Thursday, July 17, was “Missionary Day” at Indian Springs. Represented were a couple serving in
Speakers drew snapshots of missionary life, including low pay, sometimes difficult living conditions, often painstakingly slow progress, the joy of being faithful to one’s calling and the excitement of seeing others growing in their love for Christ. When the altar call for long-term and short-term missionaries was issued, dozens of young, middle-aged and older adults responded. It made me wonder how many opportunities people have these days to hear about mission service. Even in the church much mission work is often seen as old-fashioned colonialism. I’ve heard plenty of stories about Christian parents who discouraged mission-minded children from entering the vocation because it lacks prestige and a satisfactory salary.
As with any major life decision, one must count the costs. My parents were not exactly ecstatic when I chose to join the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ and raise my own support. They were concerned about my well-being. That’s what parents are supposed to do. They also saw that I felt called by God, so they supported me. I served in that ministry for nine years, and the Lord always provided what I needed. Please encourage those interested in short-term and life-long missionary service. The rewards may not always be tangible, but they are eternal.
Indian Springs Camp Meeting can always be counted on for good preaching. That only works if the preachers have attentive listeners. I took note of a number of good sermons, but one in particular sticks with me more than three weeks later. Benny Tate, a pastor in the Congregational Methodist Church preached one evening on 2 Timothy 4:9-22. In the passage Paul is asking Timothy to come to him and to bring Mark, a cloak left behind, books and parchments. Rev. Tate emphasized Paul’s entreaty in verse 21: “Make every effort to come before winter.”
The shipping routes in the
We were encouraged to settle differences, express love to friends and family and to act on the fact that people were ready to hear about Jesus. We needed to do these things before winter, Rev Tate emphasized. In addition to an altar call, the folks assembled in the tabernacle were encouraged to find friends and family to tell them they were loved and appreciated. I was deeply touched when I saw a woman helping her Parkinsons-stricken father find people he wanted to talk with and embrace. His sweet smile and patient demeanor said so much. His “winter” was coming and he was making certain people were aware of his love and regard. It was a memorable lesson for me.
The Editor Went Down to
I just got back from this year’s summer vacation—no, you won’t get slides and a travelogue. I had a restful and restorative time with old friends and got acquainted with some new ones.
The centerpiece of my trip—Indian Springs Camp Meeting—is a hallowed place for generations of Methodists and others in the Wesleyan holiness tradition. The sign above the pulpit (or PULL-pit, as they say in the South) reads: HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD.
What distinguishes it from other (not all) camp meetings still sprinkled around the country is the insistence that evangelists and teachers believe in and preach what John Wesley called “the second work of grace,” or entire sanctification.
Descriptions of the term vary, but I would define it as a decision the Christian makes to commit himself/herself entirely to the will of God. In my old Campus Crusade for Christ days, we were taught to ask ourselves, “Who is in control of my life.” Were we submitting our wills to the Holy Spirit, or were we hanging on to self-will?
Things have changed at Indian Springs since the camp meeting was organized in 1890. Permanent structures replaced tents. Cabin owners installed electricity, indoor plumbing and even air conditioners. Guest preachers still wear coats and ties, but have used a public address system for many years. In 2002 the massive wooden tabernacle opened the season with air conditioning. To anyone who has tried to stay awake at (let alone attend to) afternoon sessions in 90-degree heat with the smothering humidity of Middle Georgia, it is a true blessing!
The camp meeting site boasts modern conveniences, but the message of holy living has not changed. I find that very refreshing in a culture obsessed with relevance and relativity.