Dear Friends,

Some weeks I have an instinct about where a sermon focus might land. This week - and even after lively discussion of Luke 18:1-8 with the Thursday Morning Bible Study - I’m still a little bit stumped.

Looking for an image for this week’s pledge season focus confirmed my “stumpification.” I plugged in “grace” on the website where I often source free photos. Most of the images were of landscapes with sunshine breaking through clouds. Then there a couple of photos with people: one focused on upturned palms, another emphasized hands folded in prayer on top of an open book that’ probably a bible. Then there were a couple of grace-fully arced plant specimens - wheat in one and maybe larkspur in the other. Little bit of word-art (including a cross ornament with the word grace across it), a stack of books, and one photo that stumpifies me even more than this week’s text.

Then, finding the “Come as you are” doormat image opened a door for me! (Pun definitely intended!) That one brought my focus to verse 7: “Will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night?” Wonder if “Come as you are” might well point in the same direction that the verse is pointing?

What image comes to you when you try to visualize grace? I’ve got a couple that I’ll probably share on Sunday. See you then.

Peace, 

Lisa

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash