Who Served Who?

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. ~ Ephesians 3:14-21

I have not writing anything since August 3rd, because I left the next day for Bethesda Mountain Builders, a camp at Lutheran Valley Retreat near Pikes Peak Colorado and was there through August 8th. Since then I have been doing my usual things for Cross of Christ Church and my normal readings but mostly I have been downloading and reflecting about this week of camp. Most of you know that I was involved with SonRise Camp in Anderson Indiana and had been involved with this camp long before it was SonRise and had a home in Anderson. However after moving here to Denver in August of 2011 I have not been able to attend camp, mostly because of my health and there have been some scheduling issues.

So finally I was able to attend a week here in Colorado and I want to tell you that I was not disappointed! Seeing the ministry that I was involved with for so long grow and thrive the way this ministry has is totally God's providence, not for any one person but for the benefit of many. To see so many "strengthened with power through his Spirit in their inner being" has this servant humbled and in total awe! Seeing Christ dwell in the hearts of so many through faith has me still in tears, not of sorrow but of total joy and peace and love, that I can not put into words what I experienced.

Many of you who know me know that I am very seldom at a loss for words however this past week has left my heart full but my mind numb with wonder and awe. For those of you who do not know, this camp ministry is a ministry that "Ministers with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities." This is a statement that I often question, after serving in this ministry for many years and being present this past week I truly question who has disabilities and who does not. I have been witness to many occasions where my friends that this society has labeled with a disability know the Gospel and trust in Christ to a level that I envy and long for.

This past week of camp was no exception, I again witnessed a level of trust and love of Christ that has left me feeling disabled. I witnessed a level of servanthood that has left me feeling so inadequate that I can do nothing but fall to my knees and ask for forgiveness to a God that loves so deeply that He has gifted my friends with a gift, a gift that we have labeled it a disability. I was allowed to witness a God that desires a relationship with us so much that He has put among us angels that know and love and trust Him with so much that they have given their existence here in this lifetime so that we might have a glimpse into a Heavenly existence in His presence. So I ask, who is disabled?

My prayer is that each and everyone of you are able to have an experience like the one I was so privileged to have. To have and experience that (as Paul so eloquently put it here in Ephesians) may give you a strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. I know that I have witnessed such a comprehension in the friends we think we are serving when in actually they are the servants that teach and show the love of Christ to a level of understand that this man longs for. Amen. <><