July 26 – “Baptisms”

Today was youth camp testimony Sunday.  The kids were really excited about sharing what happened at camp.  As usual, we were wondering if they really "got" what it meant to share a testimony rather than give a report.  A testimony has everything to do with God and how he moved.  A report can tell about everything from who got kissed to what games were most fun to what we had for breakfast.  As it turned out, our problems were solved when, well, when we had a computer problem.  We couldn't get the computer to work to play the camp worship songs.  The clock was ticking.  And we had a full house to boot.  So, what else could I do?  I pulled out my uke and sang the 2009 "I'm a Nut" camp song.  In it I tell the story of camp to the tune of an old favorite camp song.  Believe me, it filled in the time.  It broke the ice.  It got everybody laughing.  I think they even forgot about the messed up computer.  And it bought us just enough time to get rebooted and set up for "real" worship.   Well, after my fabulous rendition of our week at camp, Mike was able to remind the kids that "Pastor Kelley already gave the report.  Now we can get down to testimonies."  And testify they did.  They all did a great job of putting Jesus out front.  Some shared scripture.  Others shared what God did for them personally.  Others shared what He did for the group.  Others shared how someone in the group had touched them because of God.  It was definitely the church at work.  And then we ended it all with two baptisms down at the beach.  Two of the young men who went to camp with us were baptized, and a big crowd joined us at the water's edge to cheer them on when they came out of the water.  Now that's an exciting day of worship.   Mom wasn't with us.  She went with a friend to the grand reopening of the Episcopal church that I grew up in.  She saw a lot of people she knew, and even more who knew her.  Since she was with her friend, Chris and I went out to eat and stopped by the garage where some of our stuff is stored.  We didn't have the truck, so we loaded up as much as we could in the Explorer and headed home.   We got the stuff unloaded about the time Kel and his family came by to pick up some books.  They stayed for an hour or so.  Jachin told me of his latest adventures with his girlfriend Hannah.  He made a picture with some star stickers of the two of them "heading from the parking lot into the baseball field to watch a game."  The kid has an amazing imagination.   We did something tonight that I think Chris was on the one hand dreading, but on the other, anticipating.  We put some holes in the wall.  That's right, after all that fuss over texture and paint color, we hammered not one, but nine holes in the wall.  But now she has another place to put the little knick knacks we keep finding.  There are five of those printer shelf things hanging up.  We would have done more, but I didn't have the right kind of nails.  Coming soon … pictures on the walls.   Isaiah 40:10-11 says, "See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and his arm rules for him.  See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. 11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young."   Father, thank you for the baptisms today.  They certainly were responding to what you began in their lives.  Don't stop.  Amen.