Haven't Been Camping In A While

Hello there campers!

Obviously, I am talking to myself because I haven't really informed people about my blog.  Even worse, the ones who do know about it aren't reading it!  I haven't posted since February!  I think I may resume my writings though..well at least until time distances me from my list of new year's resolutions that are inevitably going to wind up bound by procrastination.

My buddy Russ just sent me a hyperlink to Theatrechurch.com's recent baptismal videos and I am literally overwhelmed.  I was with my family and friends talking as I watched this video and began to tear up.  It reminded me of what the camp looks like outside.

For the last few months, I've focused on the inside of the camp. I haven't really focused on the "outsiders" or how I am impacting the world beyond our borders. I really needed some time for some personal in-reach and to commune with God and my soul.  I am still in a very contemplative mood.  At the helm of this new year, I now look forward to conversing with you about my observations about being in this camp of believers and how to impact those outside the camp.  I hope you'll journey with me.

In the meanwhile, lets set up our conversation for next time...watch this video.

www.evotional.com and click on the links for Baptism at the Bay and Baptism at the Bay 07

Happy camping,

Wayne  

Apostolic Amnesia

How forgetful we are becoming.

Freedom has a way of purging the mind of negative experiences. It's the reason why when some are set free from the tentacles of a ghetto, liberated from the abuse of a relationship or released from the dehumanizing effects of incarceration that they forget where they came from and even worse, who they left behind.

Christians are not exempt from this type of behavior, in fact, we are notoriously known for our speedy memory loss. Consider the words of this passage:

"Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body."-Hebrews 13:3

I think we are having a hard time reaching the world because we have amensia or Aposotlic Alzheimers; we don't remember what it feels like to be bound by sin and attached to others fettered by sin. Perhaps this is why the world has a hard time relating to us...our salvation has erased the black and blue marks of sin's shackles and we no longer have memory of our imprisonment. We insulate ourselves from the people we endeavor to reach by being emotionally disconnected. Mary Mary's infectious hit single "Shackles/Praise You" captures the mood of many in Christian circles who simply want to dance, celebrate and shout because God set us free when our celebration should also include an expression of praise for the opportunity to liberate others.

How can we reach the world if we don't remember what it feels like to be bound with them?

Welcome to The Campgrounds!

New Year's resolutions...don't you just love them? I actually like making resolutions before leapfrogging into a new year. As a matter of fact, if you are reading this, you are taking part in the materialization of one of my resolutions. I have toyed with the idea of creating a blog for some time now. I was hesitant since there are millions that occupy the web. "Why should I join the fray?" I thought. However, I am joining my voice with the plethora of bloggers out there and hoping that I can get a few to enjoy the thoughts I'd like to make public. Really, this blog is intended to recruit people who'd like to journey with me inside and outside the camp. I guess this creates a great segue for me to explain why I have decided to call this blog The Campgrounds.

Recently I was invited to speak at an event for pastors kid and preached a sermon from Hebrews chapter 13:12 - 15,

"Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name."

I've become highly intrigued by this passage of late. The camp in Scripture was the temporary dwelling place of the nomadic Hebrews. While the Hebrews journeyed, these temporary dwelling places were to be kept at the highest sanitary conditions because God dwelled among them. After a while, the term "outside the camp" begins to pop up in Old Testament literature. It became a place where the sin offerings took place, where the deceased where left, bodily excrements were buried, lepers were even relegated to this area. In short, it was a place that most Hebrews did not want to hang out because it was plain, well, nasty. Yet the author of Hebrews tells its readers that Jesus is outside the gate...outside the camp...and that they should go out and meet him bearing His reproach. Wow. That's heavy. Jesus is amongst the mess, calling His followers to join Him. There is so much to say about this that I'll have to break my comments up into singular posts...but chew on this: Priests were not allowed to come in contact with the dead and they certainly couldn't be around the other mess outside the camp...yet, Jesus, our High Priest is there beckoning His royal priesthood to join Him.

This blog is simply going to be my thoughts about leaving the camp and heading out toward Jesus. My thoughts will deal with our "camp culture" but hopefully not in a super critical way. I want to engage all of us to "camp out" at certain places along this journey to consider Christ's call and to have discussions about interacting with the mess outside our safe, tidy and clean campground. I want to talk about inside the camp and outside the camp.

I'll do my best to be consistent in posting to this blog if you'll become a camper and ask others to pack their backpacks and head toward Jesus. I am excited about it and I am thankful that you are joining me.

So, let's go.