Fourth of July - of Independence and Dependence.

podcast: https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/2081f47e/4th-of-july-independence-and-dependence

Independence Day is today.

Started thinking about the whole nature of independence vs. dependence.

And once again, my garden speaks.

But first, what comes to mind when you hear the word 'independence'? By word association if I say, Independence, you might say Day!

Independence...freedom Independence...liberty. Independence...self-reliance. hmmm...

My town's fireworks display is tonight . . . I love fireworks! But why do we have fireworks on the 4th of July? To commemorate America's independence from Great Britain, of course, but have you ever wondered why we have fireworks?

American patriot and second president John Adams said this to Abigail, his wife, about the day:

      "It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more."¹   

A day set aside to celebrate our independence ... from what, and for what? Originally, Europeans made their way to our shores to escape religious persecution and tyranny. And the greatest government experiment to establish freedom, particularly religious freedom, has worked! For the most part, for 249 years, we have been able to worship God freely in America--and in our chosen expression. Thank you, God! Is it possible we have taken that freedom for granted? 

Having traveled abroad in less-free places, I am so thankful I can worship God freely, carry my Bible anywhere, and speak of my Christian faith openly without using hushed tones. I do not want to ever take this freedom for granted.

Regularly, I hear from believers in other parts of the world who do not have that freedom. A Pakistani minister comes to mind who reached out to me, attaching pictures of a Muslim convert to Christianity shot seven times because of his new faith in Jesus Christ. [What??! How will he support his family now?] Are you aware of the persecution followers of Jesus Christ face in India, Myanmar, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, China and Nigeria, to name a few countries?  

No, we must never take our freedom to worship God for granted.

As my thoughts turn to you today, dear reader, it is my prayer that you will experience not just independence from oppression, but freedom. It seems that while many of us are ostensibly 'free' we are bound by something else -- like nicotine, weed, alcohol, food, sex--maybe pornography, pills, guilt, shame or even worry. Oh my friend, I pray that you will be set free! This is God's desire for us. I think of what Jesus said, 'If the Son has set you free, you will be free indeed!'²

Picture the scene when Jesus stood up in the synagogue in Nazareth, rolled out the parchment from Isaiah, and read, 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has sent me . . . to set the oppressed free ...Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.'³ The Freedom Maker had come! 

Our Freedom Maker, Jesus Christ, still comes to you and me, offering us freedom . . . freedom from what binds us, freedom FROM ourselves, but not to be self-reliant, but God-reliant, God dependent. 

Dependent . . . hmmmm. Consider the above picture. It is a tender little Black Eyed Susan vine set in the seat of a chair4 next to my front door. Note how the shoots have attached themselves to the spindles of the chair. While vines need support, to be sure, please notice that the vine flourishes because it has the chair on which it can grow. [okay, Eric, that'll preach] Jesus told his disciples to abide in him . . . stay close to him, because then they would thrive and bear fruit! John 15.4. Friends, to abide in Christ is to acknowledge our dependence on/desire for Christ.

Set us free, Jesus! We want to be free, but only free to be dependent on You.

This is a great time of year--you can feel it in the air. When I had the neighborhood Easter egg hunt in my yard, I proposed the idea of a 4th of July bike parade for the kids. People loved the idea, and then it expanded to a neighborhood celebration. So tomorrow early evening we will have a bike parade for the kids with their decorated bikes; there will be rock painting, barbecues ablaze, water games, etc, as we gather together. [My thought: build relationships with those who live in closest proximity, so that I can share the love of Christ, and maybe make some friends too.]

Pray for your country and your elected officials, in whatever country you live. Pray for revival ... that people will be drawn to the truths of the gospel, the Lord we love--the very One in whom the entire notion of Freedom originated.  

Happy Independence Day! And Happy Dependence Day, too.

Christine

Listen!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnLsQdaR9kI&list=RDfnLsQdaR9kI&start_radio=1

1 Massachusetts Historical Society - Adams Family Papers, http://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/archive/doc?id=L17760703jasecond

2 - John 8.36

3 - Luke 4.18-21

4 - oh, not just any chair, but one of the old oak kitchen chairs from my mom's round pedestal table. How many years did I sit in that chair for breakfast with my mother?