Ernest Goes to Camp... and learns about Grace?!

At church Sunday one of the kids was talking about the "Ernest" movies (goes to Camp, goes to Jail, saves the Day, etc.). Monday I was thinking back through that conversation & wondered what his parents would have thought if I had asked him about M. Night Shyamalan's "The Village." Somehow I doubt they'd have been pleased.:-D Anyway, that got me thinking. (Smell smoke?!) I've got a bunch of things rattling through my head about the Village again in relation to Fundamentalism, standards, expectations, etc.; but mostly was just reminded that I still haven't finished LJ's Putting Amazing Back into Grace, so off the shelf it came again. :-) I was pleasantly surprised to find myself beginning chapter 7, "Mission Accomplished." This line got me...

The fact that God would choose, redeem, call, and keep a great number known only to Him is amazing grace indeed and of infinitely more comfort than the idea that Christ's death actually secured the salvation of none, merely making salvation possible, depending on the ability of those who are 'dead in trespasses and sins' to make the right moves to God.

Imagine, "the work of Christ on the cross was effective in and of itself." Imagine, indeed!!