Occasions made special
Blog by Rev. Nick Jeffries, Director - Chestnut Ridge Camp & Retreat Center
The other night my son and I built a campfire, roasted marshmallows, and ate smores together in the backyard. Was it a special occasion? Birthday? Friends over for dinner? Nope. We made smores just because it was Wednesday. We had no better reason than that. So we had a special evening together, collecting sticks, being mesmerized by the fire, and getting marshmallow goo all over our hands and face. Just my son and I. It was not a special occasion, but it was an occasion that we made special by spending quality time together.
Summer camp is full of ordinary occasions made special.
- An ordinary Tuesday at lunch becomes memorable when counselors dress up like super heroes attempting to "rescue" the squash.
- A normal day at the pool quickly turns into a party with a little music, a few pool games, and some energetic counselors.
- A climb in a tree becomes a self-esteem boost when that tree happens to be part of the high challenge course
- Digging in the dirt turns into a learning opportunity when a camper says, "oh! that's what a broccoli plant looks like!" and realizes where their food actually comes from.
- Time spent grooming and riding a large horse becomes so much more when a camper who is struggling to connect with peers and won't talk to her parents, connects with the horse she's riding and starts showing affection, love, and displaying a smile not seen in a while.
- A simple walk around the lake turns into a pivotal faith formation moment through the sharing of Biblical stories and God's love.
Summer camp is not about celebrating life's special occasions. It's about celebrating life and making occasions special. It's taking the simple acts of living in community - eating, worshiping, living, laughing, farming - and making them into special memories that last a lifetime. That's why our interviews with potential summer staff contain questions like, "What do you do for fun?" and "Tell me about the silliest, goofiest thing you did this past year" and "You've got a 30 minute time slot to fill with the youngest campers, what do you do?" Yes, we're looking for mature, responsible young people, but we also want to be sure that they are engaging, energetic, and have the ability to make any moment special. That's why so many campers come back year after year. It's not because we have a pool, some horses, and food. It's what the creative, energetic, imaginative staff does with those things that makes the moment, and thereby makes the memory.
Don't wait for a special night, go make this normal night special. Get those marshmallows out and go make a campfire with the family tonight.
Join us for Father/Son or Mother/Daughter Camp to make a normal summer special this year
One in Heart and Mind
Last Sunday, I had the privilege of preaching from Acts 4. At this point in Luke's narrative of the early church, Pentecost is a historical event and groups of believers are moving from word to deed, from belief to faith. (That is how I understand faith - living our lives according to what we profess to believe). As I lived into Luke's words, I found myself lingering and returning to one phrase: "All the believers were one in heart and mind." For real? At first I wondered if Luke might be just a bit prone to exaggeration.
Being of one heart and mind sounds a bit dreamy to me, but Luke reports to us that this kind of solidarity - brought about by a common belief in the resurrection of Christ - is a mark of the early Christian community. Maybe it didn't last very long, but at least for a moment, unity marked the community of believers.
As I've lived with these words, long after the sermon, I realize how much unity, even in diversity, defines the community at Chestnut Ridge. Persons who work, volunteer, and visit here come from a variety of social, economic, educational, and even spiritual places. Yet, here in this special place, we are unified as we live together, be it for a few hours, a few days, or a few years.
What is it that draws us together? It is the belief that the resurrection of Jesus makes a difference in how we live our lives. That is to say, we're all trying to enact our common belief. Without exception, we believe that God is capable of breaking into our lives and changing us and our world.
That is what I see here every day. A child who realizes on the challenge course that listening is more important than talking. A middle schooler who experiences a moment of "awe" that didn't require any batteries. A high schooler who realizes that their identity is not given to them by their peers, but is in truth deeply rooted in Christ. A college student who believes that social justice means we need to consider the needs of others ahead of ourselves. A summer team so qualified they could choose any number of ways to spend their summer, yet they choose to spend it in service to children, youth, each other, and God. Adults who leave renewed by spending time away, and return to the world stronger and more passionate.
We haven't perfected unity at Chestnut Ridge, but it is a worthy goal. To the extent that we find unity based on our belief in the resurrection of Jesus, the love of Christ is made visible in our midst. That folks, is what I believe Luke is talking about.