Sr. High

well so I went up late. and I can't even begin to describe everything that happened this past week, except that it was amazing.
but I do want to put up the story of our camper worship..
this is the worship we did, the camper worship. the closing worship.

as the other campers walk down to vespers, we sing "Sanctuary". then Alix prays for the worship, and the campers, and just everything.

Tyler stands up and reads Matthew 4:1-11(i think that's what it was), which is when Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. then i talk about how, you know, everybody is tempted and tested, even Jesus. and when we get back home, back to our normal lives, we can expect to be tested and tried and have hard times and things to go bad. and then i sit down.

then Kellie reads Acts (either 3:42-47 or 4:42-47), which is about how all the early Christians sold what they had to support each other and the community, and how they grew closer to God and saved many people. and i talk about how now that we've been at Lakeshore, we're part of the family, the community. when we leave Lakeshore, the community doesn't end, because Lakeshore is us, wherever we are, wherever we gather.

and then Sumner reads I Corinthians 10:13, which says how God will never let you be tested beyond what you can bear. And I explain how in this verse, what it's saying in the original Greek is..... God will never let YOU (singular, the individual) be tested beyond what YOU (the community, plural) can bear. or another way of saying that is, GOD will never let ME be tested beyond what WE can bear.
And so you find that, as Christians, it's in our roots to hold each other up. we have to help each other face the hard times in our lives, we have to lean on each other. and when we get back home, each of us to our own problems, we have to help each other through the hard times that most definitely will come, because we are part of the same community, the same body, as Lakeshore and as the church.
and while i say this, i try to look them all in the eye, to relate this to everyone, to really make them understand what i'm saying.
and it's cool, because it seems like they really are listening. they're looking me in the eye, Jennie is smiling, Gowan and Lisa have thoughtful looks on their faces, and Katrina really looks like she's getting something out of it, more than i expected.
and it's cool, because i'm getting something out of this. i'm teaching myself as well.

and then i sit down, and Thomas stands up. and he holds up a roll of yarn and explains this symbol we have. we're going to tie everyone's shoe together with one piece of string, to symbolize how we're all part of the same body.
and so he starts tying. and we, the worship team, didn't think about how long this would take, so we just start singing.
and the camp sings, we sing everything. "Seek Ye First", "As the Deer", and more. and it's really, really beautiful, because people have this expression on their faces, and some of them have their eyes closed, and you can tell we really mean it. and we sing everything, and we sing the songs we learned back in the main camp days, as Elementary campers, the songs we never sing at Wilderness. and we just really feel the music, and sing whatever song comes into our heads.
and then Thomas is done tying. And i explain the next part, how we're going to pass the scissors around and cut the string between each of us, but leave it tied to our shoes. and this symbolizes that even though we are individuals, we are all part of the same thing, and we will always have this common bond.
and then Kellie has this brilliant idea. and as we cut the string and pass the scissors, we sing "Lean on Me". not as a joke, not in a funny way, but seriously, and it fits so well, and it really is beautiful.

and then we sing "Madly in Love". and HeyRhea prays us out, and we all hold hands for a moment afterwards and pray silently. and then worship is over.

it was.. powerful. i could feel God, even in me, in my words.



I'm madly in love, with you....
And I'm madly in love, with you
I'm madly in love, with you
I'm madly in love,, with.. you...

Let we do in here,
Fill the streets out there!
Let us dance for you!
Let us dance for youu!
Let what we do in here,
Fill the streets out there!
Let us dance for you..
Let us dance for you