Grace and Peace

Paul's greeting to the saints in the opening verses of Ephesians 1 might seem like a formality, a gesture to be quickly glanced over on the way to the "meat" of the text. But in these two verses the Apostle has already subtly summarized the primary themes of the letter: grace and peace (Ephesians 1:2). As we go through the service, notice how many of the hymns we sing include one or both words. In the first half, we'll ask the Holy Spirit to "tune [our] heart to sing Thy grace" (Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing), describe ourselves as being "firmly planted on the banks of God's great stream of grace" (Blessed Are All They—Psalm 1), celebrate the gift of "righteousness which grace imputes" (Fountain Of Never Ceasing Grace), and acclaim Jesus as our "boundless store of grace" (How Sweet The Name Of Jesus Sounds). The second half of the service shifts focus: we delight in taking peace from our Savior ('Tis So Sweet To Trust in Jesus), and we look forward to experiencing His peace on our people in the future (Blest The Man Who Fears Jehovah—Psalm 128) as we have tasted His "peace that endureth" in the past (Great Is Thy Faithfulness). The beloved hymn Amazing Grace, which closes this morning's service, sums up both of these themes. The title alone makes it an obvious choice, but be sure to take note of the less familiar fifth verse, which looks past our mortal struggles to the eternal day when we shall "possess within the veil a life of joy and peace." —Henry C. Haffner