FREE TO BE ONE

May 12, 2013

Easter 7

Acts 16:16-34

John 17:20-26

(prayer)

·         When called to SDUC 12+ years ago, opportunities: exciting, put down roots.  You gave me freedom to develop my style of ministry.

·         Not anticipated, Patti at YEG, WJ – freedom of travel I never would have had otherwise.

·         Just back from a spirit-music road trip in NY and Boston.

·         1WTC now tallest bldg in western hemisphere.  Still commonly called Freedom Tower (first coined by Gov George Pataki in a 2003 speech).

·         Freedom Trail in Boston – Paul Revere’s House.

·         Yet, security and watchfulness always present (airport – see something, say something – police at marathon bomb sites).

·         What is freedom? 

·         Choice.

·         Paul and Silas in jail, free to escape, but chose to stay – granted new freedom to jailer.

·         Jesus’ prayer – given by God? chose to follow?  Free to be one!

·         Compassion/Love (agape) binds.

·         Mothers – we all had them, many of us knew them or had mothering figures in our lives.

·         Parenting is the agonizing process of slowing allowing freedom to reign in the child’s life.  Examples.

·         One of the dominate images of God in the bible is that of the parent – Jesus is said to have called God, dada (abba).  Intimate, compassionate by nature. 

·         Free will – powerful and scary responsibility.

·         Free grace – powerful and awesome parenting.

·          

·          (prayer)

#320VU Mothering God, You Gave Us Birth