Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Bolero jackets and freedom

You know when someone clicks that light bulb on for you? When someone says something to you where you take pause and then think, Good point! Well, that happened to me last week.  
The woman said, "People are so turned off by Christianity because all most Christians ever talk about is how we're obligated to do one thing or another. No one is ever talking about what we are FREE FROM as believers." I thought: Wow. Good point.

That someone was Beth Moore. And, OK, she was speaking "at" me through a video we watched during Bible Study. But whatever. I still thought, Good point, Beth Moore, you genius-Bible teacher-who-named-her-dog-Queen-Esther-and-loves-bolero-jackets.

Boy does that woman love bolero jackets. But back to the point. She's right. All too often I'm hearing believers spout off dissertations on how hard the Christian life is. And you know I'm one of them! Life is hard, Christ-follower or not, and I like to yammer about the challenge it is for me many days. I get it. It does help to voice my frustrations, and it's very good to be transparent in the right time and place about my struggles.

But I'm adding balance over here in my corner of the blogosphere. I took Beth's point seriously. She spent one hour talking about what we are free from as believers - really amazing, powerful benefits of allowing Jesus to come into your life and rearrange things - and we need to talk about these.

You and I need it. The world needs it: the frequent reminders of the incredible, illogical freedoms we have in Jesus.

So something's coming. I'm starting a new series called Grace on a Thursday where we can talk about ways freedom has wafted into our hearts. Times we've learned to let go, find peace, and choose rest.

Doesn't even the mention of rest make you want to exhale a sigh of relief? My spirit needs relief, and is so continually thirsty for rest. Isn't yours? My hope is that Grace on a Thursday helps to uplift and point us toward experiencing more freedom. So stay tuned; I will be featuring some great guest bloggers too, sharing the ways in which they've found freedom along the way.  

That popular little song "Amazing Grace", the whole "I once was lost but now I'm found, was blind but now I see," business is a lot more than just lyrics. It's an expression of freedom. But I do think that if God were a blogger, He would have inspired the title "A.ma.zing Grace" instead.

'Cause that's how we bloggers roll. Lots. of. extra. periods. even. in. the. mid. dle. of. words.

6 comments:

  1. Love it, and--as usual--you freak me out because I swear I'm telling the truth that I messaged these words to a friend, day before yesterday, via facebook: "I remember being a kid in Scott Co. and hearing those old Baptist preachers hem and haw about freedom in Christ, and I thought they were plumb crazy. How could there be freedom, I wondered, with so many stinkin' rules and regulations? But they had it right: wish I would've listened and saved myself a whole heap of trouble. The closer I walk, the more peace I have."

    I'm excited to read/share about freedom.

    Blessings to you and yours!

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  2. i.love.grace.on.a.thursday.already.

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  3. this is an awesome post.
    you are really funny.
    you sound just like your real self....yaknowhatimean?
    i like that tradition.....no spaces or periods
    and also lots of exclamation marks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    can't wait to get my portion of grace on a thursday.
    yes. plu.lease.

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  4. yay for thursdays!!!!!! LOVE

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  5. Sounds wonderful!! Looking forward to it!

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  6. totally pumped for the new series. and totally with you on the bolero jackets :) hilarious.

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