As you all know, we launched a brand new Church camp this summer: Camp Caraway. Caraway, at its root, means pure, precious, & beloved. I love that word "BELOVED". The word means, "much loved, close to one's heart, adored, prized, treasured, favorite". It is the desire of every heart (wheather we admit it or not) to be someone's beloved or favorite, someone that is treasured.
In scripture, God uses that word to describe Jesus:
"While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, a voice out of the cloud said, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.'"
The amazing thing is that throughout Scripture, that is how we are referred to as believers! Colossians 3 says it this way:
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
We are His chosen, dearly loved people. We are meant to feel special and loved. That is what I witnessed at camp. Kids that may not fit in anywhere else had a place with our camp family, with those "chosen people".
Thankfully, we don't have to wait until next year at camp to see that kind of belonging. In our Church, I see people being cherished and treasured week in and week out. There are women finding places in the family by volunteering, sewing or joining Bible studies. Men are becoming brothers or uncles by going fishing with young men or by playing basketball with each other. Relationships are being formed, friendships are being forged. People who were once strangers are becoming precious to each other because they have a common bond - they were orphans adopted by a loving Father, now beloved children.
"But YOU are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."
Beloved
As you all know, we launched a brand new Church camp this summer: Camp Caraway. Caraway, at its root, means pure, precious, & beloved. I love that word "BELOVED". The word means, "much loved, close to one's heart, adored, prized, treasured, favorite". It is the desire of every heart (wheather we admit it or not) to be someone's beloved or favorite, someone that is treasured.
In scripture, God uses that word to describe Jesus:
"While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, a voice out of the cloud said, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.'"
The amazing thing is that throughout Scripture, that is how we are referred to as believers! Colossians 3 says it this way:
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
We are His chosen, dearly loved people. We are meant to feel special and loved. That is what I witnessed at camp. Kids that may not fit in anywhere else had a place with our camp family, with those "chosen people".
Thankfully, we don't have to wait until next year at camp to see that kind of belonging. In our Church, I see people being cherished and treasured week in and week out. There are women finding places in the family by volunteering, sewing or joining Bible studies. Men are becoming brothers or uncles by going fishing with young men or by playing basketball with each other. Relationships are being formed, friendships are being forged. People who were once strangers are becoming precious to each other because they have a common bond - they were orphans adopted by a loving Father, now beloved children.
"But YOU are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."
- 1 Peter 2:9-10
There's room for you in our family! Join us!