The Simplicity of Faith

Mark 10:13-16

Hello from Camp Joy again! We have had another wonderful day with breakfast, horse riding, good fun fellowship and a great lunch of pizza and salad. Camille (pictured with special friend, Alyssa) sends her greetings to all of her church family. She did want Dr. Sam to know that she only petted the horses; she didn’t ride one.

Our Bible story today is from Mark 10:13-16. Many people brought their children to see Jesus. They wanted them to see the man whom they had heard so much about. But, Jesus’ disciples thought it was better if the children left Jesus alone. They rebuked the people who brought the children. I wander why the disciples would do such a thing. Maybe they thought Jesus needed to rest, maybe they thought he needed time to think and teach, maybe they thought Jesus’ time would best be used if he taught the religious leaders and showed them their error. I’m sure that any number of reasons could be given as to why they wanted to shield Jesus from the children. But, Jesus didn’t care. 

He wanted the children to come to him. He wanted to visit with them. He wanted to see them. He wanted to love them. He wanted to care for them. Isn’t that a beautiful picture of the compassion and heart of God? Jesus wanted to hang out with children. I think it is a wonderful connection with Camp Joy. Jesus wants to hang out with these precious campers. He wants to interact with them. He wants to love on them. He wants to share himself with them. He wants to sit and talk with them. I have told our counselors that not only does Jesus want to do all these things, he wants us to as well. What a humbling challenge! 

But, Jesus also has something else in mind when he accepts the children. He wants to illustrate the type of faith it requires to receive and enter the kingdom of God. We must come with a simple and blind faith, the kind of faith a child exhibits in those who take care of him, those who love him, those on whom he depends. That is one of the most heart-warming things about Camp Joy to me. These “special” men and women embody the kind of faith that Jesus requires us to have. Their faith is simple, but their faith is strong! I am afraid that I have a tendency to complicate things. I want answers, I want to know the details, I want to be in control of things; but true faith says, “Chill out! God’s in control.” That’s exactly what these wonderful folks do. They just live life worry free and trusting the Lord. 

Let me tell you a story that illustrates this. This morning in Bible class, Mrs. Kathryn was teaching the passage from Mark 10:13-16. Camp Joy camper Shane Davis (who is pictured and has decided that he and I are long lost cousins because we have the same last name) got emotional because, as he put it, “Jesus loves the little children and us so much.” As he got more and more emotional, Mrs. Kathryn (the teacher) got emotional, then other campers got emotional until eventually all the campers in the class were crying, except one, Matthew, who was laughing and clapping (He’s a hoot!). In the middle of all this emotion, Stacy, another camper, decided that the mood was set for her to sing a tear-jerker from Mercy Me about the love and grace of God. So she broke out in song. By the end of her song, needless to say, Bible class was over. Such simple minds exercise great faith and demonstrate great emotion about the love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ! The faith of a child receives and enters the Kingdom of Heaven. May God give you and me this kind of faith. Let us pray to that end.

Helpful Passages:

Mark 10:13-16

Psalm 42

Psalm 27

CHD

Special Friends and Special Days

Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Romans 15:7

Friends, I write to you this afternoon from Camp Joy Session 1. Camille Lynn and I are having a great time and anxiously, especially Camille, awaiting Patti’s arrival Tuesday afternoon. For those of you who don’t know, Camp Joy is a camp sponsored by our denomination for mentally and physically handicapped men and women. The ages of the campers this week extends from the early 20s all the way to 73. Each camper, or “special friend” as we call them, is given a counselor with whom they have the privilege of building a most wonderful relationship founded upon sacrificial and unconditional love. 

Our day consists of, among other fun and exciting things, bible class, crafts, a variety of recreation activities, the much needed nap, and worship. This morning in recreation class our campers, after stretching, played the name game. They threw a large soccer ball (similar to a beach ball) to each other. When one caught the ball he/she told his/her name. The game went on until everyone had a chance to tell his/her name. They loved it. In crafts, they made a a trinket that tied into the bible story which they learned in bible class and then acted out in drama. The bible story for today is that of Zacchaeus and Jesus. Zacchaeus experienced the grace and love of God even though he had some limitations. He was accepted by Christ Jesus. What a wonderful story for Camp Joy, and all of us for that matter!   

I believe that this is Camp Joy’s 32nd year. And, I am delighted to be back. For six years, from the time I was 15 until I was 21, I averaged working at least two sessions per summer. It was at Camp Joy that I first met Camille. Little did I know that one day I would have the pleasure of being her pastor. My role this week is camp minister. It is my primary responsibility to lead worship with the whole camp and devotion time with our counselors and staff. Last night we talked about how immeasurable the love of God is. It is from everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 103); it extends to the heavens (Psalm 108); and, it overflows our cups (Psalm 23). We can’t measure it; we can only experience it. For the rest of the week (4 more worship services) we will look at four people who experienced the love of Christ, Zacchaeus (Luke 19), the little children (Mark 10), the woman at the well (John 4), and the sinful woman who anointed Jesus (Luke 7). Through our relationships with Christ and our service of him, we have the blessed privilege of experiencing Christ’s loving grace in the same way these four individuals did. 

Our theme verse for the week is Romans 15:7, “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” In the preceding verses of chapter 15, Paul tells the Romans that the role of the strong is to assist the weak, to please them, and to build them up as Christ Jesus does that for all of us. For we are all weak when compared to him. One of the most ironic and enlightening things about Camp Joy is that “normal” young men and women come to assist those who have limitations, those the world would refer to as weak. But, by the end of the week, those “normal” young men and women through God’s grace come to realize that they are really weaker than they ever dreamed and that those with limitations, those who are weak, are actually much stronger than the normal young men and women ever thought. 

Our challenge to the staff and counselors last night was to think about one way in which they could please or build up their “special friend” today and to pray about it. Also, we asked them to think about one way in which they had experienced the sacrificial love of Christ thus far at Camp Joy with their “special friend,” and then pray a prayer of thanksgiving for it. 

Let me encourage you to do the same in your life. Think about one way that you can build up a neighbor or please someone who is currently struggling with life today. Also, think about one way in which you have experienced the sacrificial and unconditional love of Christ today. Pray specifically for the strength and the courage to do what you thought of so as to build up another, and pray specifically with thanksgiving for the blessing of experiencing Christ Jesus’ love. May God be with you until next time. 

Helpful passages: 

Romans 15:1-7

Philippians 2:1-11

Psalm 23

CHD