Session 0 What's So Amazing About Grace by Phillip Yancey "The many uses of the word in English convince me that grace is indeed amazing - truly our last best word. It contains the essence of the gospel as a droop of water can contain the image of the sun. The world thirsts for grace in ways it does not even recognize: little wonder the hymn "Amazing Grace" edged its way onto the Top Ten charts two hundred years after composition. For a society that seems adrift, without moorings, I know of no better place to drop an anchor of faith.." ... from the Introduction

The Questions to Consider

What does the word grace mean? In what ways do we see the power - and the absence - of grace in our everyday lives and in our world? How did Jesus model grace? What impact should grace have on our world?

Comments

Our first Wednesday night started with the movie "Babette's Feast", as retold in Chapter 2 of "What's So Amazing About Grace?". The group enjoyed the humour, the Danish hymns, and watching the amazing feast she served. Extremes of Lutheran piety and French extravagance were painted to highlight the contrast between works and grace. We discussed ways in which our faith sometimes veers away from the adventure life can be when we give as Jesus gave, without counting the cost. The questions below are a further chance for you to think about these issues.

QUESTIONS FOR “BABETTE’S FEAST”

“Followers of Luther, they heard sermons on Grace nearly every Sunday and the rest of the week tried to earn God’s favour with their pieties and renunciations.” Which ones did I see in the film? Have I run away from potential happiness, using duty or piety to disguise fear? What Graces-advantages have I received in my life that I didn’t automatically have any right to expect the universe to give me? Who in my life has invested in me in ways I didn’t earn or deserve? In what ways does my rigidity about something stop my “enjoyment of the feast”? Do I believe my “tomorrow is safe”, I don’t have to worry about imminent doom? (Or are my prayers like a lucky charm to keep bad things from happening?) To whom do I fail to show Grace because they don’t deserve it? Am I a Babette, or a villager in my accepting and giving Grace?

Oct 2006