Easter and the Grace Notes.

In my personal preparation to celebrate The Resurrection I looked over a few of Phillip Yancey's thoughts on grace and my heart was once again moved by the unmerited favor of The Living God.

What is a Grace Note?

(WEBSTER)

“ A musical note added as an element;

 A small addition or embellishment.”

I first came across the “Grace Note” when reading Phillip Yancey’s book, “What’s So Amazing about Grace?” At the time I had a working understanding of grace because I had experienced the divine and unmerited favor of God. I knew there were two types of notes. The first of which resembled those things I took in college while the prof was lecturing. The purpose of those notes were to aid in my study.  Then there were those weird marks written on sheet music. 

Yancey taught me the meaning of the grace note in reference to music. It is, as Webster defines, the embellishment. That little note added as an ornamental element. I have never recovered from that concept.  It is the grace of God that redeems and restores the human condition and it is the grace of God that brings the heart of fallen humanity back into rhythm with His purpose. We are simply rescued by His unmerited favor.

And after the fact it is His grace that sustains as we begin to walk out our faith and grow more into the likeness of Jesus Christ.

Her name was Mary Magdalene and at one time she was foul and demon possessed. Yet, she waited by the tomb on the Resurrection morning. His name was Peter and he cut and ran in the Garden of Gethsemane. Yet, he died as a martyr for the faith and was crucified upside down.  His name was Paul and he passionately pursued and persecuted the church. Yet, he went on to write, “Love is patient, love is kind, love never fails.”

Musically speaking, the grace note is an ornamental embellishment. To we who have been rescued, redeemed and restored by the life, death and resurrection  of Jesus Christ, there are grace notes written into the song of our lives and these notes are more than ornamental and go way beyond embellishing. They are life changing and transformational. They do more than alter behavior they change the heart and in the words of Phillip Yancey, that my friend is exactly what’s so amazing about grace.

If you have never read it, may I recommend: What's So Amazing about Grace?

Blessings

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