The Bread of Life

Since my kids were young, they have attended Arrowhead Bible Camp each summer.  I remember dropping them off on Sunday afternoon and waiting 5 whole days to hear about their week on Friday morning.  They looked a little dirtier, a few scratches here and there, mosquito bites and maybe some sunburn.  In the elementary years, camp was fun and a safe place to make new friends who shared faith in Christ.  In high school, they each participated in a 2 week discipleship camp, which Katie now helps lead.  Those two weeks were fundamental for my kids as they learned theology, spiritual disciplines and their role in ministry.  And now, this summer all 3 of them had a chance to serve at camp and I can see how valuable it is for them to experience this type of ministry and service.

Just last week, I finally the chance to spend a week at camp for the first time, as the speaker.  What a great experience!  About 80 students gathered in the chapel each day to hear a message after they got pumped up by playing a silly game called gorilla beats the man and singing energetic worship music.  I had planned a series of messages on the "I am" statements of Jesus in the book of John with plenty of interactive object lessons.

The first night we talked about Jesus feeding the 5,000 and how that mirrored the manna in the desert when God led the Israelites through the desert.  When Jesus said "I am the bread of life," he would expect his audience to imagine the reference to bread from heaven.  

Jesus came to feed our souls, to fill our emptiness in a way that nothing else can.  He alone can satisfy.  Most of us do not know true hunger, so when we pray "give us our daily bread," we are just thanking God for our overfull pantries and fridges.  We might not feel the pangs of hunger in our belly, but we certainly feel it in our hearts.  We hunger for more attention, to know that we are valued.  We hunger for love, for someone who knows all our imperfections and still cares for us deeply.  We hunger for meaning and purpose, for fullness of life.  We hunger for something that is bigger than ourselves, something deeply spiritual, to know and be known by the Creator of the universe.  In truth, we are very hungry, and to that, Jesus speaks....I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me will never go hungry...(John 6:35)

It was right at this moment, that I prepared to share with the kids a cute object lesson with goldfish (hey, I thought it was clever - bread and fish mixed together, right?).  I was going to show how the food was multiplied and share it out to each group of campers, but as I was talking my large basket of goldfish tipped over and spilled all over the stage.  Well, I guess that it gave them something to remember.  No fish to eat, but a story of how God provides for all our needs!

I realized as I packed up to come home that I was tired, but full.  It was great to interact with the college-age counselors and staff and to get to know the kids through camp outs, games, boat rides and more.  I remembered one more thing Jesus said about bread.  

When Jesus stopped at the well and met the Samaritan woman, his disciples asked if he was hungry.  He told them he had food they did not know of.  They were a bit confused by this and wondered what he was talking about.  In John 4:34, Jesus said his food was to do God's will.  Jesus was filled up to the brim because of his service and his ministry to the woman at the well.  

I find myself rather full right now as well and incredibly thankful for the bread of life.