Camping and the Heart of God
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."
—3 John 1:4
The Fourth of July is quickly approaching. It is one of my very favorite times of the year. Although for me the fourth doesn't evoke pictures of grand fireworks displays or patriotic concerts (though I greatly enjoy both), rather, when I think of the fourth I am transported in my mind to a place hundreds of feet below the surface of the "caprock" in north west Texas.
Here, on this week, in a small branch of the Palo Duro Canyon, some three hundred 4th & 5th graders assemble to meet with God. This camp, not unlike our own district camps, is a ministry of the United Methodist Church which reaches out not only to kids in conference churches, but also to those for whom camp is their first exposure to church or God.
In my 32 brief years of life, I have spent 27 of them attending this camp. In that time, I have witnessed countless children (many of them now adults) receive Christ into their lives. I have seen many more make the decision to make Jesus their Lord rather than merely Savior. I have witnessed many 4th and 5th graders hear and respond to the call of God on their lives toward vocational ministry. Many of them now serve in the pulpit today. For these reasons, and many others, I am convinced that camping is near to the heart of God.
But what makes camp so special? Why is God easier to hear in that canyon (or other campground) than when we are at home? One reason is that the camper spends his/her day following a curriculum that is centered and focused on Jesus. Another is that all other distractions are removed. iPods, game systems, tv's… all gone. Their eyes are fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of their faith. Lastly, for those who have grown up in unhealthy environments, they are surrounded, maybe for the first time, by examples of unconditional love, and by adults who care about them. When all distractions are removed, when our attention is turned completely to Christ, and when we experience tangible expressions of the love of God, we cannot help but be impacted by it.
The formula is almost foolproof. If you find that you haven't heard from God lately, I'd encourage you to get away. Find a quiet place far from distractions, and turn your eyes to Jesus. All throughout scripture, Godly men and women engaged in fasting for just this purpose. Pray about how God may want you to "camp" in his presence.
Homework this week: Pray about how you might enable our children to experience God in a real way through district camping. Perhaps you or your Sunday school could give a scholarship so that children who have no other means could attend. Perhaps you could give a week of vacation to serve as an adult volunteer at camp. Listen for God's leading and make an eternal difference in the life of a child.
—3 John 1:4
The Fourth of July is quickly approaching. It is one of my very favorite times of the year. Although for me the fourth doesn't evoke pictures of grand fireworks displays or patriotic concerts (though I greatly enjoy both), rather, when I think of the fourth I am transported in my mind to a place hundreds of feet below the surface of the "caprock" in north west Texas.
Here, on this week, in a small branch of the Palo Duro Canyon, some three hundred 4th & 5th graders assemble to meet with God. This camp, not unlike our own district camps, is a ministry of the United Methodist Church which reaches out not only to kids in conference churches, but also to those for whom camp is their first exposure to church or God.
In my 32 brief years of life, I have spent 27 of them attending this camp. In that time, I have witnessed countless children (many of them now adults) receive Christ into their lives. I have seen many more make the decision to make Jesus their Lord rather than merely Savior. I have witnessed many 4th and 5th graders hear and respond to the call of God on their lives toward vocational ministry. Many of them now serve in the pulpit today. For these reasons, and many others, I am convinced that camping is near to the heart of God.
But what makes camp so special? Why is God easier to hear in that canyon (or other campground) than when we are at home? One reason is that the camper spends his/her day following a curriculum that is centered and focused on Jesus. Another is that all other distractions are removed. iPods, game systems, tv's… all gone. Their eyes are fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of their faith. Lastly, for those who have grown up in unhealthy environments, they are surrounded, maybe for the first time, by examples of unconditional love, and by adults who care about them. When all distractions are removed, when our attention is turned completely to Christ, and when we experience tangible expressions of the love of God, we cannot help but be impacted by it.
The formula is almost foolproof. If you find that you haven't heard from God lately, I'd encourage you to get away. Find a quiet place far from distractions, and turn your eyes to Jesus. All throughout scripture, Godly men and women engaged in fasting for just this purpose. Pray about how God may want you to "camp" in his presence.
Homework this week: Pray about how you might enable our children to experience God in a real way through district camping. Perhaps you or your Sunday school could give a scholarship so that children who have no other means could attend. Perhaps you could give a week of vacation to serve as an adult volunteer at camp. Listen for God's leading and make an eternal difference in the life of a child.