by Peter Koontz
The work of the Lord our God requires our entire commitment. In Mark 12:30 spells this out for us, saying that the path of a follower of Christ is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”. We cannot do this work on our own in a world that seeks to distract, harm, and derail us. In fact, we are CALLED to not do this alone. We need to be part of a team that’s seeking to train together to do this work.
For the past two weeks, I have had the privilege to be a small part of a team that is embodying the fellowship of growth and love that the Word of God shows us the beauty of in Philippians 2:1-2. This passage reads, “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind”.
The Shepherds have prepared and equipped themselves for a summer of Ministry by fully embracing brothers who are like minded. During the Pine Summit retreat, I saw young men coming alongside one another in Christ-like love, truly showing that they are one in spirit and of one mind mere hours into meeting one another. Burdens, trials, sins, and failures were laid bare before those who were truly strangers a short time ago, knowing that all who were there with them had their sins washed away just the same.
They came down from the mountain energized and eager to learn all they could during a long training week. The week presented the group with many questions, obstacles, challenges, and bright young faces of Junior coaches who they would be guiding all summer long. But this new team rose to the challenge, relishing in the love for their God and their peers. No beating sun, challenging question, or heavy box of equipment was too much for this team. As a lone man, any of them could have fallen, but as a team of brothers they learned and grew from every day’s challenges and came out the other side ready and eager.
The blood of Christ brought together mere strangers over a short few hours, transforming a band of young guys who had come from all over the country into a team eager to share the good news that had transformed them with everyone they could. Many came in to Day One timid and unsure of themselves, but were quickly built up by their new friends and ready to tackle whatever challenge was presented to them in the coming weeks and months.
The Shepherds have assembled, and they can’t wait to feed the flock given to them by their great God.