May the Circle Be Unbroken

I just returned from Quaker Ridge Camp near Woodland Park, Colorado, where I had the great privilege (and imposing challenge) of speaking to a terrific group of teenagers at the Rocky Mountain Yearly Meeting Senior High Camp. During our time together, under the spectacular shadow of Pike's Peak, we experienced wonderful times of worship, fellowship, recreation and conversation together. It was a special blessing to serve alongside so many of our Barclay students and graduates, who made up the bulk of the camp staff.

The last morning I spoke on the connection between worship and service, using Romans 12:1 as my text: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship [or reasonable service; the Greek can be translated either way]." I finished by taking an offering, but this one was a little different than usual. In place of an offering plate, the ushers brought two hula hoops to the front of the room and laid them on the floor before the altar. In light of Romans 12:1, we then invited everyone to come forward and stand in the circle, one at a time, indicating their desire to offer their whole lives to the Lord as an expression of gratitude to God and loving obedience to Christ.

As we sang a modern arrangement of "Take My Life and Let It Be," they came. One by one, students and staff alike, nearly everyone in the room that morning came to stand in the circle, embracing the call to offer themselves to the Lord , to surrender their lives fully to His service, without reservation. It was one of those holy moments that is impossible to contain in human language. You just knew that something very significant was taking place.

After the service, I just sat there in the front row of the chapel, overwhelmed by yet another mighty act of God. And I began to wonder where the Lord would take these students in the years ahead. How many would become church leaders - pastors, youth pastors, worship leaders, etc.? How many others would answer God's call to serve on a foreign mission field? And how many would be called to represent God faithfully in the marketplace, serving Christ as teachers, counselors, nurses, musicians or computer technicians? What an honor to witness such a significant step in the unfolding of God's sovereign plan and purpose for these young lives.

Then, quite suddenly and unexpectedly, another wave of emotion began to sweep over me. And I began to ask myself, "What have these people gotten themselves into?" Life is hard, and Christian life and ministry can be even harder at times. The Christian life is always better, but often harder, much harder than "normal" human life. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer made clear in his Cost of Discipleship, the call to follow Christ is a call to "come and die." And I began to wonder what trials, temptations and tribulations these young men and women would face in the years ahead as they did their best to offer themselves to God as "living sacrifices." Would they really be able to live through it, after all, and would their faith survive intact? Or would they throw it all away, given the opportunity, in exchange for an easier and less costly way of life?

And so I prayed. I prayed that God would protect them and sustain them, especially those that would be returning to homes where Jesus is NOT Lord, to parents who would NOT be excited about their newfound faith or renewed devotion to Christ, and to friends who would NOT share their passionate hunger and thirst for righteousness. And now, as I continue to pray, I am asking that this portion of God's Word would be especially real and true for each one of these emerging ministers of the gospel. Like Romans 12:1, this passage draws heavily upon the imagery of sacrifice and service, realities which characterized the life of Christ and will surely characterize the lives of all faithful followers of Christ as well ...

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart" (Hebrews 12:1-3).

Please pray with me that God will empower these young men and women to remain faithful to Jesus as they find their place of service in and through the body of Christ.

May the circle be unbroken.