Dear St. John’s friends and family,
As you begin worship today, I encourage you to sit quietly for a few moments. Breathe in and breathe out and consider that the breath of God is all around you. Look forward to your time of worship today. Rejoice that this is the day that the Lord has made. Bring all of who you are to praise God’s name. Open your heart and mind to the ministering of the Holy Spirit.
Today I’ll be leading worship because our pastor and her family are on vacation. They are enjoying some family time in the mountains of New Mexico. I know you join me in praying that this time will be a blessing to them. I am so grateful for the worship team that is helping to lead worship today. I know you will enjoy their music. Today we are also celebrating the ministry of Alice Blanton as she retires from her service as bookkeeper at St. John’s. For many years, Alice has brought her extensive experience to her work at the church. We are grateful for her expertise and her gift of service. I know you will join me in congratulating Alice on her retirement.
The message this morning continues the sermon series about God’s character. The more we know God, the more we can begin to understand and build our relationship with God. Today, we consider God is Freedom. God has a deep love of freedom. So much so, that God allows us to choose to live God’s way—or not. Christ came to demonstrate God is Freedom to us in so many ways. It is faith in Christ that sets us free from the power of sin and death and opens the way to live in God’s kingdom of love and grace. The Galatian church was struggling with understanding this freedom. Our scripture today is Paul’s reminder to these gentile Christians that God is Freedom. Paul strongly encouraged them not to burden themselves with the rituals and practices of the Jewish Christians. Are you living in the freedom that Christ gives? I encourage you to consider that question as you worship today and as you live into your week to come.
Blessings for a grace-filled day,
Cindy
Rev. Cindy Riddick
Minister of Discipleship and Connections
Click this link to view the service on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uPNtDKFfp0Q