Grace Notes June 2, 2010

Grace Notes June 2, 2010

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own
doing; it is the gift of God” Ephesians 2:8 (English Standard Version)
“Grace Notes”…The name of this weekly devotional writing from Salem staff
members is actually a musical term. A grace note is a musical ornament…a
very short note right before the main note of the melody. The grace note
adds much to the melody, but is not as important as the main note. In
fact, the melody will sound pretty complete without the grace note.
Perhaps a bit less interesting, but still identifiable as the tune it is
meant to be. Sometimes performers even skip or leave out grace notes to
make it easier to play a difficult passage of music. The listener will
probably not notice, unless he or she has played the piece themselves.

In our faith as Lutherans, “grace” is definitely not just an ornament.
God’s grace is central to our life as the church and as individuals. We
look for God’s grace in everything. The sacraments are gifts from God.
Homes and daily food are gifts from God. The people we love are gifts from
God. Even the ability to believe at all is a gift from God. Being restored
from our sinful self to a beloved child of God is a gift of God’s grace. I
once learned this definition of grace: “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.”
God loves us so much that he gave his own son’s life to save our lives.
Live in God’s grace. Be thankful for his gift. Share the good news with
words and actions. May these weekly Grace Notes remind us that we live not
by our own doing, but by the grace of God.

Ron Vanatta

Salem Calendar: This weekend we welcome guest Pastor Frances Reilly Olson.

On Wednesday, June 16th, we kick off the study of the book Receiving the
Day: Christian Practices for Opening the Gift of Time, by Dorothy C. Bass.
A copy of the book is available in the Welcome Center. Pick yours up and
join us as we gather to share a meal and conversation. Bring a dish to
pass and bring the kids, too. Programming will be available for them as
well!