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It’s still hot here in Phoenix, but the summer of Kids Clubs, camps and ten week
internships is over. We are left with our reflections of what we had hoped would
be for us, a Jesus Encounter.
You know this about us. We are surrounded by people whose lives are difficult.
The relentless pounding of trouble often leads these loved ones to helplessly
accept their lot in life. One caution I held close this summer is the knowledge
that despair can cause us to miss the presence of Jesus. Instead, we blame
others, we do not take responsibility for our situation, we give up, give in,
and let the way the world fixes pain be the way we do it also.
In the Bible there is a story of a man who had been lying by a healing pool in
Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate for 38 years … thirty eight years of pain, thirty
eight years of depending on others for basic human needs, thirty eight years of
hope turning into despair. Thirty-eight years until there, at the edge of the
pool, he encountered Jesus, who interrupted all that had been deteriorating in
him.
I think this happened to us, to hundreds, multiple hundreds of us this summer.
The power of despair and giving up was interrupted. Here are some examples:
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 I can still hear children expressing their faith. In more ways than we can know
about, they chose Jesus as protector, friend, confidant, healer, savior and
giver of good gifts. Some of these children I know intimately and the faith commitments they made have altered their well being. You could see it! Camp
comes at the end of the summer for 5-7th graders. Camp worship ordinarily rises
to a crescendo, but one song this summer sums up the spirit of children whose
despair had been interrupted. Take a minute to hear them shout/sing the song,
"I Am Free".
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Our young leaders are chosen after a full year of meeting specific criteria.
They are terrific, but even with all they have going for them, many of them
limped into the summer. Tragedy had struck their young lives and their grief
clouded almost all hopes and dreams. I was watching them. The hard work of
leadership reminded them of words spoken over them before the disillusionment.
The young ones who are following them inspired them to keep going. They found
the paradox of strength in weakness. Their despair was interrupted.
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More parents of our kids are engaged in the work here. They teach, lead small
groups, coach soccer, drive vans, cook, clean, babysit, watch the property at
night, water and trim the trees, fix broken walls and fences, fight for their
voice to be heard, and donate to whatever the need is at the time. A leadership
council was formed this summer to give even more guidance to all this activity.
In the wake of a scandal unloosed, I experienced the fearlessness of parents
standing for truth over against the old patterns of hiding the sin. One sign of
a Jesus encounter is when the powerless get back their power.
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Volunteers showed up all summer long, most at great cost to themselves. Serving
in a Christ-like way these who represent Jesus naturally brings one to an
encounter with Jesus found nowhere else. This summer
 I sat with two ceramicists
who had brought clay, pottery wheels and boat loads of patience. By the end of
Kids Club they knew kids names and had spotted emerging artists who were taking
home kiln-fired creations. A Jesus sighting occurs when the body of Christ is
made whole by all the ways we give back to each other.
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When ALL the summer bills but one (still haven’t received the invoice) were paid
by August 1, and though we hoped and prayed for this … it was an unexpected
Jesus encounter. I know that many of you were behind this miraculous provision,
and for that I thank you with overwhelming gratitude. But I hope you don’t mind,
if I also experience this as a powerful way Jesus showed up for all of us who
carry this work.
I started this summer hoping against hope that I wouldn’t miss Him when he came
by. I don’t think I did, at least not all the time. Thank you for believing with
us, that we would encounter our Lord.
God bless you,
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