From the Pastor: July 5, 2004

     The concept of freedom is a gift, born of our Holy Father out of His love. God gave us this concept and the ability to achieve it and protect it. There are two kinds of freedom, worldly (social/political) and spiritual.

     Some years ago on July fourth, I watched as our neighbor’s twelve year old daughter and two friends set off fire crackers in her driveway. I asked what they were celebrating. They responded, “Uh? We’re just having a good time doing what we like.” For two weeks the remains of their “good time” littered the neighborhood. To them, freedom meant a “good time.” Something in their tone bothered me and it was not their lack of knowledge of the nation’s history.

     That “something,” a lack of responsibility and obligation, is abundant in our culture today. Worldly freedom is a privilege, not a right. Like a driver’s license, we have to earn it and be responsible in using it or risk losing it. Our founding fathers earned their freedom through blood, sweat and tears. Their descendants struggled and sacrificed to nurture and preserve it. Today, we must keep informed, vote, care for others and be diligent. There is too much of the naïve, self-centered idea “this is a free country, I can do what I like.” There is a lack of personal accountability, punctuated by excessive multi-million dollar lawsuits, “in your face” behavior and a growing disregard for others rights and safety, of which running red lights is a prime example. Do we take freedom for granted? We no longer live on an open frontier, but in a complex, crowded society where we need to be conscious of other’s rights.

     Spiritual freedom involves forgiveness, redemption and salvation. As worldly freedom, it too is a privilege, not a right. We cannot take it for granted. Although not earned, we have a responsibility to accept it and nurture it. Christ came to redeem us, to free us from sin, free that we may be acceptable to God. To deny Christ is to reject the gift of spiritual freedom. We have that choice. Spiritual freedom strengthens us to be responsible with our worldly freedom. Stan Black’s poem, “Freedom In Christ”, is pertinent here. With his permission I quote a portion of it.

We are a Freedom People, Loving freedom very much!
This is not a freedom To work the works of hate and such.
We are a freedom people; Set free by our Lord Jesus;
Who went to Calvary’s Cross and shed His Blood to Redeem us….
We are called to Liberty; Liberty to use in Love
Serving one another – To the glory of God above.

                    (Romans 6, 8:2; Ephesians 1:7; Galatians 5:13, et. al.)

      Paul Webb

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