Glowing on the Inside
Well, as it turned out, my laptop did not accompany me to White Oak this weekend. But that's okay. It wasn't needed anyway.
The children's retreat was just wonderful. I came away from this event so encouraged by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in our activities and our hearts. It started as early as the actual journey down to White Oak. Annie Ruth, our children's minister, put on some cool tapes in our chartered bus for the kids to watch; one of them was a re-telling of the death and resurrection of Jesus. You know, I'm torn so much in my heart when I see it happen before my eyes. And I know without a doubt the agony Jesus endured, the anger in the hearts of the crowd, and the unfathomable joy in Mary's eyes at seeing Jesus alive again was infinitely more than a mere movie could ever depict. Few things get to me emotionally, but it wrenches me deeply to see Jesus whipped, beaten and scourged, struggling to carry his cross to Golgotha, and then nailed to the cross. The pain at seeing it unfold, however, pales in comparison to my bitter understanding of why he suffered and died. For me. Jesus took my sins on his sacred head and paid my death penalty for them. He stared down Satan, the prince of lies, and won the ultimate victory. While I was yet a sinner, hopelessly lost, Christ died for me. I will never be worthy of His love. I'm only thankful that Jesus, the only One who is worthy, lives in my heart and continues to love such a selfish, unforgiving sinner.
Anyway, we got to White Oak around 5:30 yesterday, had dinner at 6:00 (chargrilled chicken and peas always go great together), and then began our group activities. Bible Study was first. We watched a video documentary from Annie Ruth's son about the human ear, and how God's work can be seen in even our lesser-known parts. Then we read 1 Kings 18:16-46, one of my favorite Old Testament stories about Elijah's confrontation with the followers of the false god Baal and King Ahab. I dare you to read that passage right now and not come away in awe of the power and majesty of God the Father. We worked with the kids and helped them find things created by God that help us to understand who He is, and also the ways in which we can know God. One of my favorite things I took from this period was Q&A time, when we opened the floor for the kids to ask us anything that was nagging at them or they didn't understand about God, the Bible, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. They blew me away with how articulate and well-thought-out their questions were. One boy asked me about Satan and how he came to live in Hell, and another boy wanted to know about Judgment Day. Really amazing stuff. It showed they were paying attention and taking the lesson seriously, which is a huge encouragement to us.
After a snack at the canteen, we gathered outside in the woods for a bonfire. I'm sure they were all disappointed that we couldn't toast marshmallows, but still we had an awesome time. Anna Kate and I led the kids in campfire songs; I did the "I Just Wanna Be a Sheep" song and taught them the sign language for "Kumbaya." And it was nothing but our voices; we had no music, no instruments, no sound system - nothing to aid us. Let me tell you, it was some of the most beautiful sounding worship I've ever heard. It also gave me a chance to see my Creative Arts Camp partners again: Lynn, Lauren, and Justin. The church puppet ministry is in good hands with them on board for the fall. This is an inseperable trio. I also found Lauren to be an aspiring writer. Always a good thing.
After a slightly restless night, we woke up at 6:30 this morning, got packed up, and had breakfast an hour later. Then came the second Bible Study session, which focused on Jeremiah 36. It served as a cool reminder that no matter what, God's Word is true and complete, and it can never be revised or destroyed. We also showed the kids what it means to be tempted, and how we can resist temptation. The third session used Jesus' death and resurrection as told in Luke, and included a brief videotaped message about receiving Christ from Pastor Randy. Not sure yet if any decisions were made, but I know many of the kids were listening closely to his words. Then the group headed to lunch while I spent the period cleaning out the Bible Study room and preparing the Drama room for the following activity: music and miming. To my sheer delight, we dug out a few of our Ramblin' Road Trip songs from Vacation Bible School. I was amazed at how many kids remembered the words and motions! For a half hour, it felt like I was back in late June, performing "The Heartland" and "Ramblin' Road Trip" in the church choir room. Even better, our teenaged mimes came out and helped me do "We Believe," our slow song with sign language. They did a fantastic job; I can't say enough about how that song grips me whenever I hear it.
The kids got some free recreation time in the afternoon. They played relay games in the field out front, and then enjoyed some fun in the pool. For a while, it looked like we'd get forced indoors by an approaching storm, but thankfully, it veered off to the east. Once the pool party was over, it was time to get packed up and head home. The return trip was a breeze thanks in no small part to more of Annie Ruth's great videos. When we arrived in the church parking lot, I found out Lynn's mother had accidently locked her car keys inside her car and had to contact a locksmith for help. Since I wasn't about to let them wait by themselves, I ended up staying with them for an extra half hour in the parking lot. At that time, the storm finally reached us, so I cranked up my car and took them in with the air conditioner on full blast. We talked about a whole number of things, from fall plans to 9/11 to relationships. Soon enough, the locksmith came to the rescue and fished out their car keys. We said our goodbyes and departed. They told me how grateful they were that I stayed with them, but in my opinion, I was the one who was blessed. There are so many ways to show the love of Christ to other people. You just have to watch out for them. Something that might seem simple enough to you can mean so much more to that person.
Whew ... I missed lunch today and I'm dead tired, but I feel like I'm glowing on the inside. Thank You, God, for Your strength and Your many blessings, too many for me to count. I pray that Your light will continue to shine in the hearts of our kids, and if there is even one who is struggling with doubt and fear, may Your Spirit come into his or her heart. Give them a sense of peace, Lord. Like Elijah said, let them know that You are God. Let them understand that there is nothing more important than a personal relationship with You. I pray that if they need to confess that they are lost and need to let You into their hearts and change them with Your transforming love, let them do so. I pray also for myself and the rest of our young leaders. As the fall approaches with most of us soon to return to college, help us to stay on fire for You, Lord. Don't let us wander off the path when things get busy or complicated. Let Your Holy Spirit renew us each day as we turn to You for fresh power in our times of need. I love You, Father. I give You all the honor and all the glory in everything I do. In Christ's name I pray, amen.
Song of the Day: Chris Tomlin - "Indescribable"
Verse of the Day: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." - Ephesians 2:8-10
The children's retreat was just wonderful. I came away from this event so encouraged by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in our activities and our hearts. It started as early as the actual journey down to White Oak. Annie Ruth, our children's minister, put on some cool tapes in our chartered bus for the kids to watch; one of them was a re-telling of the death and resurrection of Jesus. You know, I'm torn so much in my heart when I see it happen before my eyes. And I know without a doubt the agony Jesus endured, the anger in the hearts of the crowd, and the unfathomable joy in Mary's eyes at seeing Jesus alive again was infinitely more than a mere movie could ever depict. Few things get to me emotionally, but it wrenches me deeply to see Jesus whipped, beaten and scourged, struggling to carry his cross to Golgotha, and then nailed to the cross. The pain at seeing it unfold, however, pales in comparison to my bitter understanding of why he suffered and died. For me. Jesus took my sins on his sacred head and paid my death penalty for them. He stared down Satan, the prince of lies, and won the ultimate victory. While I was yet a sinner, hopelessly lost, Christ died for me. I will never be worthy of His love. I'm only thankful that Jesus, the only One who is worthy, lives in my heart and continues to love such a selfish, unforgiving sinner.
Anyway, we got to White Oak around 5:30 yesterday, had dinner at 6:00 (chargrilled chicken and peas always go great together), and then began our group activities. Bible Study was first. We watched a video documentary from Annie Ruth's son about the human ear, and how God's work can be seen in even our lesser-known parts. Then we read 1 Kings 18:16-46, one of my favorite Old Testament stories about Elijah's confrontation with the followers of the false god Baal and King Ahab. I dare you to read that passage right now and not come away in awe of the power and majesty of God the Father. We worked with the kids and helped them find things created by God that help us to understand who He is, and also the ways in which we can know God. One of my favorite things I took from this period was Q&A time, when we opened the floor for the kids to ask us anything that was nagging at them or they didn't understand about God, the Bible, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. They blew me away with how articulate and well-thought-out their questions were. One boy asked me about Satan and how he came to live in Hell, and another boy wanted to know about Judgment Day. Really amazing stuff. It showed they were paying attention and taking the lesson seriously, which is a huge encouragement to us.
After a snack at the canteen, we gathered outside in the woods for a bonfire. I'm sure they were all disappointed that we couldn't toast marshmallows, but still we had an awesome time. Anna Kate and I led the kids in campfire songs; I did the "I Just Wanna Be a Sheep" song and taught them the sign language for "Kumbaya." And it was nothing but our voices; we had no music, no instruments, no sound system - nothing to aid us. Let me tell you, it was some of the most beautiful sounding worship I've ever heard. It also gave me a chance to see my Creative Arts Camp partners again: Lynn, Lauren, and Justin. The church puppet ministry is in good hands with them on board for the fall. This is an inseperable trio. I also found Lauren to be an aspiring writer. Always a good thing.
After a slightly restless night, we woke up at 6:30 this morning, got packed up, and had breakfast an hour later. Then came the second Bible Study session, which focused on Jeremiah 36. It served as a cool reminder that no matter what, God's Word is true and complete, and it can never be revised or destroyed. We also showed the kids what it means to be tempted, and how we can resist temptation. The third session used Jesus' death and resurrection as told in Luke, and included a brief videotaped message about receiving Christ from Pastor Randy. Not sure yet if any decisions were made, but I know many of the kids were listening closely to his words. Then the group headed to lunch while I spent the period cleaning out the Bible Study room and preparing the Drama room for the following activity: music and miming. To my sheer delight, we dug out a few of our Ramblin' Road Trip songs from Vacation Bible School. I was amazed at how many kids remembered the words and motions! For a half hour, it felt like I was back in late June, performing "The Heartland" and "Ramblin' Road Trip" in the church choir room. Even better, our teenaged mimes came out and helped me do "We Believe," our slow song with sign language. They did a fantastic job; I can't say enough about how that song grips me whenever I hear it.
The kids got some free recreation time in the afternoon. They played relay games in the field out front, and then enjoyed some fun in the pool. For a while, it looked like we'd get forced indoors by an approaching storm, but thankfully, it veered off to the east. Once the pool party was over, it was time to get packed up and head home. The return trip was a breeze thanks in no small part to more of Annie Ruth's great videos. When we arrived in the church parking lot, I found out Lynn's mother had accidently locked her car keys inside her car and had to contact a locksmith for help. Since I wasn't about to let them wait by themselves, I ended up staying with them for an extra half hour in the parking lot. At that time, the storm finally reached us, so I cranked up my car and took them in with the air conditioner on full blast. We talked about a whole number of things, from fall plans to 9/11 to relationships. Soon enough, the locksmith came to the rescue and fished out their car keys. We said our goodbyes and departed. They told me how grateful they were that I stayed with them, but in my opinion, I was the one who was blessed. There are so many ways to show the love of Christ to other people. You just have to watch out for them. Something that might seem simple enough to you can mean so much more to that person.
Whew ... I missed lunch today and I'm dead tired, but I feel like I'm glowing on the inside. Thank You, God, for Your strength and Your many blessings, too many for me to count. I pray that Your light will continue to shine in the hearts of our kids, and if there is even one who is struggling with doubt and fear, may Your Spirit come into his or her heart. Give them a sense of peace, Lord. Like Elijah said, let them know that You are God. Let them understand that there is nothing more important than a personal relationship with You. I pray that if they need to confess that they are lost and need to let You into their hearts and change them with Your transforming love, let them do so. I pray also for myself and the rest of our young leaders. As the fall approaches with most of us soon to return to college, help us to stay on fire for You, Lord. Don't let us wander off the path when things get busy or complicated. Let Your Holy Spirit renew us each day as we turn to You for fresh power in our times of need. I love You, Father. I give You all the honor and all the glory in everything I do. In Christ's name I pray, amen.
Song of the Day: Chris Tomlin - "Indescribable"
Verse of the Day: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." - Ephesians 2:8-10
posted by david @ 4:18 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home