This past week I’ve been on the road with Alabaster Box at Deep Camp in Seymour, IN. It was one of the highlights ministry-wise of my whole time in America I think. We worked with the guys from KBM. The young people who came to camp came wanted to intentionally go deeper with God. Words cannot describe the hunger of those kids for a deeper understanding of God. The picture shown is of an early morning non-compulsory ‘prayer and worship’ session. I was in a meeting with leaders as we were discussing whether or not we should bother holding it. It was a fairly general consensus amongst us that few of the students would show up so early in the morning after such an already intense week. We were proved wrong! Nearly 100 kids rocked up… more than were actually on ‘Deep Camp’! Leaders from other areas of the camp also showed up. It was a true indication of what was really going on.

One young bloke, probably only 15 years old, got up and shared a bit of his story. He stood up wearing very dark ‘cool’ sunglasses and said the reason he wore them was to hide from people his addiction to porn. No one could see where his eyes were wandering. As he was sharing he threw them off and professed deliverance from this sin and shared how he accepted Christ as his Saviour!

The week epitomized repentance, forgiveness, deliverance and an overwhelming sense of God’s absolute love for us.

My highlight of the week was Friday morning when Alabaster Box played just two songs during the finale. Students sang with hands lifted high – ‘We will not be silent this is our salvation day’ so loudly and passionately that the heavens opened. The presence of God was so tangible in the room I (who’s heard that song more times then I could care to imagine) had tears streaming down my face. It was a declaration of what God had done and was doing in their lives. I wish I had my camera there to capture the moment.

I’ll share more thoughts and stories from this week… but for now I’m gonna close with the lyrics to ‘We will not be silent’… Click here to listen while you read if you want to join in!

We carry a cross
For this life
For this life
Once we were lost
But to die for this
To die for this
Reprise our lives will not be…

~Chorus~
Silent
Silent
It’s our salvation day
And we won’t be
Quiet
Quiet
And this is our Salvation Day

And people will stand
For liberty, liberty
Forgiveness of man
Who’s bored with
This bored with this
Reprise and our lives will not be…

~Chorus~(x2)

For this hope on which we stand
Salvation
Salvation
For this hope on which we stand
Salvation
For this hope on which we stand
Salvation
Salvation
For this hope on which we stand
Salvation
Salvation will not be…

Silent
It’s our salvation day
And we won’t be
Quiet
Quiet
And this is our Salvation Day
Silent
Silent
It’s our salvation day
And I won’t be
Quiet
Quiet
And this is our Salvation Day