In just about one hour my kids will leave for two days of camp at Pilgrim Center. My first experience camping was not until I was a teenager when I spent a week in the Boundary Waters of MN. I still remember the first time I portaged and had to carry a canoe on my back, you won't think something that floats could be so heavy! I remember putting the food up in the tree so we did not attract bears, always a reassuring thought right before you go to bed. I remember sitting at the campfire until a star-filled sky in the beauty of creation laughing with my fellow campers. I can only pray that my children sense the same profound closeness to God and to others with them at camp in the coming two days.
One of the reasons why I think camp is so great is it does connect us to God's creation. It is good to sit under towering trees and swim in a huge lake to make Genesis 1 come to life. Another reason why I think camp is so great is it teaches...actually immerses us...in a Christian community. For a couple of days my children will learn that life with other followers of Christ can bring laughter...and sometimes frustration. Nothing like being stuck in a cabin with some people you hardly know to see how well we can share God's love with each other. A finally reason why I think camp is great are the meals and not just the actual food. The act of eating together whether it is pancakes or sandwiches or s'mores is woven into our DNA as Christians.
I pray my children have a blessed time at camp. I pray they sense God's presence in a meaningful way. I pray they know my wife and I will be thinking about them every day. Most of all, I pray twenty some years from now they might reflect back and give thanks to God for the times they went to camp.
May you sense the traces of God's grace as you think back on your camp experiences, as you wander in God's creation and we all seek to be the community of faith following Jesus Christ.
Peace
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