31 August 2006

Today we will begin the transition from talking about cheap grace to costly grace in "The Cost of Discipleship" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

... Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.
Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a (person) will gladly go and sell all that (s/he) has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ for whose sake a (person) will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows Jesus.

This is costly grace because it is quite then end of our control of the story.We go on being the gifted and beautiful person whom God created but we now turn to walk along a pathway that brings our personhood into the bountiful expanse of what life can be as it is embraced by God's love. To take that step...to take that leap - from our way to the way of the Christ - is so contrary to who we say we are and who we may want to be that the turn will cost us our life. What is so difficult to imagine is that the gift is so great that the risk that may cause us to turn around and live our own lives ust be taken as part being in touch with the gift. Today I was telling some colleagues that some of Bonhoeffer's images and writing about this grace is too much for me. It is as though I see myself as some of those followers of Jesus who...decided to stay behind and walk their own way. You know, good message...but...maybe not a life for me. Unfortunately, the walk in the way of Jesus is already a part of the gift that enables us to walk more...and to wander into the presence of others who are also stepping off to begin a daily walk with this Lord who claims us and gives us way to move through this day. Whew!!

Connection: Some days it is good to simply shake our heads and praise our God for being so graceful and loving that we can let go of all the many ways we attempt to control our universe...which is really not our universe at all!

Lord God, enable us to enter this day by singing "O Day Full of Grace" so that we will remember whose hands hold all things and whose love sustains all things. In the singing of those words, let us be supported by its truthfulness and thus be fed the bread of life that brings your love into this day. Amen.