Annoyed by Grace

No, this post is not an ode to my bothers who are frequently annoyed by Grace. This is a reflection on catching myself ironically annoyed by the assurance of God’s grace.

An essential element of Presbyterian worship is a time for corporate and personal confession. The entire church confesses our shared sins of neglecting our duties as Christians as we read aloud a pre-written prayer. We ask God to forgive our inaction and lack of concern for those who suffer. The corporate confession is then followed by a time of silent reflection and prayer. While sitting in church this past weekend I felt a familiar annoyance: I was just getting into the good part of confessing my sins when the pastor ended the silence and moved on with the service. Over the last few years, I’ve become increasingly annoyed that I never have enough time for confession in worship (ironically, this annoyance has paralleled the time I’ve been ordained). If only this was longer, I’d say to myself, I’d have a more full Sunday morning experience.

But this week, I saw my familiar annoyance in a new light. I was deep in prayer and interrupted by the pastor’s assurance of forgiveness that follows the time of confession. How funny, I thought, to be annoyed by an interruption of grace. How ironic, I realized, to be so stuck in confession that I couldn’t hear what follows. My annoyance was transformed into an important reminder: God’s forgiveness always interrupts, always surprises, and sometimes even annoys us with its radical truth. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God.

The Christmas story is so familiar. The rhythms of this season are known and cherished. How can you let yourself be interrupted and surprised by God this Christmas? Perhaps, like me, you may be getting in your own way by ironically mistaking God’s interruption for an annoyance.

Text copyright © 2023 Grace Woodward. All rights reserved.