A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Camp - 29C - CREATING SHERWOOD FOREST I

One day in 1964 when Richard and I were at Calvin Crest we were walking up and down the grounds with Ted and Dorothy Lyons.  We had wandered down to what was then called the pioneer area.   As we were walking, talking and dreaming, we started to brainstorm the kind of camp we could develop in this area for junior age children.   

We knew about camps with themes like Indian village, Wagon Wheels and Camp in the Woods.   As we were tromping around, I imagined merry men and maids running through the woods in Sherwood Forest.  We started to laugh and throw out all kinds of ideas and scenarios that could be used in camping.  That day Sherwood Forest was born!   

            Since I was the one who was blurting out a lot of the ideas, the consensus was that I should try to develop the theme for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders summer.  In the succeeding months, I wrote the Mayor of Sherwood Forest in England and contacted Disneyland.   I was looking for designs of buildings and different ideas we might be able to adapt in this setting. 

            During the time we were developing the living units for the Sherwood campers I had in mind a hut design that looked similar to a cave or barn.  The contractor who was building the units wanted an A frame design because it was easier to build. 

            When we left the camp and were driving home, I started to cry because I knew I did not want an A frame unit.  (I’m a crier.)  We stopped along the way (there were no cell phones in those days), I called Ted and said, “You cannot let him build A frames.”  I put a lot of pressure on Ted to make sure the design would be as close to a Sherwood theme as possible.   He was caught in the middle.  When I would go up to the camp and the contractor, who was a retired man, would point to me and ask Ted, “Is that the lady?”   Maybe that’s why sometimes my “nickname” would be “witch of the woods” instead of “Lady of the Forest”.

            The huts were just what I wanted.  Bob Stevenson, our Maintenance man, had creative ideas, and came up with the thatched roofs design.  They took regular roof shingles and cut them with points that looked like a thatched rooftop.   He also created the quaint shoppes in the the Townsquare where the campers would come to do their crafts.   It had a candle shoppe, tinker shoppe, basketweaving shoppe and an area for the campers to have target practice with bows and arrows.  It was a fun place to be at Camp!    To be continued:

Choosing to Make Life Work – 28L -- ARE YOU IN A GROUP TEAM?

            Whenever two or three or more people are gathered together we have organized a team.  When a couple commits in marriage to live together as husband and wife, there is a team.  When an employer hires a person to work in an organization, there is a team.  When several people commit to study the Bible together, there is a team.  When a volunteer offers his or her services to an organization or church, there is a team.

            When we join together a group of people to accomplish a particular goal, we begin to interact with others and relationships are developed.   It is important to be intentional about your goals.  Talking and listening to each other is vital.  Asking questions to better understand each other.   Assumptions do not work.  Begin with talking about a common purpose.  How are we going to function?  What do we want to see happen to accomplish our goals?  For instance as a Pastor shares with his/her staff or Session what is in his heart about the ministry of the Church, and as the Staff and Session shares with the Pastor what is in their heart everyone can be on board working towards the same objective.    Churches have small groups where people can become friends and encourage and pray for one another.   It is important to hear and be heard.

            One goal in choosing to make life work, is that the actions we take glorifies God and is consistent with what we say we believe about our faith.   We are empowered by the Spirit of God to see wonderful things accomplished as we are faithful as effective disciples of Christ. 

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Camp – 28C - UNCONVENTIONAL WORSHIP

Worship every Sunday morning was held at the campfire area overlooking the lake at Calvin Crest and at the campfire area at The Woods.   Usually, the staff planned and participated in the services.  We had a Staff Choir that practiced during the week as well which also was preparation for the end of summer Concert and BBQ.  Usually Ted gave the sermons at Calvin Crest and visiting pastors gave the sermons at Westminster Woods.  So many of our staff were gifted in music and we were blessed with wonderful vocal and instrumental music.   The volunteer counselors would join the staff for worship as they came to camp before the campers each week. 

At Calvin Crest there was a small island about a quarter of the way into the lake.  One of the popular choruses sung at camp was, “Here comes Jesus, see him walking on the water.” One Sunday as we began to sing this song, all of a sudden one of the staffer’s comes off the island in a white robe and begins to seemingly walk on the water.  After a short distance he falls in.   Of course, the place went wild.   He and his friends had built a platform so it would look like he was walking on the water.   It didn’t hold too long.  Oops.!

            Another time during worship, one of our coordinators dressed himself in a wilderness man get up and broke into the service to share—not sure what?   These kinds of instances were funny AFTER the fact.   You had to be ready for anything at camp.  Was this creative worship?

Choosing to Make Life Work – 27L – LIFE TOGETHER

Last few weeks we have talked about different ways we relate with each other.    I’ve been a long proponent of building positive team, committee and/or family relationships.  The challenge is to find ways to get along with others, even those we don’t really favor.  One important reality is to admit to ourselves that we understand we cannot go it along in life or experience satisfying accomplishments without working with others.   But, sometimes there are those who are difficult to work or live with.   As we “grow up” we continue to look for clues that help us better relate to peers, family and friends.   If we believe we can accomplish together what we cannot accomplish by ourselves, we can anticipate experiencing “making life work” joyfully.  

Jesus said he came that we might experience the abundant life.   Generally, we don’t have to go through life tolerating our relationships and just suffering through our existence.   Too often we settle for thinking I have to do it myself and avoid delegating and/or including others in our lives.    Sometimes we do not want someone else to tell us what to do.  We find ourselves working against the reality that much can be accomplished together and fellowship with others is a worth exploring.   Too many people withdraw and build walls around themselves to protect themselves from getting hurt or not being appreciated.  Again if Jesus is who he claimed to be, we do not have to settle for second best.  We can risk living and working with others in ways that we all experience the gift of the joy of life.   We will explore these possibilities in future blogs.