<Invite a volunteer - one who loves chocolote - to come forward and choose from: a large candy bar, a chocolate truffle and a smashed chocolate truffle.>
Most of us would choose the large candy bar. But luckily, that’s not how God does things. God doesn’t choose that way. God chooses in a different way. God’s way is amazing.
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see.
Oh I can see you now, Oh I can see the love in your eyes
Laying yourself down, Raising up the broken to life
For years people have been arguing about how God chooses who gets to go to heaven. This has been going on since the Protestant Reformation of the Middle Ages. Some people argue that we are saved by our good works. Some argue that we are saved by our faith. Did you notice that in the second reading, the writer says that both statements are wrong. That is, we are not saved by either our good work or faith.
The writer says, we are saved by God’s grace. A grace through faith in Jesus Christ so that we can do good works. Follow that? It’s not our doing at all. It’s God’s doing.
Our salvation is God’s gift to us. Sometimes we feel that we are so small (like the small candy bar or this small pot) and that we haven’t done much with our lives. It doesn’t matter, salvation is God’s gift to us.
Sometimes we feel like we’ve really ruined/smashed all that God has given us (like the smashed candy bar or this broken vessel) . . . that is, we’ve made mistakes, and we continue to make mistakes. We don’t feel worthy. It doesn’t matter, salvation is God’s gift to us. God will not love you any less because of what you’ve done.
Sometimes we feel like we are really the top dog, that we really have it together and that we can really impress God (like this big candy bar or this big pot). It doesn't matter. Salvation is God’s gift to us. God will not love you anymore, because of what you’ve done. God simply loves you.
No matter how broken you feel, no matter if your life is falling apart. No matter how little or unimportant you feel . . . you matter. As the gospel said, God did not send Jesus into the world to condemn the world, but that we might he hope, that we might have life and that we may be saved. Salvation is God's gift to us, how we live is our gift to God.
You are valuable. You are God’s handiwork (as it said in the second reading). You are loved, not because you are good. You are loved because God is good.
You take our failures, You take our weakness
You set your treasure, In jars of clay
So take this heart Lord, I’ll be your vessel
The world to see your life in me
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see.
Oh I can see you now, Oh I can see the love in your eyes
Laying yourself down, Raising up the broken to life I need a volunteer, someone who likes chocolate. [Invite someone forward] Ok, I have three candies here. I want you to pick one you and I will give it to you. [One is a mini-candy bar, one is slightly bigger but is smashed, one is a large candy bar]. Which do you want?