The Sacrifice of American Heroes

Thank you to our current and former US servicemen and women who have committed to give their lives to protect us and our freedom!  So many in the past have paid the ultimate price helping to ensure our continued freedom from oppressive dictators, communistic ambitions, and violent terrorism - we are very fortunate!

Our freedom means so much to us.  The obvious benefit is that our freedom allows us to pursue faith and happiness and success within the bounds of reasonable laws.  On Memorial Day I trust that all Americans are appreciating those freedoms and honoring those who have preserved them.  Today, we can travel anywhere in our country, gather with whomever we wish, worship and believe in the God of our choice, pray for our govt leaders (whom we freely elected), and we even have the freedom to work and earn time and a half if we so choose (so that I can enjoy my coffee at Starbucks while I write this.)

Let's think about the less obvious implications of our freedom.  Knowing that my church, like the first church in Acts 2, gives generously and voluntarily and serves God without compulsion, I can conclude that the church is not in some way creating another form of communism (which some of claimed of the early church.)  The early church gave freely of what they had because of their concern and love.  We love God, we love our church family, and we love those who are lost and hurting and so we give and serve freely because of that love.  Communism is about taking from its members, but a free society under God's rule is about those members giving freely - huge difference.

Freedom demonstrates relevance -
Yesterday at our church people put money in the offering basket.  Our church is free of government interference and consequently is not supported by the govt (not the case in some European countries & the Middle East).  So, our church's ongoing existence and the ministries we do to benefit others comes from the free choice of our members to give...and to give whatever amount they choose.  The fact that we continue to exist and to offer significant ministry is a sign that we are relevant and needed (or the income would cease.)  In a communist country the church would be highly regulated and supported by the state, so a church's survival is no way to evaluate if a church is relevant and impacting, because the state is notorious for underwriting inefficient organizations.    

Freedom demonstrates love - 
At our church yesterday we had a team of people who arrived early to set up for church, and to practice music, and to prepare a volunteer breakfast, and to hand out bulletins, and to run the sound system, and to welcome people, and to teach children, and to set up road signs, and to make coffee, and to tear everything down when church was done.  Many of these volunteers gave 3-6 hours Sunday morning.  Yet, they did this freely - no one was making them work and no one was paying them (how do you pay a vol time and a half for holiday weekend work?)  Service by a volunteer done freely, is a demonstration of love.  As you serve your family you demonstrate love.  As you serve your church you demonstrate love for God and your church family.  As we serve our community they know we love them.  Without freedom the motivation is unclear.