LAKEWOOD UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
2601 54th Avenue South St. Petersburg, FL 33712 on the Gulf of Mexico On land originally inhabited by the Tocabaga 727-867-7961
lakewooducc.org
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Date: June 1, 2025
Scripture Lesson: Acts16:16-40 Sermon: Oh, Freedom!
Pastor: Rev. Kim P. Wells
This season from Memorial Day to the Fourth of July, with Flag Day tucked in on June 14 and Juneteenth now an officially recognized holiday, is a season to commemorate America. It’s a time to celebrate America, especially the freedom we associate with America. We proclaim, Let Freedom Ring! We declare this the land of the free and home of the brave. We extol our right to life, liberty (freedom), and the pursuit of happiness. Once upon a time, we extolled our freedom of the press and our freedom of religion. In the 21st century, the focus has been more on the freedom to make money, and the freedom from paying taxes. After the 9/11 attacks, President George Bush admonished Americans to exercise their freedom to go shopping.
While in this season of the American celebration of freedom, let’s turn for a moment to what freedom means for those who follow Jesus. While many of our civic freedoms are significant, our freedom in faith transcends those other freedoms. For one thing, our faith tradition teaches that our first loyalty, our first obligation, our most important commitment is to God; God as we have come to know God through Jesus. So, before country, constitution, national anthem, flag, and all the rest is our faith commitment. And our country respects that by protecting our freedom of religion. Faith first. This comes into play in a situation with, say, conscientious objection when we have the military draft. If you feel you cannot carry a weapon and shoot someone because of your commitment to the way of Jesus who said love your enemies, then you can be absolved from serving in a combat role in the military. There is respect for a person’s faith commitment being of utmost importance in their life.
Let’s turn for a moment to the story from Acts that we heard today and look at it through the lens of freedom. We are told of a slave and her owners. Evidently this woman was owned by men who made money by having people pay to have their fortunes told and things like that. Apparently she made a sizable income for her owners. We are told that she is a slave; someone who is owned by others who control her life circumstances. So, we know that she is not free. While she is not a free person, she does seem to have some freedom of expression and insight. She can see that Paul and Silas are of God, the Most High God, a name also used for the highest God in the pagan pantheon. But already we have a slave who is not free. She is a human being owned by others. And we know the ravages of that economic and social system from our own experience with slavery here in this country. America is still not over slavery. Or the conquest of the land taken from indigenous peoples. We are still not free from the harm that history caused and continues to cause today. So, a slave in the biblical story reminds us of the lack of freedom still experienced by many today.
We are also told in the story of the slave’s owners. They own one slave at least. Are they free? Or are they enmeshed in a societal system beyond their control? The owners seem to be dependent on the slave for their income. So, are they free? When what is explained as a spirit of divination speaking through the woman is cast out by an annoyed Paul, the owners get mad. They are not concerned about the well-being of the woman, but about their income stream. Are they free? Well, they are men, and they do have the right to own things, including people, but are they really free? They seem tied into an economic system based on exploitation and oppression. They seem dependent on someone else for their income and well-being. They seem to be defined by the culture and circumstances around them. They don’t really seem to be all that free.
Then they play the ‘race’ card. They go to the authorities and accuse these Jews, Paul and Silas, of affronting Roman culture. They play upon the anti semitic sympathies of the population and the magistrates. They use prejudice in their favor. This is manipulation of a biased system. It is not true freedom.
And the magistrates. Are they free? They are supposed to be free, but they are at the mercy of the racist system, and must bend to the wishes of the populace to maintain their power. They are beholden to the people. They are not really free, either.
Now let’s turn to Paul and Silas. Are they free? Out of annoyance, Paul is a channel for the power of God which casts the spirit out of the slave girl. The love of God seems to have acted freely against the spirit occupying the slave girl. But this love seems to be at work without concern for consequences. The power of Divine Love appears to be completely free. No restraints.
We also want to note that Paul and Silas are Roman citizens. They deserve due process under the law. They have certain rights. These are completely ignored. They are immediately jailed. Victims of the socio-economic system around them. Victims of the prejudice of the Roman citizens. Victims of the lust for power of the magistrates.
But once in jail, in the deepest, darkest, most secure part of the jail, underground, in the center of the edifice, we are told that they sing hymns and pray. They exert their freedom to glorify God even in these traumatizing conditions. They lean on their faith – that got them into trouble. They receive comfort from expressing their trust in their Most High God. Paul and Silas do not let what is being done to them diminish their faith and their trust in God and the power of the name of Jesus.
Their singing and praying provides comfort to the other prisoners. They share the love of God in Jesus. And others learn of the saving love of God. So, imprisoned unjustly, in the worst of conditions, Paul and Silas exercise their freedom to glorify God and to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. They don’t wallow in self pity or spiral into despair. They sing and pray and praise God. They exercise the freedom of their faith.
Then, an earthquake comes, breaking open the jail. Paul and Silas are physically free. What do they do? Do they run for it? Hide? Get out of Dodge? No. They instead stick around and save the life of the jailer. Literally.
The jailer is not free. He is bound by the honor and shame codes of the culture. He has failed to keep the prisoners bound. The earthquake has freed them. He has failed. So, to avoid the wrath of the magistrates, and the shame of his failure, he prepares to take his own life. But Paul and Silas do not run away. They do not escape. So, the jailer need not fear the retribution of the authorities. He has not failed in his duties. Paul and Silas prevent the jailer from taking his own life. They save his life. Then, he requests the power that he sees in them, the power of God, the power of good, the power of Love. He asks to be saved. And he and his household are baptized. And they all eat together and tend to the wounds of Paul and Silas who were beaten and whipped mercilessly before being locked away in the inner depths of the prison.
Then, the magistrates tell the jailer to let Paul and Silas go – quietly. But Paul insists on a public exoneration. He is standing up for justice. He wants people to see the corruption of the magistrates. He wants people to see that God’s honor is vindicated. He wants people to see the saving power of the love of Jesus.
Paul and Silas, though thrown into jail, exert their freedom to share their faith, to save the jailer, to vindicate the power of God. They act freely from their faith. They do not seem constrained by greed, or social and economic systems. They are not bound by the codes of honor and shame. They are not restricted by self interest and self preservation. Instead, they freely choose to trust God, the God of Jesus.
While many in this story are controlled by the culture around them, Paul and Silas choose to be led by the love and power of God made known to them in Jesus. They choose the freedom of faith. Freedom that looks beyond money and self interest and self preservation. They choose to trust the power of love. They choose to promote justice. They choose to save the life of the jailer over saving their own lives by escaping.
When we follow Jesus, in a way, we give up much of our freedom because we turn our will over to the source of Divine Love. We choose the way of Jesus. And that binds us to love one another, to love our enemies, to pray for those who persecute us, to forgive those who wrong us 70 time 7 times. It compels us to love ourselves as well as the precious creation. When we choose the saving way of Jesus, we bind ourselves to his teachings and to the embodiment of extreme love. This commitment is bondage in a way. But this bondage frees us from the entanglements of consumer capitalism, from the tyranny of the self, from the honor/shame system. It frees us from participating in systems of oppression and exploitation. It frees us from participating in harming others. It frees us to see the full humanity of all people and the sacredness of the planet. It frees us to love and to give. Without counting the cost. No accounting. No book keeping. This is the nature of freedom in Christ.
Our faith aligns us with a power greater than greed and self interest. It aligns us with the eternal purposes of the common good. And we have no idea how we will be used in service to that Love. No idea. How love will be at work in us. Changing the world.
Faith is about complete freedom without control. Entrusting the outcome to the purposes of Love.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. knew this kind of faith. And he knew this kind of freedom. Though he was forced to live as a second class citizen. Though black people were not treated with full equality in this country and still aren’t. Though violence and danger plagued the lives of those with dark skin in America. Though his family was threatened and his house was bombed. King was completely free because of his faith and trust in the God of Jesus. So, In a sermon, he tells us:
I left Atlanta this morning, and as we got started on the plane, there were six of us, the pilot said over the public address system, “We are sorry for the delay but we have Dr. Martin Luther King on the plane. And to be sure that all of the bags were checked, and to be sure that nothing would be wrong with the plane, we had to check out everything carefully. And we’ve had the plane protected and guarded all night.”
And then I got into Memphis. And some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers?
Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And God’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about ` anything. I’m not fearing anyone. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. [Sermon, “I See the Promised Land,” April 3, 1968, Memphis, TN, in A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings of Martin Luther King, Jr., Edited by James Melvin Washington, p. 286.]
King was free because he had given his life to God. He let the love of God flow through him. He completely surrendered himself to the purposes of love.
He was killed the day after giving that sermon. He was free.
Friends, it doesn’t matter when we live. In the first century. In the 10th century. In the 14th century. In the 20 century. In the 21st century. It doesn’t matter where we live – in Asia, in Africa, in these United States of America. There are always forces that will seek to diminish our humanity. That will seek to sap our dignity. That will seek to quell the forces of justice and generosity. And in every age, we are called to be free. To freely express the love of God for everyone. No exceptions. And in this season of life in America, we are needed to ring the bells of freedom. To shine the light of truth. And to sing songs of justice. Because we are free. Amen.
A reasonable effort has been made to appropriately cite materials referenced in this sermon. For additional information, please contact Lakewood United Church of Christ.
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