“How to ruin a sermon….”
I was speaking at an evening chapel here at the kids week at Grace Camp. My theme was creation, and so I came up with this great idea that would help be a bridge and have some audience participation. I got four kids up there, ranging in ages from 8-11 and asked them to close their eyes, and think about what they would want most. When I would count to three, they were to shout it out. The idea was that I wanted to illustrate Genesis 1, and how the Bible tells us that “God said, “Let there be…” and it happened. So I assumed that the kids would say stuff that would correspond to something physical – like a toy or computer or something, and it would show how God is so powerful that He was able to speak and create, and we can’t.
So, 1,2, 3… and they something that is more of a phrase than a word. So I ask each one individually what they wished for. This was where it showed how much what is going on in the country is affecting everyone. One kid said “peace”. Another kid said “to help people who are being hurt in the south”.
Definitely caught me off guard. Leanne said that she could see that I was trying to figure out how to bridge it back into the idea – as what was said wasn’t very concrete. So I asked them, if you had a million dollars, what would you do with it? Same routine, count to 3, shout it out.
Same thing happened.
So actually, they didn’t ruin the sermon – they gave me a different bridge into the idea that I wanted to conclude with. That amazing truth that the Creator of the universe, God Himself knows each one of us and cares about each one of us.
The reality of what is taking place here in this country is impacting everyone. A very good friend of Leanne’s is worried – her husband was called up and sent to the conflict zone in southeastern Ukraine. 7 men from their village have gone. Some of their kids are here this week. They are trying to have normal in the midst of very abnormal circumstances.
So, I guess the time at camp seemed a bit normal – which included all of the great stuff that usually happens. Many of the children who came were from non-church homes, and the time at camp was a special time of leaders helping them to learn more about Christ, about God and about the Bible. This years theme is Genesis for both the kids and jr higher’s camp – meeting different individuals along the way through the Book and learning from their lives and the truth in God’s Word.
Here are photos from the camp. Video will be coming soon.
