Freedom…
The theme is Freedom.
As in “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free…” (Galatians 5:1)
Two lessons…one day…on freedom…that I have to prepare and deliver to a group of women, hungry to hear something fresh and new in their lives on one of the few weekends a year they get away with their church girlfriends. And their teacher for the weekend is a woman with a long history of doubts, fears, love, and faith…all rolled into a very very confusing ball of liberal feminism with a love for high church traditions and a desire to sing loudly. 🙂
I knew a few things only days into agreeing to this…
1) I have something to share…I just don’t know what it is yet
2) Whatever it is…it will do a new thing in me before it is ever ready to be served it up to these ladies
3) The Divine and I have been having a bit of a stand off for a bit. Lest you worry…we are both okay with the quiet. Each of us loving the other unconditionally but without much to say to the other beyond “Hello” and “I still love you.”
3b) As every single thing I read (fiction, online news story, blog by a friend, tweets, etc.) reminds me of the theme of freedom, God and I have started chatting again. Words exchanged with deep pauses, waiting, and stillness. But the dialogue is there again.
Did I mention that every single thing I’m reading or listening to reminds me of Freedom? Today it was a podcast from All Saints Church in Pasadena (the lovely lovely Ed Bacon’s church). As the teacher Zelda Kennedy taught from Ezekiel and said over and over “Will these dry bones live again?” (Ez 37:3), tears welled up in my eyes as I mentally answered the question that was not being posed directly to me with the voice in my head “Only if I choose freedom. If I am free indeed, these dry bones shall live again.”
There is much to learn. Much to unpack. Much to think about before I get to the stage of being given a fresh message for these ladies.
But I know it’s coming.
Freedom is coming.