BY REV. DAVID MERRITT |
This is the time (or maybe a bit late) to sign up for all the goodness of camp for children, youth, young adults, and volunteers at Laurel Ridge Camp and Conference Center. With the hint of warmer weather, my thoughts turn to Laurel Ridge and the many opportunities you and I have to “live into our faith”
You might not be familiar with the phrase but it was once used by our team at Camp Hope to describe Sr. High Camp to a group of young people in the Eastern District of the Moravian Church, Northern Province. Our task as adult leaders was basic. We wanted to describe the camping opportunities at Camp Hope for youth who had never been at camp before. We tried using words like learning, exploring, and even the word FUN! All of these words captured a part of what we wanted to say. However these three words of my blog seem to express a dynamic way of describing the camping experience, especially to someone who had never been to Church Camp.
Image via Laurel Ridge.
So whether you are at Camp Hope, Laurel Ridge, or even Tar Hollow, camps throughout the Moravian Church in North America help us all “live into our faith.” At Church Camp we are able to explore God’s creation, look at scripture in new ways, add drama and arts to faith development and sing our faith with songs that lift the spirit and raise the roof! And when we “live into our faith,” we also ask questions and discuss the wonder and the mystery of faithful obedience to God’s Call.
Laurel Ridge provides a place where all these dynamic goals can be embraced by young and older alike. It is more than only a “place set apart.” For me it is a place where we move beyond the boundaries of camp to see how faith and life connect. At camp weeks on the mountain or at Mission Camp, we strive to place faith and action side by side so that one influences the other one. We walk and talk, we laugh and cry, we use our senses and intellect to make faith alive in our midst as campers and counselors, leaders, and support personnel, deans, and M-Staff.
Consider this a personal invitation to “live into YOUR FAITH!” this summer at Laurel Ridge. It may be your first time on the mountain or your 100th time walking along the trails or swimming in the lake. No matter where you’re from or what church you attend, you will find Laurel Ridge might be your second home this summer or maybe for a lifetime. Check out their website, Facebook page, or better yet talk to someone who has been to Laurel Ridge.
See you on the mountain – “We’re going to have a Lovefeast, going to have some FUN!” Let’s live into our faith this summer y’all!
About the author
The Rev. David Merritt is a retired Pastor, former Dean, Outreach Director, and Chaplain, but he’s “papa” according to his grand-kids. David loves God, Laurel Ridge, and his family. He has enough sense to get out of the rain but prefers raindrops anyway.
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