Grace In; Grace Out

This is the Way Introduction

Star Wars Nerd

I don’t know if you can tell, but I’m a bit of a Star Wars nerd.

As soon as the doctor said this weekend that my best course of action was to lay on the couch and watch TV, I understood the assignment.

I’ve watched more this weekend alone than most humans do in their entire lifetime.

And one of my favorite shows is The Mandalorian.

The Mandalorians are a race of warriors, whose home world has been destroyed, so they spread out through the galaxy to use their skills.

Some are mercenaries, some are bounty hunters, some are armorers for the rest of the community.

And on the show, there’s a line that sticks out to me every time.

This is the Way

The Mandalorians are part people group, and part (admittedly violent) religion.

And part of that religion, much like ours, doesn’t make sense to the world.

Part of their code is that every bounty they collect has a part set aside for the younglings in their group.

Part of their code is that when one is attacked, all come to their defense.

Part of their code is that they look after the least, and take care of the young ones in their midst, even if it leads them on TV worthy adventures.

When they bump up against one of these traditions that won’t make sense to the rest of the world, they remind each other.

This is the way.

When you give away something that you’ve earned…this is the way

When you protect your brother even at your own expense…this is the way.

When you have to travel across the galaxy to give a baby yoda back to its people…this is the way.

It turns out, that actually might be a bit of a parallel to our faith as Christians.

Richard Rohr Quote

“Christians” was not a word used in the first part of the early church.

That language doesn’t show up until about half way through Acts.

Instead, we get verses like this in Acts 9:1–2 “Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.”

Did you catch that?

The Way…capital W.

The very beginning of the Jesus movement was just that, a movement.

It wasn’t originally designed to be it’s own religion.

It was more meant as a way of life within the Jewish religion.

And lots of theologians and thinkers have wondered if we’ve lost our way a little bit, choosing to be a religion more than a way of life.

Father Richard Rohr put it this way:

Christianity is a lifestyle - a way of being in the world that is simple, non-violent, shared, and loving. However, we made it into an established "religion" (and all that goes with that) and avoided the lifestyle change itself. One could be warlike, greedy, racist, selfish, and vain in most of Christian history, and still believe that Jesus is one's "personal Lord and Savior" . . . The world has no time for such silliness anymore. The suffering on Earth is too great.

Christianity is a lifestyle.

Christianity is the Way.

This is the Way.

This isn’t such a big leap

Grace in three parts

Receive God’s Grace for You

Accept Grace for yourself

Give Grace Freely to Others

Grace is the Way

Forgiven People Hold Themselves Differently

Forgiven People Don’t Beat Themselves Up

Forgiven People are Generous with Forgiveness.

Step up to the table.