A Walk Up the Dusty Road (Summer 2024)
The end of worship service at the end of the camp week was a highlight for many campers this summer. All the conversations, experiences, teachings, interactions from the week culminate into one big tipping point in their lives: What do you need to die to in your life to truly follow Jesus?
Many times, we as churched people can easily become immune to the power of the cross and the accomplishment of redemption through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Each week, the staff’s broken but best attempts to bring this to life made the impact more tangible.
Campers ended the service by writing at least one thing they felt the Lord was asking them to die to on a sheet of paper. With paper in hand, they walked the dusty camp road up the mountain watching the live skit put on by our staff. Clutching the truth in their hand, they listened to soldiers taunt Jesus and the whip snap on his back; they watched him struggle to endure and carry his cross up the mountain.
At the top of the mountain, they passed by a Jesus in agony hanging on the cross: the crown dripping blood down his face, sounds of gasping and groaning filling the air. They found their seat by torch light and sat with the reality that Jesus died this death for them, to cover their sin like the one written on their piece of paper.
Jesus breathed his last and was taken down off the cross, the gospel come to life still simmering in the hearts of all present.
The strings of the guitar moved their hearts into song:
At the cross, at the cross
I surrender my life
I’m in awe of you; I’m in awe of you
Where your love ran red, and my sins washed white
I owe all to you, I owe all to you
One by one as they wanted to and felt ready to, campers walked their piece of paper to the cross and nailed that thing they longed to die to on the wood. They let it die there on the mountain and walked back to their seat. The act of physically leaving an abstract idea of sin at the cross brings a tangible letting go and lightness to a person’s spirit that is powerful and life-giving.
There’s a place, where sin and shame are powerless
Where my heart has peace with God, and forgiveness
All the love, I’ve ever found
Comes like a flood, comes flowing down
There’s nothing like the freedom in our hearts when we let go of the sin weighing us down, ensnaring us, and keeping us from the life Jesus died to give us. The joy and peace is overwhelming. And the glory of the mountains surrounding us on this night of camp touches the soul in ways only God can.
We’ve heard before the criticism of the camp setting being manipulative or set up to be emotional. Things like this skit can be pointed to for their proof. But I’d like to add to that conversation. As a staff, we definitely plan and pray through a program every summer - something that will bring the impact of God’s Word and truth into the hearts and minds of teens. We DO NOT desire to produce an emotional experience - we DO desire to produce disciples who will turn the world upside down with their love and fervor for Jesus.
Unless we step outside our everyday influences and busyness and distractions, when would we ever make time to come face to face with the reality of our spiritual condition and our need for God? Our enemy excels at keeping us away from those realities we need to confront. It’s his full time job. We make it way too easy for him.
God is using experiences like this one I’ve shared today to bring the truth and hope of the gospel to teens at Whisper Mountain Camp. His impact is great. We praise God for all the ways He used our staff to awaken the hearts of those who needed plugged into the beautiful and glorious gift of the cross and the life found in His resurrection.
There is no god like our God!
Song quoted above and sang this summer is by Chris Tomlin, At the Cross (Love Ran Red)
You can find it on our Summer Playlist on Spotify!
