Hello all,
On an unbelievably hot July 6th (the long independence day weekend); 10 of us gathered at the Starlight for breakfast. We admired the repaired GSXR that had a minor mishap in June and welcomed a new face on a V-Rod. R/T joined us for breakfast but was off to help pick up a new ride for a friend. He’s going to ride soon… Everyone was appropriately attired inspite of the heat and we talked about the need to stay hydrated. A couple of fellas had camel packs – smart!! Jlasure led us off through Coatesville, where I picked the lead, but not before having to settle down from following the mother ship through the up hill two lane sweeper approaching Coatesville. We had been hitting intermittent stragglers and when the road opened up the mother ship hit hyperdrive, and of course I was obliged to follow his line until a sweet older lady decided to drop down from the left lane into the right just as soon as Jlaure went by. I needed to make an adjustment that was less than comfortable at the pace…
Through town and out 345S/82S, very nice roads to the Sovana Bistro for lunch. A minor repair was done on an exhaust shroud, which was facilitated by a guy and his lady who had torx drivers in the bags of their R1200 RT. Nice folk who happen to be in the right place at the right time! Lunch was and is always terrific at Sovana. We headed out for the dive into Delaware, following some nice roads along creeks. I missed a right and we improvised passing by Hoopes reservoir along a single track paved road. One of the two detours was removed so we were able to get right back on track. We picked up 82N this time and had some fun heading out to 322W where a couple of us needed to roll onward, while Jlasure led the rest to the finish. A really good time, except for the heat.
Scripture Readings for July 2013
At lunch we spoke about freedom in faith. I had been reflecting on Hebrews chapter 11, the “Faith in Action” chapter. Ironically my pastor had blogged on a couple of verses in Hebrews so I used that as a lead:“- Hebrews 11:13-16 “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.”
So, while it is clearly true, that our true citizenship is not an earthly but a heavenly one, and while it is true that this world is our temporary home, that we are visitors, guests, and pilgrims, we should and do rejoice in the glorious freedom that God has entrusted to our care. Freedom has always come at a great price. Consider the price of your freedom from sin and hell! Freedom has afforded us great privileges, but also carries great responsibility. It is a true divine stewardship. As strange as it may sound, I do believe that we forget that the vast majority of people are not, have never been, and will never be Americans. Most people have not been given what we have been given.
The most important “freedom” question for us to ask this Fourth of July holiday, is not “What is happening to our freedoms?” We all have grave concerns about the gradual loss of freedom that certainly seems to be increasing in pace. We wonder, we talk, and we pray about the question “What can we do about it?” This certainly is a legitimate concern. However our greatest concern, the greatest question is “What does God want us to be doing with the freedom that we have? We can complain, wring our hands in lament that things are not what they once were, OR we can use the freedom entrusted to our care everyday to love God with all our hearts and our neighbors as ourselves. We can use our freedom to grow in being a disciple and making more and more disciples. We can use every day and every freedom to promote the gospel, the “good news”, actually the greatest news! We can pray, invest, and invite people to Christ.
So, what are you doing with your freedom? - ” Pastor Tim J.
As men and Christians we have an obligation to share the good news and we’re blessed to have the freedom and ability to do so in this country. I have several friends in the “east” that have to be especially careful about what the talk about let alone what they can and can’t do. It’s a great question my pastor asks…what do we do with our freedom? Are we Active, Complacent, Searching, Engaging? There’s a lot of opportunities everyday to influence and share life and the CSBA has been an awesome way to combine multiple passions with a community of people from many backgrounds.
Looking forward to the Shamokin Screamer in August!
