Prayerful Evangelism

As our two youth and I have started preparing for camp, I ask you to pray. But do not just pray that they have a good time or safe travels. Pray also for transformation. Camp is a place of discovery! Similar to Sinai or even Calvary, Camp Lutherock is up in the mountains and a place where one leaves the world behind to discover God and a true self deep within.

Moses thought he wasn’t good enough to be God’s messenger to pharaoh. Elijah wavered in his faith to do what he must. Jeremiah thought he was too you. At camp, it can seem similar. When you’re looking at team building challenges, when you’re climbing a medium or high ropes course, or if you’re looking up a cliff face; for each of these situations one can easily come up and say, “I can’t do this.” But God has called you there for a purpose to grow, to be challenged, to be surrounded with folks willing to support and encourage you to give it your best effort because God, and they, believe in you.

So, pray for safety and enjoyment! And also pray for self-discovery: for them, and for you!

I pray every day, and I hope you do too, that God continues the work of transformation within each of us at St. James to be who we could be. Growing/changing us in Scripture, Spirit, and service. We must pray for God to stir within us to transform us to God’s image that God has for us. I look out on Sunday mornings and see what wonderful work God has done to transform us through unity and a new sense of self. I look out on Sunday mornings and see people trying to experience love, grace, and embrace in their own lives, with others, and with God. I look out on Sunday mornings and wonder: Who could God be calling to us for transformation along with us?

We can no longer just blame the pandemic for people missing from our pews/lives. We must embrace the one label that I think the ELCA has struggled to own: Evangelical. The word Evangelical comes from the Greek word euangelion, which means ‘good news.’ The Gospel of Jesus Christ is Euangelion: God loves creation; loves it so much that God becomes one in this life with us and died for us to see the extent of God’s love. God loves creation so deeply, that the grave could not contain it! This was the message proclaimed to the Shepherds in the field keeping watch over their flock by night. It was shouted to those who gathered by the Jordan river to transform their lives after a ceremonial baptism for the repentance of sins. It was tasted by the multitude of crowds as they were fed by Jesus. The Gospel transforms us as it reminds us of the deep deep love, grace, and embrace that God has for us!

Who needs this message that you know? Who can we help experience this in our community by helping to provide childcare, educational time, fellowship, service opportunities, and even simply moments to be? How can you engage in Evangelism?

So, pray! Pray FOR our campers! Pray For yourselves! Pray for those searching for a place to be transformed! While our campers off on the mountain, perhaps we have an opportunity to pray how we can empower them, and generations after us to grow in God’s love, grace, and embrace through Scripture, Spirit, and service!