camping with God

my message on Christmas Day came from John 1:1-14

We had an informal worship setting in our gym, with folks eating brunch around tables. Children came in their pj's. I asked the people to tell stories of camping experiences.

I grew up in Littlefield, Texas, not too far from the mountains of New Mexico. We could be at campgrounds near Tres Ritos in about half a day's drive. It was inexpensive, close, fun, beautiful. Sometimes our family pulled a little trailer, or we put a camper shell on the back of the pickup, or we borrowed tents from the scout troup.

I loved camping. All of the senses were more alive. The smell of wood smoke today still effects me deeply. Food tastes better when cooked outdoors. Ah, the taste of S'mores. You can hear further. The air smells cleaner, fresher.

I loved being with family, having time apart. We often camped with other families, and we enjoyed playing board games, and going fishing and hiking.

What I loved most about camping was the telling of stories around the campfire. My dad would say something like this:

You remember old Bill. He used to be a sure enough cowboy. He rode the rodeo circuit. Tried to stay on the backs of those bucking broncs. One day he was thrown from a bull. Hurt him bad. Got him in his back. Old Bill lived, but the stay in the hospital was long. The injury was severe. Bill would never be able to stand straight up again. He would always be bent over forever. He couldn't be a cowboy anymore.

Well, little towns take care of their own. When Bill came back to Littlefield, the good folks got him a job with the school. Bill would no longer be riding a horse; he would be pushing a broom. Bill became the school janitor. Bill did his job well. He was on time. He took care to clean up well. Most of all he was kind...to everyone....the staff, the teachers, and especially the children. Everybody loved Bill. He did his job faithfully for years.

Finally, Bill died. Now the funeral director had a problem when he put Bill in the casket. If he put Bill chest down, the legs stuck up. If he put the legs down the chest stuck up. What to do? The funeral director came up with the answer. He put a strap across Bill's chest and thighs so that Bill's body could lie flat in the casket.

Now Bill belonged to a Pentecostal church...Hallelujah, praise the Lord, thank you Jesus. On the day of the funeral, the church was filled to capacity, standing room only. Everybody loved Bill. The preacher started out quietly enough. He talked of Bill's good qualities, his overcoming his accident, his hard work, his faithfulness, and most of all his love of all people. Lots of amen's and that's right were heard. Then the preacher really went to preaching. He asked, "Do you believe in the resurrection of the dead?" Yes, the people said. The preacher got down out of the pulpit and stood behind the casket. "Do you believe that we will rise again?" Yes, the people said. The preacher started to pound on the casket, "DO you believe that Bill will be raised from the dead?" As he pounded on the casket, the chest strap broke, and Bill's head and chest popped up.

The church emptied out so fast!

We kids would then ask, "Daddy, did that really happen?" And dad would say, "Well, it could have."

You are wondering how I am going to make a connection to the scripture. We have a story in the church that says that God loves us so much that God came to live among us as one of us. The
Church celebrates the birth of this one known as Jesus on this day. Our story goes that Jesus even died for us while we were yet sinners. And even more amazing, he rose again from the dead. Now we believe that he is with us forever and that he brings all things to their fulfillment.
Daddy, did that really happen? Well, it could have. We pray as Christians that it did. This is our story, unique in all the world. No other religion has a God like this.

The connection to camping? Well that word in John 1:14, where it says the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, the word dwelt or lived is literally, tented or tabernacled or camped out. You remember when the Hebrew children were wandering across the wilderness after leaving the bondage of Egypt? You remember how God desired to go with his people where ever they went, so God told them to build a portable sanctuary or tabernacle? That is the word used here. God wants to go with us wherever we go. God won't be tamed or domesticated or located. God will camp out with us.

Is there anyplace you can go that God can't go? Sickness, depression, chemical dependency, divorce, grief....even hell. Our scriptures say that Jesus descended into hell. Is there anyplace you can go where Jesus won't go? The good news I have to share with you on this Christmas day is that our God revealed in Jesus Christ camps out with us.