Last night was the last night of summer camp and the last night of our camp theme God's Play. Our camp pastor Larry did an excellent job all week connecting with both the kids and the adults with his messages.
The whole idea was that God is putting on a drama and giving a casting call for everyone of us to play our role. The final night's theme was Action. After all the rehearsing -- going to church and practicing the script(ure), finally we've got to go out there and perform. Pastor Larry used Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan to guide the sermon. He talked about the priest and the Levite who each passed by the beaten man. Pastor Larry said they each probably felt sorry for the guy and thought something ought to be done to help him. "But feelings aren't actions," Pastor Larry said. "Thoughts aren't actions . . . Actions are actions." He then talked about the book of James where James says, "We are not to be just hearers of the word, but doers of the word." Pastor Larry then gave us the benediction: to go out from this camp and "Just do it."
We then went back to our individual church groups for some closing reflection. In our time together I asked the kids if they wanted to hear a second sermon. They weren't too thrilled with that idea -- not until I told them it wasn't going to be me but they who would preach it. I then asked everyone who wanted to share to tell about a time in the week when they had been a recipient of or a witness to someone else doing the word.
The kids took their parts in the second sermon very seriously. All but a couple spoke and they talked about other kids helping them after they fell, or seeing some help pick up trash around camp. They talked about the adult sponsors who gave up a week of summer to be with them. Especially heartwarming to me was when one of the girls who isn't a regular at church but one of our Kids Hope kids talked about the other girls in her cabin and how they had made her feel so welcome. The sermons they each preached were Godly and good.
We then circled up around the cross overlooking a beautiful spot Lake Travis and said a prayer. It was a beautiful night.
These children now go back home. It's my prayer that having been here at summer camp to listen to and learn from Pastor Larry and each other, they will go back home and find their role in the drama God is director. Having heard that there is a casting call, may they go out for the parts, receive their roles gladly, and play them exceedingly, exceedingly well.
Now, Lights, Cameras, and . . .
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