To Getting out of the Boat

Camp is Almost Here!

If you’ve been following us on social media, specifically Instagram and Facebook, you’ve been meeting our awesome staff. This is a shoutout to our staff - those young women and men that are committing to a month of service, adventure, community - who are accepting the invitation from Jesus to “Come.”

These days it seems that it’s a bit harder to find people that want to “Come and See.” I think it’s a combination of things: the multiple activities that are vying for young people’s attention, the economy and our youths’ need for “real” jobs, and our individualistic western culture in which we have all been raised that downplays the value of fostering and living in community which affects our commitment to others and even a fear of getting too close. We are a lonely people, especially since Covid-19 and often rather than risk knowing and being know in real relationships, real church, or a month of summer camp, we are turning to virtual worlds or just plain ignoring our needs for Christian community. In my research for my doctorate program, I’ve been diving into what it means that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a Holy Trinity…and what I am finding and which seem so obvious is that to be made in the image of God means that we need community…there are no lone ranger Christians. So, I want to thank our staff for taking the risk and having the courage to go against the cultural grain by committing to a month of beloved Christian community as they serve our campers. It’s risky, it’s hard, it’s uncomfortable sometimes, but it is so so worth it, and it’s the call and command of God to love Him and our neighbors.

I’ve thought about this as I recently listened to a podcast by Bible professor Kristi McLelland. She came to West Monroe a couple of weeks ago to share her Biblical knowledge and wisdom with hundreds of women. I highly recommend you check out her Bible Studies and will attach the link to the podcast. In this podcast she talks about the well-known text of Jesus walking on the water. We often give Peter a bad rap for sinking, but McLelland makes the note that there are twelve in the boat that see Jesus walking towards them, but only one out of the twelve takes up Jesus’ invitation to “Come.” Peter is the only one that gets out of the boat, the only one that trusts and feels it in his bones that somehow he’s been called to do the things that Jesus does. McLelland says, “Eleven men saw that happen. Only one lived it. Eleven watched it. Only one embodied it. Eleven knew what it looked like. Only one knew what it felt like.” I won’t write every point that she makes because I encourage you to listen to it for yourself. My point though, is that our staff are the ones that have heard the call to “come.” They are the ones that feel it in their bones that they’ve been created to do the things that Jesus did, to live as Jesus lived, and that are willing to commit to learn and grow in community. They are the ones that are getting out of the boat…And even if they don’t do it perfectly, they will remember what it feels like to grow together; they will remember what it feels like to trust God; they will remember in their bones the things that they will see God do this summer, and just maybe they will be like Peter who we find again in the book of Acts doing the things Jesus did, not as a spectator but again as an active participant in the work of the Spirit. Likewise, our staff have committed to being active participants in the work of the Spirit to bring the Gospel to a lonely generation that desperately needs to know that they are seen and loved by a Holy God.

So, when you bring your camper to camp or if you think about us over the summer, be lifting up our staff, the young men and women that have heard the call to “come” and that are getting out of the boat.

Our King’s Camp community says thank you to their courage and willingness to actively participate in the work of the Spirit.

Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pearls-with-kristi-mclelland/id1606458317?i=1000551736567