The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. – Psalm 19:1
“I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting system through which God speaks to us every hour, if we only tune in.” – George Washington Carver
Dear sisters and brothers, I’m off to camp! I was very recently asked if I would fill in as a replacement keynote speaker for a Chi-Ro camp at Loch Leven Disciples of Christ Camp in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California July 7-12. There are many reasons that this will be a wonderful opportunity for me, not the least of which is that I have been missing the mountains.
Chi-Ro camp is for kids entering 6th, 7th, and 8th grades; and church camp is often the setting where young people first have what they can identify as a personal experience of hearing from God in some way. The natural setting of camp and the intentional time set aside to reflect on Bible teachings and the examples set by Jesus seem to work together in a way that young minds and hearts attune themselves to be open to God. A great many ministers point back to church camp as the place where they first heard a call from God.
Loch Leven in particular has a special place in my heart. This is the camp that Shayne most often attended as a young boy, and as he grew he joined me as a counselor during 4 different camps that I served as a director. Shayne is a wonderful camp counselor, and I’m thrilled that he will be at this same camp. It will be something like an old-home week for us.
I’ll also be very interested to see some of the recent upgrades and improvements at the camp that have taken place since I was last there 3 years ago. I spent quite a bit of time during the pandemic up at the camp doing handyman work; and had compiled quite a to-do list of things that needed attention (once there was some money to do them.) The congregation at First Christian Church Whittier had named Loch Leven as a preferred beneficiary of proceeds from the sale of their campus, and I have been told that over $1,000,000 has been directed to many of the repairs and upgrades on my wish list.
My job will be to unpack a scripture reading each day that sets the table for discussions and reflections that will happen in small “family group” settings where these young people will be encouraged to talk about how the scriptures address the issues they face in their daily lives back “down the hill.” In addition to any ministering to the campers, I know that I will also receive the ministry of the energy and excitement of the 46 campers and 10 counselors and other camp staff that will make up this special expression of church for 6 whirlwind days. I’ll also make sure to find some time for myself to sit and listen, and to marvel at God’s handiwork.
You may not have a chance to go to camp, but I hope you find some quiet time to appreciate the beauty of God’s presence in nature. It’s worth the effort it can sometimes be to set aside the time and to place yourself in a quiet setting in nature. As George Washington Carver affirms, God is still speaking, ‘if we only tune in.”
Peace,
Pastor Layne