"Resuscitation"
(August 8th & Summer Camp 2006)
September
14, 2006
This
past August, Narrow Road was part of it’s fifth week-long summer camp in
central PA. This year’s
theme was Resuscitation, focused on God’s supernatural ability to
take things that are dying or dead and renew them to life and to something
far better than what it used to be. Taken
from the texts of Ezekiel 37, daily messages and lessons started with the
idea that everything is ultimately “Ruined” through sin and that
everything on the fallen earth is not as it was meant to be… and ended
with the powerful truth of Christ renewing all things to Himself and our
ultimate purpose to “Radiate” and shine in this world as beacons of
light for Christ.
Through
lessons, activities, and “elective” sessions aimed at sparking
moderated discussion, topics including creation, worship, death and
tragedy, and other controversial issues were tackled that week.
Each student wrestled with their own personal circumstances and
tragedies in their own lives, and many took the impossible step of
bringing them to the foot of the cross, putting them to death and bringing
new life through the power that makes all things possible.
One
of the most memorable nights at camp was August 8th.
This night challenged everyone with an amazing testimony of how
hard it can be to live as a Christian in a country where freedom of
religion is not allowed. An
incredible woman with a remarkable testimony of persecution tested our
roots and made us realize how good we have it living in America.
She visited with us and shared how her and her husband lived in
Saudi Arabia, although natives of India, where they worked in a hospital
and led a small house church. The
most challenging part of her story was when the Saudi government found out
about the house church and came to interrogate her and her husband.
They literally shackled her husband and threatened to beat him in
front of his wife if he didn’t tell them the other Christian leader
names. They also threatened
to violate his wife in front of him as well as another threat to have him
give the desired information.
After
a truly poignant story of personal struggle and overall trust in Jesus,
she and her husband made it back to India safely.
She left our students and staff with one challenge; to surrender
everything to Jesus. To give
Him everything we have, are and will be.
She explained that if we didn’t, there would be challenges ahead
that we would not be able to handle because of our faith in the things of
this world that we still hold onto.
The
night wrapped up with a personal challenge to anyone feeling the pull of
God leading them to surrender everything to Him that night. Songs were sung with eyes closed and as students, staff,
visitors or anyone else felt led to stand and proclaim they were
surrendering everything to Jesus that night.
Many students and staff heard from God that night, and their
personal stories are amazing to hear.
As
in past years, our counselors were left exhausted, feeling fully poured
out to others, and praising Jesus for all His accomplishments in the
hearts and minds of so many that week.