Ask the Pastor

April 16, 2026

Dear Pastor,

Is grace something that can be sought after? Isn’t it a gift from God, freely given?

Thank you for your question! I recently read a reflection by Kathleen Norris in which she considered grace in light of the story of Jacob and the ladder to heaven (see Genesis 28:10–17).

This story begins with Jacob fleeing from his older brother after he schemed and cheated Esau out of his birthright and blessing. Exhausted, Jacob the Trickster finally fell asleep and dreamed of a ladder or “stairway to heaven” (nod to Led Zeppelin fans) with angels “ascending and descending” upon it. Notice that the angels were first “ascending” or going up; Jacob understood that they had been on the ground right beside him! He woke up and exclaimed, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!”

Such is grace, freely given. Not only was Jacob unaware of it, but he probably felt abandoned and alone. God revealed the gift of divine presence in a powerful way.

Jacob had slept with a rock, presumably to ward off his furious brother, but after his vision, he created an altar to God with the rock. Give the trickster some credit; worship was the right response.

I also wonder if we should worship God wherever we are. Perhaps that would open our awareness to the grace that is always around us. As Mary Oliver wrote, “Attention is the beginning of devotion.”

In hope,

Andrew

Read Andrew’s “Little Big Moments: A Dog-Walking Meditation” HERE