{"id":1845,"date":"2011-10-12T01:00:31","date_gmt":"2011-10-12T05:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/?p=1845"},"modified":"2011-10-11T22:34:03","modified_gmt":"2011-10-12T02:34:03","slug":"wow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/10\/wow.html","title":{"rendered":"Wow!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Camp Agape is a four day retreat that allows all of us to get into the skin of our members and for our members to get to know us and each other. \u00a0On Sunday evening at Camp Agape, we have a bread and cup service.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Each year, the members of several programs of Special Gathering gather for a spiritual retreat in Vero Beach at Life for Youth Camp during a four-day weekend.\u00a0 Each year there are 200 to 220 people who attend coming from seven of our programs.\u00a0 People come from as far south as Port St. Lucie, Florida and as far north as Jacksonville.<\/p>\n

A ministry within the mentally challenged community, Special Gathering exists to do classic ministry, discipleship and evangelism.\u00a0 This is our purpose and mission. \u00a0During Camp Agape, we eat our meals together.\u00a0 We sleep in the same cabins.\u00a0 We play games, do crafts and slide down the water slides. \u00a0Twice a day we have chapel services. \u00a0The highlight of the weekend is the\u00a0bread and cup service.\u00a0 Here, we remember the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus.\u00a0 We also want to embrace the time of fellowship that this meal represents.<\/p>\n

We serve the bread wafers and the small cups of grape juice in two lines. Each person was given the invitation, \u201cIf you are a friend of Jesus, come.\u201d\u00a0 During the mingling in the aisles as people wait for their turns,\u00a0there is a stirring of the love the Lord has shown for us by the fact that\u00a0he would come to die for the bad things we do.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>When The Twins (two young women in their early 20\u2032s) came to me to be served, I realized that this was the first time, they would be served the wafer and the cup.\u00a0 I gave the bread to Ariel with the explanation, \u201cThis is a small piece of bread.\u00a0 Take and eat it.\u00a0 Jesus said that we are to do this to remember that his body was broken for us.\u201d\u00a0 I explained the cup in a similar way.\u00a0 Ariel solemnly took the wafer and small cup.\u00a0 She ate and drank the elements.<\/p>\n

Then it was Clara\u2019s turn.\u00a0 She is blind and in a wheelchair.\u00a0 I placed the wafer in her hand and explained.\u00a0 \u201cThis is a small piece of bread.\u00a0 Jesus said that we are to eat the bread to remember that his body was broken for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clara felt the bread with her other hand.\u00a0 \u201cJesus said that?\u00a0 Wow!\u201d she exclaimed quietly.\u00a0 Somehow\u00a0her simple exclamation did\u00a0something new in my spirit.\u00a0\u00a0The wonder of his sacrifice\u00a0was magnified as I encountered anew\u00a0the privilege\u00a0his sacrifice\u00a0affords us,\u00a0giving us access to the Father.\u00a0 My heart exploded with joy.<\/p>\n

I gave Clara the cup and my feeble explanation. \u00a0Again, Clara took the cup and said,\u00a0\u201dWow!\u00a0 This is for me?\u00a0 Wow!\u201d\u00a0 By now I was weeping.\u00a0\u00a0How can a simple \u201cWow\u201d renew and even transform my understanding of Jesus\u2019 sacrifice?\u00a0 I have no idea. But I was acutely aware that access to the heartbeat of God is mine.\u00a0 What more can be said but Wow?<\/p>\n

As Clara\u2019s simple exclamation made my heart sing, how has God opened your eyes to spiritual truths by the actions or reactions of others who honor and worship the Lord?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Camp Agape is a four day retreat that allows all of us to get into the skin of our members and for our members to get to know us and each other. \u00a0On Sunday evening at Camp Agape, we have a bread and cup service. Each year, the members of several programs of Special Gathering…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,5,20,3,287,186,49,16,8,4,41],"tags":[690,300,21,688,7,699,715,701,694,6],"class_list":["post-1845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-autism-spectrum","category-christianity","category-church","category-developmental-disabilities","category-faiths","category-hope","category-inspiration","category-intellectual-disability","category-mentally-challenged-community","category-simple-truths","category-spirituality","tag-autism-spectrum","tag-bread-and-cup-service","tag-christian","tag-christianity","tag-developmental-disabilities-2","tag-faith","tag-hope","tag-inspiration","tag-intellectual-disability","tag-simple-scriptural-truths"],"yoast_head":"\nWow! - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/10\/wow.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Wow! - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Camp Agape is a four day retreat that allows all of us to get into the skin of our members and for our members to get to know us and each other. \u00a0On Sunday evening at Camp Agape, we have a bread and cup service. 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