The weekend rocked. We celebrated St. Patrick's Day at Nikki's, where I spent time with my good friend Jameson. Sunday was our church's soirée at Canlis, which far exceeded our high hopes. Around 250 people attended, well-dressed, relaxed, and a little awed to be celebrating so extravagantly. It was such a compelling, tangible picture of grace. Practically, so many of us believe that, even at the height of our relationship with God, we're just ok—perhaps the equivalent of a moderate night out. But God loves us richly, in a way that should humble us and perhaps even make us blush. It felt good to celebrate with others in that spirit, not as an escape from our lives or a boasting of some individual or corporate achievement, but as nothing less than an embodiment of God's extravagant grace revealed to us in the gospel. That's beautiful.
(An added bonus: you can see video of our pastor sabering the champagne open here. It was so fun!)