The Claim Of Destiny
Stories
Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit
Series IV, Cycle B
Object:
If you are looking for the worship resources by Dennis Koch, please go here. Our apologies for the mix up and any inconvenience this has caused you.
He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. (vv. 5-7)
Susan Gamble was shopping at an Internet auction when she saw a U.S. Army Air Corps locket. Since her boyfriend collected World War I memorabilia, the locket caught her attention. The locket was from the WWII period, but it was gold and the bid was only three dollars, so she took a chance. She won.
A couple of weeks later, the locket arrived at Susan's Pennsylvania home. When she examined the locket she found an added bonus that wasn't mentioned in the Internet auction. The sixty-year-old locket contained two photographs: one of an attractive young woman and the other of a man in uniform. The photos appeared to be original to the locket.
Excited over her purchase, she showed the locket to her father who immediately asked her, "When did Grandma give you this?"
She answered, "Grandma didn't give it to me. I bought it off the Internet from an estate sale in Georgia."
As he pointed to the photographs, her father said, "Well, that is your grandmother, but that's not your grandfather!"
Susan's grandmother is 79-year-old Elaine Gamble of Olustee, Oklahoma. Susan and her father already had a trip planned to Olustee, so they took the locket with them. Elaine Gamble was shocked to see it. It was hers. She described her astonishment by saying, "You could have knocked me over with a feather!"
Elaine was nineteen in 1942 when she gave the locket to her fianc?, Charles. His parents flew in from Colorado for the Saturday wedding. But Charles didn't attend. He left Elaine standing alone at the altar. A few days later he called. He was obviously drunk and then a woman came on the line to tell Elaine that she had stolen Charles. Elaine said, "I told her she could have him." It was her last contact with him until the arrival of the locket.
Susan graciously returned the locket to her grandmother. She has no idea who the seller was, but she described the whole ordeal by saying, "It's just beyond belief."
Ephesians states that we are "destined for adoption." It is a belief that we are supposed to belong to God and God will reclaim us. Just as the locket made its way back to the rightful owner through a series of unbelievable events, we discover our destiny as we make our way back to God through Jesus Christ in the unusual way of his death and resurrection. It sounds beyond belief, but it is really grace -- we are forgiven and brought back to God.
(Details taken from the CNHI News Service article, "Beyond belief: Lost locket found after 60 years" by Michael Bush in the Poteau Daily News, September 27, 2002.)
He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. (vv. 5-7)
Susan Gamble was shopping at an Internet auction when she saw a U.S. Army Air Corps locket. Since her boyfriend collected World War I memorabilia, the locket caught her attention. The locket was from the WWII period, but it was gold and the bid was only three dollars, so she took a chance. She won.
A couple of weeks later, the locket arrived at Susan's Pennsylvania home. When she examined the locket she found an added bonus that wasn't mentioned in the Internet auction. The sixty-year-old locket contained two photographs: one of an attractive young woman and the other of a man in uniform. The photos appeared to be original to the locket.
Excited over her purchase, she showed the locket to her father who immediately asked her, "When did Grandma give you this?"
She answered, "Grandma didn't give it to me. I bought it off the Internet from an estate sale in Georgia."
As he pointed to the photographs, her father said, "Well, that is your grandmother, but that's not your grandfather!"
Susan's grandmother is 79-year-old Elaine Gamble of Olustee, Oklahoma. Susan and her father already had a trip planned to Olustee, so they took the locket with them. Elaine Gamble was shocked to see it. It was hers. She described her astonishment by saying, "You could have knocked me over with a feather!"
Elaine was nineteen in 1942 when she gave the locket to her fianc?, Charles. His parents flew in from Colorado for the Saturday wedding. But Charles didn't attend. He left Elaine standing alone at the altar. A few days later he called. He was obviously drunk and then a woman came on the line to tell Elaine that she had stolen Charles. Elaine said, "I told her she could have him." It was her last contact with him until the arrival of the locket.
Susan graciously returned the locket to her grandmother. She has no idea who the seller was, but she described the whole ordeal by saying, "It's just beyond belief."
Ephesians states that we are "destined for adoption." It is a belief that we are supposed to belong to God and God will reclaim us. Just as the locket made its way back to the rightful owner through a series of unbelievable events, we discover our destiny as we make our way back to God through Jesus Christ in the unusual way of his death and resurrection. It sounds beyond belief, but it is really grace -- we are forgiven and brought back to God.
(Details taken from the CNHI News Service article, "Beyond belief: Lost locket found after 60 years" by Michael Bush in the Poteau Daily News, September 27, 2002.)
