Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Resilience, Creativity, Fun - a post by Bishop Susan Goff


Resilience, Creativity, Fun

On Sunday it rained. Not just any ordinary rain, but a thundering downpour. Music and Drama camp was at the Happy for rehearsal and the roar of rain on the roof was so defeating that working on choreography was impossible. Besides that, the electric piano had to be unplugged to keep everyone safe. So what did the resilient, dedicated staff do?  They rehearsed harmonies a cappella.  Although singers could scarcely hear their own voices, no less each other’s, melodies and harmonies were reinforced. And when the rain slowed just a bit, I heard refrains in tune and beautifully sung.

That evening, St George’s was planning on stargazing as an evening activity, but it was still raining lightly and there were no stars to be seen. So what did the resilient staff do?  They sent campers to their cabins to built forts or other habitations in competition with each other. After nearly an hour of building, a team of four guest judges visited each cabin.  We crawled through mazes, were welcomed to funky hotels, survived fallout in a bunker, played games, danced disco and enjoyed the creative energy of every cabin team.

Resilience, creativity and fun were hallmarks of the day, as they are of every day at Shrine Mont Camps.  Shrine Mont staff members are training campers well to create something delightful in the midst of circumstances that might otherwise be disappointing.  They are showing young people how to build community in the midst of a culture that is increasingly polarized.  They are themselves growing in resilience as they play and think on their feet and do new things.  “See, I am making all things new,” our Lord proclaimed in the Book of Revelation.  That spirit of new life is evident at camp.  How can we help but rejoice in it? 

- Bishop Susan Goff


(new life sprouting from the plantings of Explorer's session 1 this past week).

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