Emancipation of the Freed

A few Questions to begin our dialogue…

Are you free?

If you’re not free, why not?

If you are free, how free are you? What dimensions of freedom are you enjoying… exploring?

Who are the emancipated and why do they need to be freed?

From my corner of existence the emancipated are believers in Christ. And it is my expert opinion that they need to be set free.

Expert, yep, well I been one for 30 years and I’ve lead them the last 20. Yeah, I’m a pastor.

Saint Paul wrote that it was for freedom that Christ has set us free. Jesus himself said that he was sent “to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners”. I like that, I agree with it. So why are so few people living in freedom?

There was news story today about a woman who was missing for 10 years. She was held in her bedroom for 10 years. She escaped when she told the local grocery store clerk about her captivity. What a nightmare this poor woman endured. She is a picture of the church bound but free, free but not.

We can address issues of form, function and focus and they may assist in the expression of freedom, but ultimately freedom is a condition of the heart.

I’m exploring dimensions of freedom and I’m encouraging my people to do the same. This morning I finished my second painting though I am not an artist. I’ve written my first blog though I’m not a writer. This weekend we will train people in the art of dream interpretation and Sunday we’ll discuss ways to provide free medical care for the poor in our community. Cool stuff and our people seem to genuinely love one another.

I wonder what we’ll discover next week…