Heaven goes by favour. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.”
— Mark Twain
The Rev. Andrew McHenry likes Mark Twain’s succinct philosophy on Heaven. It’s an easy-to-understand parallel of a subject that’s difficult to define: God’s grace.
“We say grace before meals, so people think it’s a prayer,” McHenry said. “It’s a name that sometimes can be given to women. Or you think of grace as being slick, my, that’s a graceful move. ...
“The one I was raised with was unmerited favor. The fact we can’t buy or earn anything from God. He gives us according to his goodness, his grace.”
One thing is certain among believers: God’s grace is amazing, just as the song says it is.
Members of the First Congregational Church hope to extend that grace to some members of the community on April 4, when crews of them spend from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. raking leaves, picking up trash, making needed home repairs and other chores.
Names of the recipients of “Grace in Action Day” work were gleaned by Congregational deacon and ordained minister Dane Cook from the Area Agency on Aging, ECKAN and Community Action, McHenry said.
Dean Mangus, a member and elder who owns A-OK Remodeling, will be in charge of the handy men and women as they work.
The special day arose from two activities at the church since McHenry arrived here from a sister church in Maple Hill last August.
Some church leaders had purchased a campaign called “Faith in Action”; members spent October putting their faith in action by doing service projects for other people. They cancelled one Sunday church service to give themselves time to complete all they needed to do.
“Coming out of that, there was a hunger to do more of those kinds of things, put our faith to action, put our hands to work to benefit the community,” McHenry explained.
That hunger intensified as the congregation prepared this year’s Lenten campaign based on “Amazing Grace.” The study book for Lent is “What’s So Amazing About Grace?” by Philip Yancey.
Members decided they would schedule a full day of active grace — this time on a Saturday, to keep their services schedule on Sunday. Some of them will work at the homes of other Emporians and some who are unable to make home repairs or clean-ups will be able to stay at the church and work.
“Evora Wheeler is going to do some kind of cookie baking here at the church,” McHenry said, “so we’re going to have an on-site project, too.”