I missed last week's blog time because of Super Summer. I had my computer there but didn't have the time (or energy) during free time to write about life and its happenings. Again, forgive me! I was VERY blessed by my Super Summer experience this year, which doesn't shock me because every year I am blown away by the love and grace that is poured onto the students by God. Being a Team Leader is beyond amazing. You get to see firsthand what it takes to bring Super Summer together and you get to be that person that all the students look up to! Here's a brief history (through family group pictures) of my 6 years at Super Summer:
Silver School 2006
Brown School 2007
Lime School 2008
Green School 2009
Blue School as a TL 2010
Silver School as a TL 2011
It is so strange to see all of these pictures consecutively. I've spent the past 6 summers preparing for my favorite week of the summer, and these pictures represent it. Super Summer holds some of my dearest memories. I have met some of my best friends through Super Summer and I have strengthened my faith and leadership through it. There is just so much good that comes from it!!! Seriously, if you don't go...something is wrong with you.
I'm going to share with you the most eye-opening thing that a speaker has ever made in my life. It is just a simple definition from a few verses of scripture that makes our faith so rock solid and strong that I read it at least a hundred times during the worship after Greg spoke. Here's the passage:
Romans 3:21-26 "But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for fall have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."
The word that is in bold is the word that we should focus on. This word is only written in the ESV translation of the Bible, but the Greek word "hilasterion" is used in the original manuscript of Romans 3:25. This one word changes how we view God's grace and ultimate sacrifice. In other translations, verse 25 says "sacrifice as atonement", which we view as a big deal. A sacrifice of (by definition of atonement) reconciliation. BUT, the definition of hilasterion was not just a sacrifice, the hilasterion is the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant. It is where the blood was placed during a sacrifice. This was where God and man met for forgiveness. After Jesus gave up his life for everyone else to be forgiven, the blood sacrifices weren't needed anymore. Why? Because of his propitiation. There are two kind of atonements, Expiation and propitiation. The definition of expiation is to pay face amount of what is due. The definition of propitiation is an offering that removes wrath. When we look back at verse 25 with the new term defined, we see that it reads "...whom God put forward as a offering that removes wrath by his blood, to be received in faith." The wrath that would come to us for our sins was COMPLETELY removed by the blood of Christ. Umm, hello...that is AMAZING. I don't know if that was as awesome to you as it was to me, but I sat in awe and gratitude thanking God for his great mercy.
Living life in letters,
Jennifer
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