Faith is a gift

We've hit the Lutheranism in a nutshell verse(s) today: Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace you have been saved through (Christ's) faith and this is not your own doing, but a gift from God."

And it's lesser knows counterpart: Ephesians 2:10, "For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life." Everyone is loved and has a sense of calling.

I like the way The Message puts it, "Saving is all God's idea, all his work. All we do is trust him. It's God's gift from start to finish! We neither make nor save ourselves. God creates each of us to join him in the work he does, work we had better be doing."

At the end of each worship service, we should send people by saying, "You've been graced. Now grace others."

Our personal faith is a gift. When we're talking about Faith, the church, Paul seems to fill in the blank of our mission statement this way, "Faith is a home."

"This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You belong here. God is building a home. He's using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a temple in which God is quite at home."

I love that imagery. Being so far from home, my family needs a home in which we belong.