Radical Grace Group
Simulations follow this model.
Steps to setting up a radical grace group
All the focus is on trust; do you trust God and live in grace?
The gift from God is grace
In error, we have spiritualised grace but grace is more than spiritual. When we accept the gift of God, grace is total. God frees us but not just our souls. God reconciles all of us with God. The power of God lives in us. The power overwhelms law to act out grace. It is a new creation, a resurrected Lord making grace continue to work. We fail it because of religious and other laws. Here in this group, we will focus on God beyond religion. We will find other forms of faith searching for grace in God. A radical just future for the whole world awaits us.
Grace, here, is the empowering, setting free, forgiving attitude that says, “you first!” It has political, economic, legal, national and religious versions but all based on God being gracious with us!
Theoria-praxis is the philosophy that insists in every act there is a thought behind it and vice-versa. Between thought and action is a model. Part of the process is to experiment with a simulation of the practical to test it out. My theory is a book I have written that reveals my life in the praxis. It suggests an improvement for us all to adopt. The group in church that the Mission Commission agreed to set up will simulate ideas from my book, called common wealth and available on my website called www.movementingrace.com. I will give the book to all participants. Ralph and Dot already have one. I sent a copy to the connexional ethics committee. Others are welcome to join us.
These are the steps to setting up the Radical Grace Group; each one of us will accept:
Freedom in grace leads to equality or ubuntu
This is an innate part of the human being: we are both free and equal with nature. Society pushes one or the other but in God’s grace we are free and equal. Ubuntu says ‘we are because of you (plural)’ and the cockroach.
The value of water, warmth (the sun), weeds (minerals) and worms:
The future depends on our insisting now that nature is an equal partner in ubuntu so that an abundance of water, warmth, weeds and worms sustains us.
Justice instead of judgement
Inclusive, non-violent, non-hierarchical and restorative justice. Joy moves us away from excluding anyone, being violent, male dominating and retributive in judgement.
The joy of grace finding community in the village not the nation
The village ‘flag’ describes our diversity of nature and culture in religion, economics, gender and sexuality.
Other forms of faith joining us
Hindu, Jew, Muslim, African Independent and other Christians in the group seeking the one God.
Presenting the gospel is not suitable here so seek others’ grace
While we may celebrate that our radical grace comes from our gratitude to Christ we do not have to push it.
God beyond religion in joy with other forms of faith
Joy or presence with others produces a closer walk with God until justice emerges.
The world via the internet; we seek God’s truth in neo-Gandhian ashrams
Gandhi wanted to make friends with the enemy by threatening them with power: we will use joy in power.
Our own ‘value of being’ – joy
There is no greater life in grace than our value of being, which is all God wants from us and for others.
Laws taking us away from grace and the ‘value of being’
All laws, political, economic, legal, religious and national seduce us away from the value of being and joy. The seduction appeals to our pride, greed and idols (all the -isms). We fight laws in joy, ecosystems in a theonomy. Now read the simulations letter.
