Easter 7
Now what this has to do with your passages is this: life is all about the choices we make.  Where the movie suggests that we make a worldview choice favoring community, continuity and connectedness, the scriptures call upon us to choose walking in the way of the wisdom of the Lord rather than walking in the way of wickedness. Seeing that "eternal life" is about quality rather than quantity, grace instead of gratification.  Recognizing that Jesus chose Judas but Judas had free will to choose to follow or to betray.  Knowing that the disciples choose Matthias to be number 12, but that Matthias will also have freedom to choose ... just as each of us has the choice of being that 12th disciple: to follow in the master's footsteps or to fall away.  The tree that is planted by rivers of water has a much better chance at eternal life than the tree that is disconnected from the source of energy and goodness.        

And I think that's why I love the Buechner definition of Grace from Wishful Thinking (which I used at the conclusion of my confirmation course).  That goodness is like the taste of raspberries and cream, and it's offered to us all ... but we have to make the choice to accept it, like eternal life.  Here is the world.  Beautiful and terrible things will happen - side by side -- but every day we can choose to contribute our energies to the good or the bad.  Every moment we must choose which way we will walk.  We are here because the party wouldn't be complete without us ... each of our lives plays an integral part in the drama of the world ... and we can help to make it a comedy or a tragedy.  just as each of us is a unique and essential member of the body of Christ and can make him alive and effective in the world today or just a distant memory of the past.  Our choices are crucial, our acts make all the difference.