Pastor preached on the unfairness of God's grace, which is a rather controversial way of putting it; but he is our YOUTH pastor and his job paradigm requires attention grabbing.  (In general, young pre-teens and teenagers need a jolt before opening their hearts.)  Part of the sermon managed to bring me to tears, since I am not a crier that is remarkable; however, the fact that it also brought both my Aunt and Uncle to tears is beyond remarkable.  My Uncle is a Doctor of a Theology and my Aunt is almost a Doctor of Theology, they were visiting for the morning and wanted to go to our church with us, which thrilled me because it was my first Sunday back since June.  Truly I wanted them to like my home church...just because I do.  My Aunt currently leads a church for the non-hearing and for the blind in Washington DC, she signs when she talks and when she worships, she wanted to know where our interrupter was for our service.  Hummm.

Grace.  She knew, by the sermon, what denomination our church was; which fascinated me.  Although, we both agreed, that the end of the sermon swung back around to the unknowable mystery of Grace.  God's grace is beyond the human mind.

Grace is touchable in the world.  Something that can be felt and yet, God is not seen.  Grace is like faith.

A full day's pay for an hour's work.  The first is last and last is first.  Riddles and parables: examples to try and tell us, God is too complex to imagine.  Don't try, trust me and jump.

An image of grace that comes to me is of being on a cliff and being told, "Jump, my child."
Not wanting to jump because the distance looks far and the landing looks scary but jumping because I trust the voice.  Upon jumping, finding out that it was a mirage.

Laughing and giggling with the speaker at fears.  I am not a sheep; but, I am more treasured than a lost one.