The LORD will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble,
But the LORD will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.
While slavery (and reparations for it) continues to be a hot topic, I wonder how many people are still in need of liberation and freedom today. We may not be a conscripted, unpaid, owned workforce, but that's not the only form of slavery. In our community the drugs heroin and fentanyl have made slaves out of many of our neighbors. These drugs (as well as alcohol and others) keep people subservient to them, never able to think beyond the next high or to enjoy the blessings of this life. Many others live as slaves to Mammon, the god of wealth. What the boss (taskmaster? Slaveholder?) says must be done no matter what impact it has on my faith, my family, or my health because “I need the money”. Some live as slaves to that thin rectangle in their pocket known as a cell phone. This device must be carried at all times and be kept fully charged or else “I might miss something”. Yet how much of life is missed by paying attention to a 2.5 x 5.25-inch screen? Some others are slaves to their health or a certain physical condition – their entire life revolves around this and the limitations it imposes and they cannot see what they are still capable of and the joys yet to be had which God provides. While it may not be slavery to a foreign power, slavery still exists in many and various ways the cry for freedom is still shouted from the mouths of many, even within our own congregation. “If I could just be free from.....
all would be well”. There is a way to be free, but it involves becoming a slave.
St. Paul writes to the Galatians in chapter 5; It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then and do not allow a yoke of slavery to be placed on you again...You, my brothers were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge in the sinful nature; rather serve one another in love. (Gal. 5:1, 13). Paul hits upon the paradox of freedom, with great freedom comes great responsibility. Freedom also involves dealing with the consequences of how one uses that freedom. In this nation we are free to do (or not do) many things, but we are not free from the consequences of those actions. We are free to have our triple quarter pounder with cheese and bacon and wash it down with 55 ounces of high fructose corn syrup laden soda and we are free to do that every day. We are not however free from heart disease, clogged arteries, strokes, obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure such a diet may impose. We are free, in this country, to do whatever we want on Sunday mornings. Yet we must also weigh the consequences of how we use our time. It should not surprise us to find our faith weakening and eventually dying altogether if we despise God's Word and sacraments and do not make “frequent and regular use of the means of grace.” We are free to “put the best construction on everything” or to become a social media “troll” or “hater” - but we have to deal with the consequences of what we post.
Christ has indeed set us free; free from sin, free from the fear of death and free from eternal death, freedom from the power of the evil one. How we use those freedoms is a choice we must make every day. Heaven or Hell is the natural consequence of how we use the freedoms Christ has won for us, not that we “earn” heaven by our works, but that we retain or hold on to the gift already given rather than throwing it away for the false promises of these other gods of world, flesh, and Satan.
“Life is wild” there will be moments of great joy and moments of great sorrow. We'll have our ups and downs, seasons of plenty and of want, friends who come and friends who go. “Life is wild, but God is good!” Throughout all the seasons of life, God has promised to be by our side. He is there to celebrate with us in the joys of life and to comfort us in the seasons of sorrow. He is there to forgive, renew, and strengthen us when we fall so that we may delight in His will and walk in His ways. Life can be wild, but our God is good all the time (and all the time God is good). As we celebrate our freedoms both in the civic realm on July 4th and our freedom in Christ during VBS week, let us remember to gather together to praise God for being so good as to send His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to suffer, die, and rise again to set us free for all time.
Peace in Christ;
Pastor Brian
The LORD will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble,
But the LORD will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.
- Joel 3:16
While slavery (and reparations for it) continues to be a hot topic, I wonder how many people are still in need of liberation and freedom today. We may not be a conscripted, unpaid, owned workforce, but that's not the only form of slavery. In our community the drugs heroin and fentanyl have made slaves out of many of our neighbors. These drugs (as well as alcohol and others) keep people subservient to them, never able to think beyond the next high or to enjoy the blessings of this life. Many others live as slaves to Mammon, the god of wealth. What the boss (taskmaster? Slaveholder?) says must be done no matter what impact it has on my faith, my family, or my health because “I need the money”. Some live as slaves to that thin rectangle in their pocket known as a cell phone. This device must be carried at all times and be kept fully charged or else “I might miss something”. Yet how much of life is missed by paying attention to a 2.5 x 5.25-inch screen? Some others are slaves to their health or a certain physical condition – their entire life revolves around this and the limitations it imposes and they cannot see what they are still capable of and the joys yet to be had which God provides. While it may not be slavery to a foreign power, slavery still exists in many and various ways the cry for freedom is still shouted from the mouths of many, even within our own congregation. “If I could just be free from.....
all would be well”. There is a way to be free, but it involves becoming a slave.
St. Paul writes to the Galatians in chapter 5; It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then and do not allow a yoke of slavery to be placed on you again...You, my brothers were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge in the sinful nature; rather serve one another in love. (Gal. 5:1, 13). Paul hits upon the paradox of freedom, with great freedom comes great responsibility. Freedom also involves dealing with the consequences of how one uses that freedom. In this nation we are free to do (or not do) many things, but we are not free from the consequences of those actions. We are free to have our triple quarter pounder with cheese and bacon and wash it down with 55 ounces of high fructose corn syrup laden soda and we are free to do that every day. We are not however free from heart disease, clogged arteries, strokes, obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure such a diet may impose. We are free, in this country, to do whatever we want on Sunday mornings. Yet we must also weigh the consequences of how we use our time. It should not surprise us to find our faith weakening and eventually dying altogether if we despise God's Word and sacraments and do not make “frequent and regular use of the means of grace.” We are free to “put the best construction on everything” or to become a social media “troll” or “hater” - but we have to deal with the consequences of what we post.
Christ has indeed set us free; free from sin, free from the fear of death and free from eternal death, freedom from the power of the evil one. How we use those freedoms is a choice we must make every day. Heaven or Hell is the natural consequence of how we use the freedoms Christ has won for us, not that we “earn” heaven by our works, but that we retain or hold on to the gift already given rather than throwing it away for the false promises of these other gods of world, flesh, and Satan.
“Life is wild” there will be moments of great joy and moments of great sorrow. We'll have our ups and downs, seasons of plenty and of want, friends who come and friends who go. “Life is wild, but God is good!” Throughout all the seasons of life, God has promised to be by our side. He is there to celebrate with us in the joys of life and to comfort us in the seasons of sorrow. He is there to forgive, renew, and strengthen us when we fall so that we may delight in His will and walk in His ways. Life can be wild, but our God is good all the time (and all the time God is good). As we celebrate our freedoms both in the civic realm on July 4th and our freedom in Christ during VBS week, let us remember to gather together to praise God for being so good as to send His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to suffer, die, and rise again to set us free for all time.
Peace in Christ;
Pastor Brian