Scripture: Psalm 121; Luke 18:15-17

It’s been over 20 years of hot summer days with no air conditioning, being eaten alive by monster mosquitoes, and braving a sea of discarded towel, abandoned underwear, and cold standing water just to get a hot shower.  And some summers, those are the good points.  But, every year I go back.  There is just something about summers and Chippewa that go together. 

One of the camps I direct is called New Adventures in Christ.  It is designed for adults with developmental disabilities.   Now about six or seven years ago there was a heat wave and my campers dropping like flies!  As a matter of fact, I had called 9-1-1 so often by Thursday evening the dispatchers knew my voice.  Before having the opportunity to explain my emergency – a camper had passed out face-first into his watermelon and we couldn’t get a pulse - I heard him say:  It’s that lady at Chippewa again. 

And as if developing a first-name relationship with the Ottawa EMT’s wasn’t bad enough, there were two staff members who couldn’t decide which side of the developmental line they wanted to stand on!  Those two complained about everything!  They didn’t like the to the walk to the dinning hall.  Why did we have to wear blue jeans just to ride the horses?  They even complained about FOOF.  That means “Feet Of the Floor” which translates into one glorious hour of peace and quiet!  It was finally so bad that one of them actually got into a yelling match with a of camper over a board game.  I finally sent them to their rooms until they apologized and agreed to play nice! 

By Friday I had had enough.  All I could think about was making it to 1:00 - check-out time. But, alas, fishing was scheduled as their final activity.  It was . . . and still is . . . my least favorite activity.  Think about having eighteen or twenty developmentally disabled adults standing in close proximity of one another – not to mention all the trees, bushes, rocks and other natural obstacles – then handing them fishing rods complete with very sharp hooks, bobbers, and hundreds upon hundreds yards of lines.  Trust me, they don’t fish as much as we bait hooks, cast, and untangle lines!  But that particular year we didn’t have to worry too much about baiting hooks because the paid staff forgot to pick up the worms!

Being more creative than patient, however, we finally managed to get enough campers fishing to avert an uprising!  In the midst of it all, one of the other counselors tapped me on the shoulder and whispered:  Look over there!

One of the other counselors was helping a woman who had been blind from birth.  Although she was well into her 30’s, her week at Chippewa was the first time she had ever been away from her family and experienced nature first hand.

When I turned around, she had already caught a fish and the counselor had taken it off the hook.  He was holding it in one hand and very carefully guiding her hand over it.  All the while he was explaining to her exactly how it looked.  When he had finished, he gently placed it in her hands, lead her to the water’s edge and let her set it free. 

The hush that fell over the pond that day; the look on their faces, the gentleness of his hand and the beauty of his words – after a week of emergencies, heat, and arguments heaven and earth had finally intersected.  It was just one moment in time . . . one common place occurrence that would have been so easy to overlook. Yet, on that day we knew, without a doubt, that we were standing on holy ground.

Friends, why have we convinced ourselves that such an experience is reserved for some big, once-in-a-lifetime experience?  Why do so many think the only way to come face-to-face with God is through seeing a burning bush, hearing some mysterious voice from heaven, or experiencing some super-natural phenomenon when all we really have to do is look around? 

When the psalmist raised his eyes and was suddenly overtaken by the beauty of the hills surrounding Jerusalem, it was, in all probability, just ordinary day filled with ordinary tasks.  How many times had he glanced up at those hills and never thought a think about them? But on that day, for whatever reason, he was suddenly so overtaken with beauty of it all his heart began to sing and he knew.  He was, without a doubt, standing on holy ground.

And when Jesus performed his miracles – when he fed the hungry, cured the sick, forgave the sinners – was he in some isolated area far removed from the events of everyday living?  Of course not!  He was standing in the midst of all the sights, sounds, smells, and disappointments of life!  So, he broke bread and blessed children.  He stood on the shoreline and called fishermen his friends.  He looked into the eyes of frightened women and told them they were blessed.  Yes, Jesus knew that when we look through the eyes of God everything and everyone can be holy. 

And we can do the same.  We, too, can look through the eyes of God at the world around us.  And if we do, everywhere we go . . . every step we take . . . will be on holy ground.To God be the glory.  Amen.