I recently went to a new microbrewery on Main Street. It was packed with 20-somethings as well as 30-, 40-and 50-somethings. I met the owners. They stopped briefly to talk, but were moving swiftly through the throng of patrons the whole evening, spending most of their time in the brewery.
They, along with the staff, had been working long hours to keep the beer flowing through the many taps that lined the wall. The demand was nearly outstripping the supply.
While reading Philip Yancey's book, What's so Amazing About Grace, I came across his reference to the church as a place where people can find "grace on tap."
I don't see the same problem in my church as I did in the taproom: demand outstripping supply.
Maybe we just aren't as thirsty. Or perhaps those of us inside churches promote the image that grace does not flow as freely as craft beer at a brew pub. Yancey has challenged me to wonder, "What is wrong with this picture?" From Ephesians it appears that grace is a priority, "...so that ... [God] might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God - not the result of works, so that no one may boast."
Let's get it flowing!
