Grace is a gift. Even before we recognize its need in our lives, God extends us favor. This nine-week study in the Companions in Christ series explores the Gospel of John and, specifically, how divine grace is at work in our lives today, just as it was in the lives of biblical characters 2000 years ago. God's grace comes to us in the distinctive shape of our personal histories, needs, and possibilities, Indermark writes. Yet divine grace also reveals the depths of what we share across all boundaries of time and place. Participants in this small-group study will explore the central stories of John, focusing on people who discovered God's grace through their encounters with Jesus. This is more than a survey of the biblical stories of Andrew, Simon, Philip, and Nathaniel; Nicodemus; the Samaritan woman; the lame man; the woman caught in adultery; the blind man; Mary and Martha; and Simon Peter. The Way of Grace is a transforming interaction with the events and the characters, a chance to identify with what God provided for these people - a provision they could never achieve for themselves. Groups new to Companions in Christ or to spiritual formation will find The Way of Grace to be a good introductory course. A leader's guide is also available here. If you long to open your heart to a deeper knowing of God's grace - to recognize the soul's deep compass steering us Godward this is the study for you.
Marjorie J. Thompson is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA). She received her B.A. in religious studies from Swarthmore College, and her M.Div. from McCormick Theological Seminary. Following a post-graduate pastoral internship, she became a Research Fellow at Yale Divinity School where she studied Christian spirituality with Henri Nouwen and did independent research in ecumenical traditions of prayer. She has served as director of the Pathways Center for Spiritual Leadership and as spiritual director to Companions in Christ, a program outgrowth of the Pathways initiative of Upper Room Ministries. Companions in Christ is a small-group resource for spiritual formation in local congregations, suited to ecumenical use. Marjorie has exercised a ministry of teaching, writing, and spiritual guidance for many years.