Church

This is the final night of Opportunity Camp 2010 and it has been a good week. Our staff arrived from various parts of California, Texas, Washington, Oregon, New York, and Colorado.  I'm continually amazed at the year-after-year loyalty that Opportunity Camp inspires among our staff.  Our executive director has served 31 consecutive years; others on staff have served 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 years. Camp is also a good entry point for high school students on mission trips.  It provides them with a week outside of what they would normally experience at home -- the same goal we have for our campers.  It stretches, challenges, and encourages our younger staffers. For our campers, this week is one of ups and downs.  There is the usual tension of trying to figure out a new place, a new system, a new community.  Kids are kids and each has a certain amount…

In reading Alan Hirsch's material on missional communities, he asks the question: "What is a church?"  Here are the key elements of his definition: A covenanted community – a church is a group of people bound together in a distinctive bond. A covenanted community centered on Jesus – Jesus is the new covenant with God and he thus forms as the true epicenter of an authentic Christ-ian faith.  But, more is required to truly constitute a church.  A true encounter with God in Jesus must result in… A covenanted community that worships, defined as offering our lives back to God through Jesus. A covenanted community that practices discipleship, defined as following Jesus and becoming increasingly like him A covenanted community that is on mission, defined as extending the mission of God through the activities of his people.

Each day at Opportunity Camp I'm sharing a parable from Jesus.  Today's parable was "The Unmerciful Servant."  It's the story (Matthew 18:21-35) of the man who is forgiven of a multi-million dollar debt who refuses to forgive a fellow co-worker of a few bucks. It's a powerful story about forgiveness and perspective. How easy it is for us to want to be forgiven; how hard it is for us to be forgiving. After tonight's talk, a little boy eight or nine years-old approached me on the stage.  He whispered a question: "How many times do I have to forgive someone who is mean to me?  Do I really have to forgive them hundreds of times?" And then he said something that nearly broke my heart: "I really want him to like me but he doesn't." He was referring to another camper.  His eyes were tearing up, which made my eyes…

Day one of Opportunity Camp is drawing to a close - at least for me. Our cleaning crews are just now hitting the bathrooms, rubber gloves up to their elbows. Our theme this year is about the stories of Jesus.  I'm retelling different parables in the morning and then applying them at night.  Today's parable was about the sower and the soil from Matthew 13.  I spoke this evening about three ways to prepare your soil/life for God's involvement: plow the soil put down roots pull the weeds At any given, we may be doing all three.  Spiritual growth and development is rarely linear.  In other words, it's not as easy or straightforward as doing this, then this, then that ... and here comes the growth. But spiritual growth does require intentionality.  It also requires action.  We can't just think our way to a better, more meaningful spiritual life. For…