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Volume X, No. 3 April 2006 Parents Progress Archives Planning to Visit?
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 Gracious Christianity infuses College’s Confession of Faith
to inspire gracious living for all ChristiansSelf-described as two friends who became soulmates in their thinking about the Christian life, co-authors Douglas Jacobsen and the late Rodney J. Sawatsky penned Gracious Christianity both to define gracious living and to challenge Christians to externalize the tremendous grace granted to them by God. Reminding Christians of Christ’s core instruction to love both God and others, gracious Christianity is a nonnegotiable dimension of Christian faith and at the very heart of the gospel. Christians are charged, therefore, to actively bestow on others the same love and graciousness God has bestowed on them, the authors assert. “The graciousness we funnel back into the world is only a fraction of the grace we have received, but God can use small things to accomplish great goals,” write Jacobsen and Sawatsky. “In fact, God has chosen for the most part to change the world by layering small grace upon small grace, and living graciously as Christians allows us to assist in that work.” Authors Douglas Jacobsen, distinguished professor of church history and theology at Messiah College, and the late Rodney J. Sawatsky, former president of the College (from 1994–2004), parallel the College’s Confession of Faith to the instruction of gracious living outlined in Gracious Christianity. The book will be incorporated into the core curriculum for first-year students to help them develop a deeper understanding of the College’s mission and identity, including themes of forgiveness, compassion, non-violence, service, community, and reconciliation. In addition, a website devoted to the book, www.graciouschristianity.com, contains helpful resources such as study guides and examples of individuals and organizations that embody gracious Christianity. The book, released nationally on February 1, 2006, was celebrated on campus March 7 with a tree planting honoring former president Sawatsky, a Gracious Christianity chapel service led by President Kim S. Phipps, and a reception honoring the book’s authors. Former First Lady Lorna Sawatsky attended and accepted a dedication plaque honoring her late husband’s legacy. |
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