In response to yesterday's response...

(Please see yesterday's comment before reading this blog - Thank you.)
I don't disagree with you what I do have an issue with today is that the expectations of a camper is equally matched with the emptiness of doctrine. I agree knowing the wisdom and understand of the will of God is tied up in doctrine. The only problem I have with that is that we then separate the WILL from the SPIRIT of God. We try to get these kids (old and young) to have good doctrine but do we/they realize and understand that good doctrine is not only in our thoughts and understanding but in the active, dynamic (dunamis) power of the Holy Spirit. I am not talking about a pentecostal experience (although that always opens up cards and letters after camp is over), but a listening to the small voice that we walk with daily.

We talk about having Bible studies, prayer, and fellowship but never about allowing God to speak to you through His words, sitting and listening speaking in a two way conversaation with the Creator and Father, and sharing prophetic words into the life of a sister or brother believer. No, we separate our doctrine from the aliveness of the Spirit of God. The doctrines can be taught but the Spirit of God has to be experienced. I hope you know that I am not against good doctrine, my friend, I am against empty and dead, lifeless doctrine that doesn't redeem, heal, forgive, empower, or renew the mind of a believer. In fact, they aren't believers but they are only doctrinaires. ;) (I don't usually use email icons).

I have spoken at our high school camps about letting God speak to them and I get many of an enraged pastors, counselors, and campers telling me that God doesn't speak them, therefore, He doesn't speak. Now good doctrine, if you are a calvinist, is that God only speaks to His sheep, therefore, I should tell them, it is because you are not one of His sheep and therefore are not saved. That is the kind of doctrines that concern me.

Doctrines have taken the place of discipling. Downloading a doctrine without the experience of the Holy Spirit is easy but dead. We should be walking, not downloading, along side the camper or youth and helping them to understand that which the Spirit is doing in their lives. We need to be listening to their stories and what they are experiencing at homes or what is going on in their minds as they lay their heads on the pillow at night in the dark.

We can tell the stories of old and apply them to the experiences the kid is having today, but we can't exchange the stories of past experiences with the vivbrant life with the Spirit. And we have done that in the name of doctrine. Good doctrine should not be bound only in leather covers but in the breath of the story. Paul's words to Timothy were stories before they became doctrine or scripture. We have lost experiencing the spiritual relationship of Paul and Timothy to textbooks and commentaries. Only the ordained seminarian can understand doctrine. But Jesus wants us to experience like a child, fresh and easily awestruck, the ways, warmth, and wisdom of God (notice the W's - very Princeton).

It is easier to teach the facts of history and never experience a war. But those who experienced the war come back with embedded stories that have changed them forever.

I know it is easier to teach history than art. Art is subjective. Can doctrines be subjective? I am sounding like a liberal. Many churches have baptismals, why don't they have a fixture that have dirt in it and when it is time for the healing services the Ordained spits in it and rubs into the wound of the seeker? Why didn't we make spitting in dirt and applying it a doctrine? Do we think the ways of God are easily packaged and downloaded. John wrote in his book, chapter 21, verse 25 "Jesus did many other things as well. If everyone of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." That is why we should be story tellers not just doctrinairs.

We have only given facts, lots of facts, to our campers. It is time to let them have some stories. And we will find many of their stories do not fit neatly into our well defined doctrines. Stories are messy, doctrines are systematic. I fear many doctrines have caused more death than life. Jesus was killed because of good doctrine. (yikes did I say that?) I hope you know what I mean by that.

Off to one of the most beautiful places to work... camp.