After a week with two hundred young people from varied backgrounds, I feel greatly inspired to devote this blog to some of those youths.
The week was a tremendous blessing and there were some significant times of encounter with God, especially during worship. The messages spoken during the sessions were clear and relative, and I truly believe that the hungry were fed and the thirsty were watered.
But the devotion of this blog is to those few. I really can’t quantify or say how many, but to those who arrived with many questions possibly left with many questions, and those who struggled to engage during sessions. Those who during the times of deep intimacy of the spirit during worship were overwhelmed by the atmosphere, the intensity of the praise and the revealing of Jesus through the Word; and felt lost, these few words are your thoughts written down.
For me; no matter how powerful the service was, or how profound; or practical, our teachings were, there were some “lost sheep in Israel” that were crying out right there in our midst. Crying out for love, for hope and for peace.
They were crying out through their frustration; even through their absence in sessions, to know more than just the practicalities of the youth camp. Their behaviour screamed I don’t want to be here but their tears and conversations told another story.
I guess my point to all of this is that the church must encounter God to touch people, to embrace Jesus and all his amazing qualities which then must lead to embracing our youth. To embrace those who may not have the language of church that says, “I need help!”
We cannot become religious in our pursuit of God and remain behind the four walls of a building, forgetting how to connect with people we are meant to serve.
As we strive as the church of Christ to encounter Him more and experience; and receive His grace, it should not be at the cost of isolating ourselves behind the stained glasses of traditional windows or the lights of contemporary churches and miss the amazing opportunity to share all that we have received with those who truly require it.
Let us not forget this week during our meetings, our studies and our worship times: As we reach up, let’s reach out!
Matthew 9:35 “and Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.”
– Pastor Michael