Freedom: A Christmas Ball Tale by Noelle Rhodes
Someone once asked me if our youth group tradition of the “CHRISTMAS BALL” was born out of Troy’s silent rebellion to his Pentecostal upbringing (his version of “Footloose”, if you will…) or my deprived home schooled soul, who never had a prom…
Hmmm….
Perhaps the answer to the question would be… Yes. Yes to both. :) But really…
For the past five years, the youth ministry of L.O.G., has held the tradition of an annual Christmas Ball (a glorified dance party) to celebrate the birth of our King – Jesus Christ. Every year the students come dressed in semi-formal wear and together we dance the night away, while mix master, DJ’ Marco spins his music for us. It’s one of my favorite youth group events. I love seeing our kids so dressed up and dancing. We have a pretty good looking bunch of kids who have got some smooth moves…
This year something happened at our Christmas Ball that struck me so strongly. Among the Cha-Cha Slide, Cotton Eye Joe, and other hip tunes that kids danced to… someone requested that Eddie James’ “Freedom Song” be played. This gospel worship song is not the kind of tune you would typically play at a dance party where 25 young people are having a “good time” and yet it was probably the most popular song of the evening. Our students know this song well because we sing it in kids’ church every week and we used it in our program for our mission trip to Belfast. All the kids gathered in a huge circle and did every dance move, singing every lyric of that song on the top of their lungs…
“ FREEDOM…FREEDOM…FREEDOM… No more shackles… no more chains… no more bondage … I am Free…”
At one point, I stopped and stood back and watched our kids sing and dance – proclaiming their freedom in Jesus Christ! I couldn’t help but get a little teary eyed. How absolutely beautiful and completely appropriate! The Christmas Ball is held in honor of Christ’s Birth… and His birth was beginning of our freedom because He came to set the captives free…
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19 – Jesus reading the prophecy found in Isaiah and proclaiming that through Him it was fullfilled)
If that’s not a reason to dance, I don’t know what is! That little itty bundle of baby that came into the world some two thousand years ago, brought freedom for you and me! We are not shackled to our sins or chained to a destiny of eternal death and we do not have live in a life of bondage because He came to set us free! Christmas is reason to celebrate freedom – true freedom - the kind that really can make you “footloose”.
May our hearts, this Christmas, understand how free we really are and not be afraid to celebrate!
December 26th, 2008 at 6:57 am
Great post – We need celebration in our lives! And nothing in the City of Man can approach the reasons we have for joy, and for the most exuberant expressions of that joy than Christ.
December 26th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Currently teary-eyed having just read ‘Freedom: A Christmas Ball Tale by Noelle Rhodes, I thank you Noelle and Troy for being the rudder on the boat of our young adult kids lives. I’m blessed – and free.
April 19th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
Well Noelle teary eyed and all , this will be the first time I’ve ever posted a comment and look how long after this wonderful read it has taken. Given that there is so much love and passion which tells of your true freedom in Jesus Christ; my fingers just started typing what my heart has been speaking for years, years that I cannot count. His love does not chock us or weigh us down but yet it always felt this way as a young adult. Even as a young girl raised catholic and then pentecostal I’ve always raised questions which caused me to be (black sheep) but since the Lord knew my heart he brought people in my life to share new experiences which perpelled me to undestand the freedom that comes with excepting, knowing, and loving him as he loved me with no strings attached.
He is the best Gift and each generation gets to have special peolple to present that Gift that’s what you, Noelle and Troy do you present our Lord Jesus Christ to this generation and they will continue the race with much authority.
Signed, Take the Shakles Off My Feet so I can Dance I just want to Praise Him!