Liturgical Musings: Recent Episodes
Zach Camp
Notes and papers from classes as well as devotionals for friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!
Christ, Violence and Scripture
No matter how hard one may try in their strength and power, what they do can never fully subdue such violence as their violent tendencies will eventually give way if not addressed. Such confrontation cannot come from anyone/thing outside of one’s self, as they cannot fully resolve the issues as they too have unaddressed violent tendencies. Left unbroken, this continual cycle leaves many without hope. Yet, what is needed to resolve such perpetual violence is one singular act of violence by One (Christ) who is without brokenness.
It has been said that when addressing violence, one should focus on the institutions, systems, and structures in places where they hope to enact change. I find that this is the sentiment many adhere to in hopes of developing a more just and fair society, and although I do not disagree that systems and structures need to change, I find that such things are secondary when it comes to the root issue.
Context and Interpretation: Violence is not new. Now, this is not a shocking revelation that requires a great deal of evidence to prove, as all it takes is for one to pause long enough and see how conflict and violence permeate all aspects of society.
@ZachCCamp
Why does Christianity seem to be failing?
Questions plague our mind:
Why follow Christ?
Why be a part of a community to then be burned by that community?
Where is God?
My life is full of pain - hurt - disappointment
What good is Christ?
What good is God?
What good is the Church?
YET - say we get rid of all such things
Where does your pain go?
Where does your hurt go?
Where do you go?
The reality of such experiences does NOT become nullified when God and the Church are embraced.
No - on the contrary
The reality of "God with us” becomes more real than any other experience in our life
Christ is NOT some abstract - lofty idea.
But a Person to be interacted with
AND - from such an encounter - we participate in the redemptive work He set forth in the world.
The pain may not go away
The hurt may linger
YET - we do NOT avoid such things - nor say they do not exist
BUT - when Christ’s reality becomes our reality - something transformative takes place
That - as we travel through such hardships:
we find a deep joy in the midst of sorrow
we find deep peace in the midst of chaos
we find a deep love that Christ shows toward us that we then show to others
Why do we struggle with lust?
Whether it is sexual, physical, or emotional - at some level, we may wrestle with such temptations.
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A desire for more.
We embrace a fantasy rather than reality.
All of which inevitably leaves us wanting - more.
A pursuit that leaves us dissatisfied.
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Jesus says come to me all who are thirsty - and you will thirst no more.
BUT for many of us - that just leaves us more confused.
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What Jesus is getting at is for us to come to grips with the reality of our humanity.
Our desire for more comes from our desire for God.
No matter how much porn, sex, alcohol, food, experiences, etc. - you will never find that desire met.
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Now - for a short period - yes - you will be satisfied
BUT - it will eventually fade - and you’ll be left wanting more.
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THUS - when Jesus says come to me and you’ll never have to thirst again - what He is saying is
- That desire for more that you can’t seem to quench will be satisfied
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What He is not saying is:
- Temptations will go away
- Life will be easy
- Smooth sailing from here on out
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BUT once again - Jesus does not leave us on our own
- HE is with us through the good moments and hard times that come with life.
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In your choosing of following Jesus - the temptation to lust will not magically go away
- BUT - when tempted - you have an opportunity to choose God
- An opportunity to invite the Spirit of the Living God into that moment
- And an opportunity to grow in the love that God has for you - the life He created you to live
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AND - when you do give in to a temptation
- It’s also an opportunity to embrace the love and forgiveness that God offers
- You won’t always get it right - perfection isn’t the goal - but faithfulness is
- AND in humility, we continually come to the One who made us, formed us, died, and rose again for us - to be in a relationship with us.
What does it mean to deconstruct your faith?
It's a complex topic, however - generally speaking - there are two spectrums :
- Deconstruct EVERYTHING: what you grew up believing, were taught, ways of living, etc...
OR
- Just accept everything by faith - don't question the status quo, because if you do - you're questioning your faith and, therefore, don't really love Jesus.
A gross oversimplification to say the least, but what if there was a third option?
NOW - before we get there, a couple of notes:
- Christianity is not void of intellect - in fact - many of the early church mothers and fathers defended Christianity by use of logic and reason
HOWEVER
- Intellect will only get you so far - at some point, there will be a faith element that you will need to tap into.
Not everything can simply be explained - but as you grow with Christ, in the body of Christ - transformed by His Spirit - we begin to experience what it means to follow Jesus.
And as you walk - by faith - on that journey, questions and doubts will arise.
Having questions and doubts do not make you a bad Christian
- Many of the disciples questioned and doubted Jesus - so that's not the issue
- THE ISSUE IS: what are we going to do with our questions and doubts
Now if you don't want to follow Jesus - that's fine - you don't have to follow Him
- You grew up in/around Christian culture, see the hypocrisy, and want nothing to do with it
You may see this deconstruction as a way to justify you leaving the faith and pointing out all the flaws within the faith as you go - and that's fair
SO - if you're deconstructing with the end goal already in mind of not wanting to follow Jesus or be a part of His Church - then you may just shrug off this third option
So what is the third option:
As a follower of Christ - when moments of doubt arise - we are to bring them before our Risen Christ
- If the claims of Christianity are true: Christ is alive
- If the claims of Christianity are true: Christ knows what we are going through
- If the claims of Christianity are true: Christ is not afraid of my doubting and questioning
You see - this third option is renewal:
- St. Paul says, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Rom. 12:2)
- The renewing of our mind involves our intellect but requires the integration of the Spirit at work within us
And so a proponent that leads many to deconstruct their faith is: the Church.
There are things that the Church does that are not Christ-like: but please know, Christ is not leaving His Church
- His Church is so much more than a building, it's more than "Cultural Christianity"
It's you - it's me | and I'm going to let you down, and you're going to let me down - that's a guarantee
But what also is a guarantee is this - I'm not the head of the Church, and you're not the head of the Church - Christ is
So in our hurt, our frustration, our doubting, and questioning - in those feelings, actions, responses that may be 100% justifiable
Will we invite Christ in to bring about restoration - to revive and renew us?
We may have worn the Christian merch when we were younger
- But have we clothed ourselves in Christ
The way of Jesus is a proposition - not an imposition
- Jesus invites Himself into your life - He doesn't force His way in
- It's an open invitation - will you take it?
There will come a time when you read something in scripture that rubs you the wrong way, and you'll have questions about it. So how do you wrestle with God well?
When moments of temptation arise, and the verse that says - "resist the devil" comes to mind - like me, you might think - "what the crap does that mean?" What/how do you resist the devil? One practical way is to not sit in those thoughts that you know are bad - but take every thought captive under the authority of Christ.
Simplicity helps us have a sustaining faith because it shifts our attention to what God has placed our life.
The goal here is not perfection or performance.
But faithfulness - giving yourself the same grace Yahweh gives to you and embracing His love and compassion. Fasting is not easy - it is difficult - and that's a good thing! That means the Spirit of the Living God is unearthing some things in you that need to be unearthed.
In a culture/society that says you deserve to feel good and enjoy the good things that this world has to offer - fasting is pausing and seeing how God is the one that can only truly satisfy. Many things in the world are for our good - yet God must be our ultimate source - and fasting helps us to reorient ourselves to Him.
To stand firm in one Spirit means that we aren't formed or molded by the news, rumors or conspiracy theories, a new movement, or political ideologies. To stand firm in one Spirit means that we are to be molded and formed by the SAME Spirit that rose Christ from the dead and raises us from the dead.
One practical way for a sustaining faith: be a disciple of Jesus.
Why be disciplined and a Christian?
Won't God forgive me no matter what I do?
Christ loves me, but do I really need to follow in His ways?
Sin and shame don’t have to be all that your life is. The Holy Spirit is a Comforter - not to comfort us from living in sin, but in the renewing, redeeming, and pruning of a life with God.
Today Zach talks about Galatians 6:1-5!
Be sure to give us a follow on Instagram, @CampChat, to stay up to date when Season 2 is going to release! Grace & Peace to you.
Are we after the promise or the Promise Maker?
Today Zach talks about the story of Abraham going to sacrifice his son Issac (Gen 22:1-19)! We don’t live for the promise - we live for the One who makes the promise.
Be sure to give us a follow on Instagram, @CampChat, to stay up to date when Season 2 is going to release! Grace & Peace to you!
We are taking a break between Season 1 & Season 2, BUT... that doesn't mean we can't release short bonus episodes! Today Zach talks about John 6:25-59, Numbers 11:1-9, and Exodus 6:5.
Be sure to give us a follow on Instagram, @CampChat, to stay up to date when Season 2 is going to release! Grace & Peace to you!
Today we talk about James 5:13-20!
New episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!
If you like what you hear, subscribe below and check us out on Instagram @CampChat! If you have questions, comments, or even topics you'd like us to cover, leave a comment down below! Our heart is to share truth from God's word to our friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!
Today we talk about James 5:7-12!
New episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!
If you like what you hear, subscribe below and check us out on Instagram @CampChat! If you have questions, comments, or even topics you'd like us to cover, leave a comment down below! Our heart is to share truth from God's word to our friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!
Today we talk about James 5:1-6!
New episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!
If you like what you hear, subscribe below and check us out on Instagram @CampChat! If you have questions, comments, or even topics you'd like us to cover, leave a comment down below! Our heart is to share truth from God's word to our friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!
Today we talk about James 4:13-17!
New episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!
If you like what you hear, subscribe below and check us out on Instagram @CampChat! If you have questions, comments, or even topics you'd like us to cover, leave a comment down below! Our heart is to share truth from God's word to our friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!
Today we discuss James 3:13-18!
New episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!
If you like what you hear, subscribe below and check us out on Instagram @CampChat! If you have questions, comments, or even topics you'd like us to cover, leave a comment down below! Our heart is to share truth from God's word to our friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!
Today we discuss James 3:13-18!
New episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!
If you like what you hear, subscribe below and check us out on Instagram @CampChat! If you have questions, comments, or even topics you'd like us to cover, leave a comment down below! Our heart is to share truth from God's word to our friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!
Today we discuss James 3:1-12!
New episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!
If you like what you hear, subscribe below and check us out on Instagram @CampChat! If you have questions, comments, or even topics you'd like us to cover, leave a comment down below! Our heart is to share truth from God's word to our friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!
Today we discuss James 2:14-26
New episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!
If you like what you hear, subscribe below and check us out on Instagram @CampChat! If you have questions, comments, or even topics you'd like us to cover, leave a comment down below! Our heart is to share truth from God's word to our friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!
New episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!
If you like what you hear, subscribe below and check us out on Instagram @CampChat! If you have questions, comments, or even topics you'd like us to cover, leave a comment down below! Our heart is to share truth from God's word to our friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!
What are we doing to help those around us? We discuss and ask this question in Episode 15 of Camp Chat!
New episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!
If you like what you hear, subscribe below and check us out on Instagram @CampChat! If you have questions, comments, or even topics you'd like us to cover, leave a comment down below! Our heart is to share truth from God's word to our friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!
Today we begin our study in the Book of James!
New episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!
If you like what you hear, subscribe below and check us out on Instagram @CampChat! If you have questions, comments, or even topics you'd like us to cover, leave a comment down below! Our heart is to share truth from God's word to our friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!
We won’t be delivered from going into the lion’s den - from trials and hard times, even confusing times - but we will be delivered from the lion’s mouth. God is with us and He is continually leading us back to Him.
New episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!
If you like what you hear, subscribe below and check us out on Instagram @CampChat! If you have questions, comments, or even topics you'd like us to cover, leave a comment down below! Our heart is to share truth from God's word to our friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!
New episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!
If you like what you hear, subscribe below and check us out on Instagram @CampChat! If you have questions, comments, or even topics you'd like us to cover, leave a comment down below! Our heart is to share truth from God's word to our friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!
New episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!
We are BACK in the Book of Daniel! In today's discussion, we talk about the story of Daniel & Nebnebuchadnezzar, and how God humbled a king who was full of so much pride!
If you like what you hear, subscribe below and check us out on Instagram @CampChat! If you have questions, comments, or even topics you'd like us to cover, leave a comment down below! Our heart is to share truth from God's word to our friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!
God doesn’t expect perfection from any of us. In moments where we fall & mess up - instead of turning away from God, we should turn to God. He is after our heart. In this episode, we discuss Christian character from our reading of 3 John!
New episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!
If you like what you hear, subscribe below and check us out on Instagram @CampChat! If you have questions, comments, or even topics you'd like us to cover, leave a comment down below! Our heart is to share truth from God's word to our friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!
'Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love. '
New episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!
If you like what you hear, subscribe below and check us out on Instagram @CampChat! If you have questions, comments, or even topics you'd like us to cover, leave a comment down below! Our heart is to share truth from God's word to our friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!
"In this pursuit of God and digging into His word, if we come to the table with a closed heart and mind then they are just words on a page. We're not open to what God has for us. But there's something special that happens when we're open, when we're allowing the Spirit in, when we're not closed off, when our hearts aren't hard and we let God speak to us."
If you like what you hear, subscribe below and check us out on Instagram @CampChat! If you have questions, comments, or even topics you'd like us to cover, leave a comment down below! Our heart is to share truth from God's word to our friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!
Happy day after Easter! We continue through our study of 1 John and ask the very timely question, "How do we recognize if the Spirit is of God?" A new life with Christ and life is full of movement and we never stop growing. God sent Christ into the world so that we might live through Him, full of His Spirit!
If you like what you hear, subscribe below and check us out on Instagram @CampChat! If you have questions, comments, or even topics you'd like us to cover, leave a comment down below! Our heart is to share truth from God's word to our friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!
Today we are going through 1 John 3 - talking about "Love in Action", and what better day to talk about Love in Action than on Good Friday! We discuss how the heart of Christ is to divide what is comfortable (sin) for what we were created for (relationship w/ God)! We will dive into this more throughout the episode! If you like what you hear, subscribe below and check us out on Instagram @CampChat! If you have questions, comments, or even topics you'd like us to cover, leave a comment down below! Our heart is to share truth from God's word to our friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!
Hello Episode 5! In this episode, we talk about how we can live out being children of God! We find peace and solace in the fact that we don’t have to strive any longer to find fulfillment - rather, we're living from fulfillment. We find that fulfillment in One Person, Jesus. We will dive into this more throughout the episode! If you like what you hear, subscribe below and check us out on Instagram @CampChat! If you have questions, comments, or even topics you'd like us to cover, leave a comment down below! Our heart is to share truth from God's word to our friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!
Paul addressed the church in Thessalonica by sending Timothy to encourage, strengthen, and uplift! We hope the same can be said of this episode! There's only so much we can say in a short amount of time, but please know we are praying for you daily. You aren’t forgotten - you do matter! Grace & Peace to all who listen. New episodes every M/W/F! Subscribe/follow to stay up to date - find us on Instagram @CampChat!
WELCOME to Episode 4! With Easter being less than a week away, we pause in our study of Daniel to talk about the Resurrection! These days it seems like we are surrounded by darkness and, if we’re honest, the darkness that surrounds us begins to grow the darkness within us - but this doesn’t mean we are without Hope.
If you like what you hear, subscribe below and check us out on Instagram @CampChat! If you have questions, comments, or even topics you'd like us to cover, leave a comment down below! Our heart is to share truth from God's word to our friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!
Welcome to Daniel Chapter 3!
We are continuing in the book of Daniel with Chapter 3! We hope you follow along with us - if you missed Episode 1 or 2, definitely go give them a quick listen - scripture builds on each other and we may have said some things that might be helpful as you follow along! AND speaking of follow, if you like what you hear, subscribe below and check us out on Instagram @CampChat! If you have questions, comments, or even topics you'd like us to cover, leave a comment down below! Our heart is to share truth from God's word to our friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!
HELLO! Episode 2 of Camp Chat - here we are!
We are continuing in the book of Daniel with Chapter 2! We hope you follow along with us - if you missed Episode 1, definitely go give it a listen real quick, we teed it up with some historical context that might be helpful as you follow along!
AND speaking of follow, if you like what you hear, subscribe below and check us out on Instagram @CampChat! If you have questions, comments, or even topics you'd like us to cover, leave a commit down below! Our heart is to share truth from God's word to our friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!
EPISODE 2 drops tomorrow! Here’s a sneak peek! 🤙
We will be in Daniel Chapter 2 - so if you want to get ahead of the game and read it - we won't stop you! See y'all tomorrow!
Hello & Welcome to Episode 1 of Camp Chat!
We are kicking things off with the book of Daniel, starting in Chapter 1!
We hope you follow along with us and speaking of follow, if you like what you hear, subscribe below and check us out on Instagram @CampChat!
If you have questions, comments, or even topics you'd like us to cover, leave a commit down below! Our heart is to share truth from God's word to our friends, family, and all those we meet along the way!