Christain Freedom: Freedom and Fireworks

Christian Freedom: Freedom and Fireworks
Nowadays it seems freedom and fireworks always go together. In our day and age, when you talk about freedom, you can be sure fireworks will follow. Not the Fourth of July kind, mind you. Rather, the kind of fireworks that erupt when different people's "freedoms" conflict. No matter what the issue -- almost all talk of freedom, rights and power seems to lead to fireworks of conflict. Of course, Paul and his church in Galatia would sympathize.

Paul and the Galatians are up in arms about what Christian freedom is. They cannot seem to agree about the shape it should take in the Galatian church. Differing understandings of freedom lead to fireworks. For in Paul's day, just as in our own, power and conflict go hand in hand. Freedom and fireworks belong together.
Of course, it is easy to see where the conflict comes from. After all, for us, freedom means choosing for ourselves. Liberty is being in the driver's seat. For folks like you and me, freedom equals the power to choose. There is a bus in a large city that bears testimony to our perspective. In most busses, riders must push a red button on a pole to signal the driver to stop and let them off. In most cases pushing the red button causes a bell to ring and a sign to light up just over the drivels head. When the bell dings, the sign flashes: Bus Will Stop. Yet on one city bus somebody had crossed out this standard message and scribbled their own on the sign. Now for the benefit of its freedom exercising ridership the sign flashes: Ring or Ride: You Decide!
Yet this attitude is not just confined to big city busses. Just think about how we view our freedom to choose in every day terms. At least once a week we drive down to the supermarket, shopping list in hand. After wrestling with some grocery cart we start strolling down the aisle ready to exercise our freedom. Being the smart shoppers we are, we have shelf upon shelf of choices to make. Check out the potato chips. What should it be this time -- regular, nacho flavor, or how about these light ones with half the calories? Roll on into the soup aisle and the choices get only greater. What will it be for supper tonight -- chicken noodle, cajun creole, or perhaps bean with bacon? But our freedom does not stop there. We pull into the checkout lane and discover even more choices to make: whether cash or check or perhaps oven bank card!

It is clear that in our everyday lives we are free to make choices. So for us the definition is clear
ar -- freedom means choosing. Liberty puts us in the driver's seat. For us freedom means the power to choose.The problem is, freedom can turn into a tool of evil. In big and small ways evil can work through our free choices. Evil can use our freedom as a tool. Listen in on how Paul warns the Galatians: "If you bite and devour one another," he warns, "take heed that you are not consumed by one another." Then Paul goes through his litany of how evil makes use of the Galatians' freedom -- fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dis-sension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing and the like. You can almost feel the chaos that unbridled liberty unleashes. Absolute freedom can corrupt, absolutely. Remember viewing the uprising in Tienanmen Square in China a few years back on TV? We all watched breathless as students called for change in the dictatorial Chinese government. We remember Chinese students marching up and down the square. We even watched as one young man stared down a tank armed only with his convictions. Thanks to Western news agencies beaming the story by satellite across the world, we enjoyed our freedom watching them on our TVs.

God Has Smiled on Me

God Has Smiled on Me


I wake up in the mornings
And realize I can see
I know how lucky that I am
‘Cause God has smiled on me.

Oh sure I wear my glasses
As I’ve done for many years
But that’s just part of me now
Since age twelve they’ve been on my ears!

My feet and legs will get me
The places I need to go
Though sometimes with arthritis
I’m walking kind of slow.

It really doesn’t matter
That I can’t run too fast
I’ll be happy as a smiley face
Though slower that I was in the past.

My hair is turning gray now
But then I knew it would
It doesn’t really bother me though
At my age, hey you know it should!

So, I’ll go along my daily path
Thanking God for what I’ve got
I’ll smile and wink on father time
Hoping my mind won’t rot!

I Would Be Lost without you God

I WOULD BE LOST WITHOUT YOU GOD


I would be lost without you God
I depend of you in my life
God I may have found
In a plane
In a street crowd
In a maze
In churches
I would be lost without you God
Because you are everything to me
God you are an awesome wonder
You are beautiful to me God
God help me to be a better man
You are here God and present
In every place I go
God I have a strong bond with you
I would be lost without you
You keep me alive every day
What more can I ask for?
All my troubles are over
You made me a better man
You gave me love
When I needed
You comforted me
When I was crying out the blues
Now I have a reason to smile
Because you made me a better man
God it is not good for me to seek revenge
Because something bad I would get in return
And it may haunt me for life
I would be lost without you God

God's Protection

God's Protection


Each of us has a course to follow,
God knows every cross I bare,
God knows the battles brewing,
He protect me with His care.

God has set the course I follow,
He knows how much that I can bare,
God will help me fight my battles,
When I go to Him in prayer.

God has given me the power,
He has set the course we share,
God will keep me in the battles,
He protects me with His care.

God protects me with His Spirit,
He delivers me from care,
God defends me in my valleys,
When I go to Him in prayer.

God rejoices in my worship,
He protects me from all harm,
God has helped me win my battles,
Wrapped securely in His arms.

Trees Praise God

Trees Praise God


(remembering our trip to Jim Thorpe, PA)

FATHER, how beautiful are your CREATIONS! ! !
We see YOU in YOUR HANDIWORKS.

We traveled to a place so lovely, so divine
that my heart was lifted to a place sublime,
Hills and dales, glens and mountains
strewn with dancing trees
swaying in the breeze;
Lifting their branches
high in the sky
Waving praises to God.

Cruising the highways enjoying nature's beauty
Trees atop the mountain were level except one cutey,
which seemed to shout out loud, 'Here I am!
Look at me. See?
I am up here and taller than the rest.'
The sight of this tree brought us joy-filled glee
As we drank in the view
with sky so blue
And marsh-mellow clouds floating by.

The trees in shades of green spectacular
seemed to have their own personality and venacular
Sage, Spruce, Silver, Blue, Kelly, and Forest ~
God painted an extraordinary view
in
Greens of every color and hue.
We saw their age and their youth,
strong and sturdy,
tired and worn or young and thriving
while we were driving
A sight to behold,
like gold.

FATHER, how beautiful are your CREATIONS! ! !
We see YOU in YOUR HANDIWORKS.

Sunday Prayer 1

A Sunday Prayer 1


Oh Merciful Lord I come to you today
and ask you to look down on our children,
the future of Mankind.
Each one needs your guidance
if they are not to stray
and your protection just in case they do.
The future of this world
lies within their tiny hands.
Therefore, I come to you My Lord
to look out for these children of many lands.
Point the way to kindness and humility,
guide them safely there
so they can learn and see.
Teach them that this mother earth
is not just theirs alone.
It is shared by countless other creatures,
large and small,
that we must protect it
not only for just ourselves,
but also for all the other living things that inhabit it to.
Therefore, my Gracious Lord
will grant this prayer for me today.


Amen

Trinity Sunday

Trinity Sunday


Creator, Saviour, strengthening Guide,
Now on Thy mercy's ocean wide
Far out of sight we seem to glide.

Help us, each hour, with steadier eye
To search the deepening mystery,
The wonders of Thy sea and sky.

The blessed Angels look and long
To praise Thee with a worthier song,
And yet our silence does Thee wrong. -

Along the Church's central space
The sacred weeks, with unfelt pace,
Hath borne us on from grace to grace.

As travellers on some woodland height,
When wintry suns are gleaming bright,
Lose in arched glades their tangled sight; -

By glimpses such as dreamers love
Through her grey veil the leafless grove
Shows where the distant shadows rove; -

Such trembling joy the soul o'er-awes
As nearer to Thy shrine she draws:-
And now before the choir we pause.

The door is closed--but soft and deep
Around the awful arches sweep,
Such airs as soothe a hermit's sleep.

From each carved nook and fretted bend
Cornice and gallery seem to send
Tones that with seraphs hymns might blend.

Three solemn parts together twine
In harmony's mysterious line;
Three solemn aisles approach the shrine:

Yet all are One--together all,
In thoughts that awe but not appal,
Teach the adoring heart to fall.

Within these walls each fluttering guest
Is gently lured to one safe nest -
Without, 'tis moaning and unrest.

The busy world a thousand ways
Is hurrying by, nor ever stays
To catch a note of Thy dear praise.

Why tarries not her chariot wheel,
That o'er her with no vain appeal
One gust of heavenly song might steal?

Alas! for her Thy opening flowers
Unheeded breathe to summer showers,
Unheard the music of Thy bowers.

What echoes from the sacred dome
The selfish spirit may o'ercome
That will not hear of love or home!

The heart that scorned a father's care,
How can it rise in filial prayer?
How an all-seeing Guardian bear?

Or how shall envious brethren own
A Brother on the eternal throne,
Their Father's joy, their hops alone?

How shall Thy Spirit's gracious wile
The sullen brow of gloom beguile,
That frowns on sweet Affection's smile?

Eternal One, Almighty Trine!
(Since Thou art ours, and we are Thine,)
By all Thy love did once resign,

By all the grace Thy heavens still hide,
We pray Thee, keep us at Thy side,
Creator, Saviour, strengthening Guide!