Grace Adolphsen Brame is a Lutheran pastor and retreat leader who teaches the integration of theology and spirituality at LaSalle University in Philadelphia. This extended meditation is based on a definition Martin Luther gave in a sermon six years before his death: "Faith is the yes of the heart, . . . a confidence on which one stakes one's life." It is interesting that the word "heart" appears almost 900 times in the Bible. For Luther and many other Christians, it refers to the very core of one's being and the root of one's desires.
Trust in God, according to Brame, is the foundation of a life lived under the auspices of the Holy Spirit. The process of sanctification means growth in grace. Although it is not emphasized enough in Christian communities, we are all called to be saints. Or as Brame puts it, "Each of us is born to be an expression of God's life."
In chapters on suffering, prayer, and commitment, the author spells out the role of the heart in private and public matters. This is an excellent resource for Christian laity who want to know more about the deep connections between faith, love, and sanctification.
