Week One Reflections

This past week was the first week of camp for Quest 2013.  We had a wonderful week filled with great campers, great leaders, good food and fun games.  We also got to experience God together in new ways, and to better know that God is inseparable from us.  He was present here with us this week, as He is always, and His Holy Spirit has gone beyond this place, dwelling in the hearts of many youth.

On Thursday we had a service that allows us to walk through Jesus' death on the cross.  I won't illustrate too much about the service in this writing for those who have yet to experience it this summer.  The story of Jesus' death is always a powerful thing to behold.  For many of us - myself included - we only focus on it once a year - during the Lenten season and on Easter.  But we are in need of more than an annual dose of God's grace. 

In the middle of the service, we stood to sing Jesus Paid it All.  The bridge of the songs goes like this:

O praise the one who paid my debt

and raised this life up from the dead.

O praise the one who paid my debt.  My debt.  It is an incredible feeling of awe when someone does something for you that you know you don't deserve.  Something you are really in need of.  It is even more incredible when they don't ask for anything in return.  The debt was ours, but Jesus took our place. 

My sins should have me pinned to a cross - but God said no.  He wanted to take the burden, and beyond that He wanted to be my friend - He wanted a relationship with me.  He wanted me to know His grace.  

Stepping back and looking at this situation there is nowhere that I can find a selfish intention on God's behalf.  He gave His son, allowed His heart to be broken so that ours could be healed.  He wants to take away the guilt and the shame.

It is awesome.  It is incredible.  It is amazing.  God is inseparable.  

Worship at vespers, Tuesday night.

~SP