What a Week!

Last week at Midwest Family Camp was an amazing week. It was filled with fun, community, challenging teaching and worship. I always love seeing first time attenders come to camp not sure what to expect and then see how God works in their lives. Camp is certainly one of the most exciting weeks of the year.

Our camp theme was “Abide: the grace of the Law.” We looked at the story of Exodus and how God delivered His people from slavery and gave them the 10 Commandments. During our class time we talked about the 10 Commandments using an excellent tool called The New City Catechism, an app for phones and tablets that helps ask 52 essential questions to the faith. We learned that God doesn’t simply want ritual obedience but He wants loving hearts that lead to obedience.

Teen sing was a highlight for many. It’s a teen worship service each night, led by teens. Some nights there were testimonies and the teens opened up their lives with each other, even leading to open confession and dealing with sins. The Holy Spirit led us in a very freeing, life-giving time. Wednesday night we had worship on the beach during a beautiful sunset! Very cool!

Even as I returned from camp with very fond memories and a thankful heart, I came home to the harsh reality of the fallen world that we live in. Many of you may already know or have heard that a young student at Revere High School was killed in a car accident on Sunday night. Katherine Babak was a member of Crosspoint Alliance’s youth group, a youth group we often partner with. Two of her friends and the other driver were seriously hurt and are in the hospital still.

Ryan Lawrence, the youth pastor at Crosspoint, called and asked me to help coordinate a prayer vigil. The last collaboration I had was at camp for a celebration service, and yesterday I spent the day preparing for a prayer vigil for the untimely death of a teenager. You’d be hard pressed to find a subject harder for youth pastors then the death of teens. Yet I am thankful for the community we have in the Akron youth pastors, where we know we have co-laborers who will come to our aid the moment we need it. I’d like to thank Jerry Smith at St Luke’s, Todd Shoemaker at Grace and Ryan at Crosspoint for your efforts yesterday and that will continue in the wake of this tragedy.

Led primarily by Ryan, we held a prayer vigil at Revere High School last night, the first prayer vigil on their campus in over 40 years. We were uncertain of how many would show up, but knew we wanted to provide the space and time for teens and families to come together, to grieve, to share and most importantly to hear the hope we have in the resurrected Lord. Thanks to the power of social media the word was spread and over 500 people showed up last night.

It was an amazing sight to see so many come, write notes of encouragement, prayers and memories for the families. So many wanted to write that our tables were overwhelmed and we had to usher people over to the service. At this point the news of this tragedy was still distant and surreal, until her parents arrived. Seeing them made their pain almost tangible. The devastating agony of having their child ripped from their life brought the reality that we were not just event planning, but creating a space for God to bring healing and hope to deep wounds.

The Babak’s both shared testimony of Katherine’s life and her faith in Jesus. Ryan shared the truth from the Word of God that Jesus conquered death so that we could overcome. Anyone who trusts in Christ will have the power over death one day and has the hope of the resurrection to look forward to. This is what Katherine believed, this is what the Bible says and this is what we must proclaim.

I kept thinking that I have nothing to offer, I have no words, I am inadequate to be there and counsel in this. Yet God reminded me that He understands her parents’ grief. He knows what it means to lose a child in a tragic way. He was there when His Son died on the cross for sinners. He saw His boy beaten, crucified and buried. That was real! God the Father agonized the loss of His Son. Though He knew the resurrection was coming, the event, the pain, the separation was real. He knows pain.

It is the very truth of the resurrection that will bring the healing to the family, to the community. Jesus conquered death! He promised a home for those who trust in Him, that He would come back for us and we will be with Him forever. This is the truth we have to offer. This is the hope to cling to during a tragedy.

The reality is that nothing we say today will alleviate the pain of separation right now. It will take time to heal. It will take friends, family, community and church to heal. Yet the truth of Chris is ultimately what will bring healing, comfort and hope. Thus we proclaim it. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16 ESV).