With the 4th of July on Sunday this year we have opportunity to do some serious reflecting on what we enjoy by way of our citizenship.  It’s a great time to count our blessings and realize that there are too many of them to number.  How about the beauty and abundance of our land.  The stores and our fridges packed with good food.  How about medical science and the miracles that become part of our lives to fight covid and cancer and so on.  We are blessed with freedom and liberties (my writing this message and our gathering to worship on July 4th) that many throughout the world are denied.  Americans have every reason on the 4th of July to sing about how God has “shed His grace” on us all!

It’s important for us to be reminded of these many blessings because we so easily take them for granted or use them selfishly.  What we do with what we have is a reflection of the kind of people we are.  God did not give us all of these good things just to serve our own needs and wants.  As we use them for the good of others we show and share the heart of Christ.  

Take to heart the words of Galatians 5:13 — “You … were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”  We are the ones called to freedom:  freedom from a way of life that is self-serving, freedom from a way that leads to death and destruction, freedom from sin and pain that makes life so hard to live.  May we who have been freed by Christ from sin and death now live as the servants of others!  Have a happy and blessed 4th of July!  Pastor Craig