Freedom

Freedom - the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints

Tonight my wife and I experienced freedom in a middle school service at a church we are "shopping." In a life of being on staff at one church or another, we're in a place we've not been at in a very long time; being able to shop for a church. Ok, we haven't done a real extensive shopping campaign, the first church we've checked out is probably the one we'll settle on, but hey, I hate shopping anyways.
Back to freedom. Have you been someplace, whether it's a restaurant, home, church, whatever, and either really felt that it was "right, good, comfortable" or that it was "tense, restrained, uncomfortable?" You know you can feel it when you walk in and move around. Tonight felt right.
There were quite a few possible "checks." We were visiting with our middle school age son at a place we've never been, in a sea of wild middle school kids, and we didn't know anyone. And yet, it felt good.
My wife and I talked about it feeling good. What was it that was a factor in our comfort? We laughed, we worshiped, we listened, we prayed. And in the end, it seems the word that came to mind was freedom. There was a freedom in the building, amongst the staff, permeating the kids, evident in the worship and the words spoken. And it felt good, really good.
Sometimes you don't realize what you're missing until you realize you've been missing it.

Wayne Geer
Church Staff 101