It Happened at Camp

It Happened at Camp

1 Corinthians 12: 4-13

Roger Lynn

July 31, 2016

(click here for the audio for this sermon)

I spent this past week at church camp with thirty two 7th, 8th, and 9th grade youth, fifteen adult volunteers, and the ongoing presence of God’s Spirit. It’s been ten years since I’ve been at church camp, and twenty years since I’ve been with this particular age group. Because I was gone all week, this morning’s worship service had to be planned in advance, including the title of the sermon. A week and a half ago I stepped out on faith and committed myself to the title “It Happened at Camp.” At that point I had no idea what I would say. I couldn’t know, because it hadn’t happened yet. But based on past experience I was trusting that something would happen worth preaching about. And, of course, it did. 

The last time I was on staff for a camp with this age group it was not a pleasant experience. In fact, I swore I would never do it again. And for twenty years that remained true. So when I was asked to serve as chaplain for the 7th, 8th, and 9th grade camp this year I said yes with more than a little trepidation. But I’m happy to report that this past week was totally worth the risk. It was a remarkable experience at so many levels. In fact, it ranks as one of the best camp experiences I have ever had.

Church camp is a concentrated and distilled experience. Something occurs in a week that often takes years in other circumstances. When God’s Spirit is allowed to blow through the hearts and lives of willing participants in an intentional setting like camp miracles happen. Community is formed. Transformation takes place. Lives are changed. And so it was this past week.

A week ago a group of individuals arrived in a remote setting in the mountains of Montana along the Boulder River in the shadow of Mt. Hawley. Some of them knew each other already, but never before had that particular collection of people been together. We were a diverse group of folks – male and female; young and old; rural and urban; affluent and struggling; Christian, agnostic, and questioning. All of us arrived at camp with our own reasons for being there. And the Spirit began to blow. 

We shared meals together. We sang silly songs together. We sang serious songs together. We played together. We did chores together. We worshiped together. We shared conversations and discussions. And with each passing moment the strands of our individual lives began to be woven together into community.

It was an amazing privilege to bear witness to the profound transformation that occurred this past week. I watched lives being changed right before my eyes. I saw miracles take place. As chaplain one of my responsibilities was to work with a different group of campers each day and help them to plan and lead the evening campfire vesper service. It was a group process. And the presence of Spirit was tangible. Every single day ideas would pour forth from their young mouths, others would pick up on the idea and develop it further, a simple but powerful experience of worship would take shape, and they would take on the mantle of leadership. 

I watched amazing acts of courage, and compassion, and encouragement. I saw both campers and counselors take the risk to express doubts, and then be met with understanding and support and acceptance. I saw campers struggle with newly emerging emotions that overwhelmed them, and then be met with kindness and gentle compassion. I witnessed sullen isolation melt away, only to be replaced with connection and community and joy. I watched a dedicated group of young adults willingly give up a week of their lives to spend 24 hours a day sharing life with the next generation, making more of a difference than they will ever know. I watched God show up, over and over again, in subtle and not so subtle ways, in laughter and tears and hugs and newly forming and unlikely friendships and the remarkable power of community. 

This congregation has a long history of supporting such transformative experiences. We provide camperships that enable children and youth to participate in camp. Through our connection with and financial support for the Montana - Northern Wyoming Conference of the United Church of Christ we make it possible for a place like Camp Mimanagish to exist and for camp events to be planned and carried out. You allow your pastor the time to participate in the leadership of such events. And I am here to tell you that it is worth it. It makes a difference. God is experienced in fresh, new ways. Lives are changed. It matters. I know this to be true because I just spent a week watching it happen. Thanks be to God.