A Day at Camp

Today, after spending an hour with the gospel of John at the men's breakfast Bible Study (which means a bowl of oatmeal for me), I will be heading down to spend the day with some 8th graders at their retreat.  Tomorrow we'll be having just one gi-normous worship service to celebrate our past as a congregation.  It will be informal, and with plenty of music.  Just part of our transition process.  I'm not preaching.

Next week either. 

I love this retreat, and so, it seems, do the participants.  It is billed as a Holy Week retreat, where we lead activities that help us in our understanding and experience of Jesus Passion and Resurrection.  We try to answer the question, "what did Jesus do that led to his crucifixion?" and show that Jesus was the champion of those on the outside, or on the bottom.  We do a footwashing and discussion about Maundy Thursday.  We have a mock trial of Jesus.  We study the stories of the resurrection. 

On Wednesday, I heard one of the 9th grades say, "It was such an awesome retreat."

In the meantime, I'm getting ideas for Lent and trying to get further in implementing them.  I'm visiting people, praying, covering some of those ministry interruptions that always happen, working with a few couples planning weddings, you know all the normal things.

And thinking.  I have a lot of things on my mind, possible blog posts, which I haven't felt like I have time to fully develop.  The "Aesthetics of Orthodoxy" one is in the back of my brain somewhere, as is a Post I would like to call, "an Inconvenient Truth", about how justice in the Bible always refers to justice for the poor.  The Bible just doesn't seem to be that concerned about justice for the rich.  Also want to write, "Love your enemies, and all that jazz", and "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus", introducing our theme for Lent.  And there are others....

In the meantime, today I'll be just a little away, without internet capabilities. I have the towels, the gospel, the water, and Jesus.  Food is provided.  What else do I need.