There are a lot of "wow" moments that can be found at a Shrine Mont Camp. Whether those be associated with food served at meals, evening worship songs, or typical camp moments, Shrine Mont is a place where some form of “wow” is found by many a young person during their time at camp. About halfway through my serving as a chaplain for the second session of Music and Drama (MAD) Camp, the campers, counselors and I experienced a shared “Wow” moment that I will never forget.
Probably every Shrine Mont Camp takes a foray up to the fine labyrinth found on a hillside a short hike adjacent to the Shrine. One this particular camp day, MAD's Program Director, Cullen Dolsen, asked me if I would assist him in presenting the gathered campers and counselors with some quiet reflection time at the labyrinth. We began by gathering around the stone circle that makes up the twisting pathway leading to a central point. Cullen opened up by inviting the campers to prepare to walk the labyrinth by first quietly reflecting on all that they had learned and accomplished so far at camp. These included the lessons that we are individually and beautifully created by God, and that together we can do great things. Campers also could reflect upon the wonderful typical camp experiences such as hiking and swimming and more that they have experienced, not to mention the friendships made. Still they were encouraged to reflect on how they had been thus far able to also mount a staged musical, including costumes, props and scenery from scratch. Before they began walking through the path, I provided the gathered with some understanding on what a labyrinth is; pointing out to them that there is only one entrance/exit, and one does not have to earn their way to the centre place as getting next to that happens early when one begins the meditative walk. I showed them how this was a safe place because you did not have to worry about when to turn or where to go; it is not a maze but a guided path which allows one to safely walk and reflect. During this time rain began to lightly fall upon us, but we proceeded with the activity. We encouraged those about to make their walk to use the crunch of the rocks under their feet, or the sound of the rain tapping down, to be part of the experience that God was providing us through nature. As the campers and counselors each individually entered into the walkway, I, as their chaplain, provided a blessing to each one at a time as a way of marking this exercise as an intentionally holy one. It was Holy. Something happened. When a group of over thirty people who have been together for a number of days trust each other to enter into a meditative experience, inviting God into our presence, the result is powerful. As everyone walked the labyrinth at their own pace, many eventually gathered in the centre and remained for a long time before venturing out again. As they walked, and afterwards, there were some people who had tears in their eyes, others hugged a friend, others basked in the Holy “something” that was present in the caress of the wet rain upon us. As each person exited I felt called to whisper to every individual some short phrase indicating how God loved THEM. When a number of people exited the labyrinth, while others remained inside on their walk, the outer group joined hands, and a counselor began singing a quiet song, and we all joined in reverently. It was a Holy time indeed. When everyone exited the circle and it felt like we were finished, Cullen invited us to gather outside of the main entrance way to the labyrinth area of Shrine Mont, where he would wait until all were out there with him before escorting us to the next event on our schedule. As the last person proceeded me out of the area, the rain stopped and the cloud cover slightly adjusted. Suddenly as we turned to look at where we just were, we saw a huge shaft of sunlight come down and perfectly surround the labyrinth just to the very outer edges of the stone circumference. That was the closest I have ever felt to the presence of God in my whole life. None of us could even remark verbally on what we were witnessing, because there just are no words. It was Holy. All we knew for sure is that the experiences we have at Shrine Mont include the presence of God, which we were reminded we can see if we slow down and make room to experience the Holy. I do not know about the rest of them, but I could barely speak at the conclusion of all of this. All I could do is offer up two words that seemed to collectively summarize the experience that I share with you now. “Amen,” and “Wow.” By the Rev. Peter K. Ackerman, Chaplain
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A lot of people ask me what is Family Camp like. There have been lots of metaphors tossed out, like a week-long parish retreat where we create a parish. Or like our keynote speaker shared this week, “This should not be called Family Camp, but rather Camp Family.” And then he thanked us for making him a part of our family. At meal times, we could easily be called Camp Gluttony because Shrine Mont feeds us too well. But what exactly is it we do all day? Our day starts at 8:00 am with breakfast served family style around tables, and then we head to the Rec Hall for a time of singing with our phenomenal pick-up band (many of these guys have been playing together for years, or minutes) followed by Morning Prayer. Then adults have a speaker/leader, while kids and youth have their own programming. This goes to about noon, when we gather for Noontime Prayers or Holy Communion. Lunch leads to afternoons, where families go to the pool, on a hike, fishing, or maybe one of the programs we offer. Many of us take much needed naps, too! Dinner rolls around, and once again, we are well taken care of by the wonderful Shrine Mont staff. Every evening we have a fun family activity. A dance, BINGO, a carnival, movie night, and the beloved Talent Show are all ways to be together as a group, enriching and encouraging families. The days follow a leisurely pace, and people pick and choose what they will participate in. Some people do everything, and some show up for meals. The freedom and flexibility lets people do what they need to do for themselves and their families. This experience is all about enabling you and your family having space to draw closer to God and to each other, and making lots of friends in Christ in the process. Hope you will join us next year! By the Rev. Rock Higgins
The Fourth of July is a notoriously big day for Shrine Mont Camps, it's a day known as The Bishop's Jubilee. Past staffers and campers return to the mountain for a day of good food, a 5K race, bands and a chance to reconnect with a place that many of us have called home. The fourth of July also plays host to Shrine Mont's largest sporting event of the year: The Staff Vs. World Ultimate Frisbee game. A full hour of nonstop athletics as current Shrine Mont Camp staff faces off against any challenging opponents, former staffers, and Frisbee legends (aka The World Team).
This day is Shrine Mont's chance to live into the classic camp trope of challenging the rival camp to an intensive sporting event, you've seen Meatballs and... other camp movies. But the great thing about this rival team is that regardless of how hard they play, they still feel like a part of the Shrine Mont family, because they are. In this episode we talk to players from both teams to learn why and how they compete, and find out why it's good for the world to return to the mountain, even for just a weekend. In my short tenure as Director of Family Camp I have learned a few things. Some of them were expected - the whos, the whats, the wheres and the whys. That is the learning curve of any new job. But in my second and third year, it was not the details that came out about family camp, it was the atmosphere that makes it so special. It is not the trees, but the forest. For many DECADES, yes decades not years, Family Camp was known as Family Conference and had a who’s who of speakers from around the Episcopal Church. Presiding Bishop Elect Michael Curry is even among those that have shared their wisdom and love of God during our times together. The Family Conference started at Shrine Mont in 1952, and it has gone through many changes and transitions, but at its core it is still about coming with your family to increase your love of God and love of each other. Could anything be better? Every year we gather from all over the Diocese, and some from further afield, to pray, worship, sing, grow, learn, and have fun. It is Camp after all. You have to have the fun. What makes it wonderful is that we have fun while we pray, worship, sing, grow and learn. The unique thing about Family Camp is that it is not age-specific. The other camps are separated by age, but we are multi-generational. The kids see the adults enjoying the same things and celebrating together, and vice versa. Even more important, during this week we form a village where we look after and support one another. This week, my daughter had a low moment, and someone reached out, processed the moment, and gave her space to talk and come to a better place. It would have been different if I had done it. Your dad has to love you, right? But that an adult took her seriously and lovingly listened, she felt empowered, and I felt encouraged. Of all the many things I have learned along the way, this is the most important. I need Family Camp. I think we all need a Family Camp in our life. I have a space where I can care and be cared for. I need a time when I can let go of the stuff I carry in my day to day life, and relax, rejuvenate, and just be. I need a place apart, but I also need a space to be together. Shrine Mont is the place apart, but Family Camp is the space to be together. Thank you, God, for Family Camp. By the Rev. Rock Higgins Last Tuesday, St. George's Camp closed session IV (campers ages 14 and 15). It was a fun and action-packed session filled with hiking and canoe trips, camping, time at the pool with friends and even a LARP (live action role-playing game) session where counselors and campers battled it out for their magical kingdoms. St. George's IV also took a trip to a Head Start program in Winchester, Virginia where they shared the love of God by helping with the construction of a playground. We'll miss our session IV campers, especially those for whom it was their last year of camp, but we hope we'll see them again on the mountain as camp counselors in summers to come!
In the world outside of camp, weather rarely breaks the barriers of small talk, you grab an umbrella and you're fine. However, "Some weather we're having" is the start of a much more important conversation where the vast majority of your day is spent outside. I've witnessed sessions of camp where it's been completely dry, I've spent time at camp when it's rained for over half a session. Some weeks are kind enough to allow program directors to plan for the best outdoor activities, but even the most confident PD is aware of the massive power shift presented by rain.
In this episode of the Shrine Mont Camp Cast, I spent the day with Music And Drama Camp as they prepared to spend their evening under the stars and around a campfire. But will the threat of rain on the mountain lead to an improvised evening program? We also share some past experiences with rough weather and learn what you can do in the event of rain at camp. - Kevin Cole Because there is nothing humans wrestle with more than understanding the origins of the universe, it makes perfect sense for our first 24 hours of Family Camp to have focused on the story of God creating the world. Between the Rev. Dwight Brown’s sermons on Adam, Eve, and their fall, to Dr. George Spagna’s opening discussion on how science and religion walk along side one another, we all said a collective “wow”. “In the beginning” we heard about the world that God created and our Biblical ancestors. These are stories we know, but somehow when you’re sitting under the thick, damp canopy of trees that unfold the Shrine we’re intrinsically reminded of this world God created. “In the beginning” when time and space were created there was God. Dr. Spagna began this conversation of religion and science with the reminder that both religion and science are faith-based. And yet there are ways in which we see faith in action, whether it’s through the transformative power of God in one’s life, or the knowledge that the ‘God particle’ fills the space where scientists only recently proved it existed. These conversations were amazing, but let me tell you one of the best explanations I’ve ever heard. First, I need to get into some science – which as a liberal arts major is a bit dicey. If we plot a point on a line and call it “Me-Now,” everything before this point in time has been part of bringing Me to Now, and everything from this same point going forward includes “Me Now” as part of where I will go. Right? Now, stick with me. What if the point we plot on a line is when the world began – the Big Bang – and then we look to the fourth word of Genesis “God” just as a reminder that God was there at the beginning. Are you seeing where this is going yet? Just as everything in the future of “Me Now” includes “Me Now”, so must all of creation including everything after “In the beginning, God…” include God. Not only does this show that God is intimately involved in everything that has followed from the Big Bang and our creation but it turns out science can prove it. And that, folks, was just the first 24 hours. It’s always a wild ride but now I can prove it. By Stephanie Higgins St. Sebastian's Sports Camp just closed session one of the summer and we can’t wait to share some moments that will help us remember the good times all year long! Be it football, soccer, basketball, volleyball, or good old fashioned King Ball, our campers thrived in the environment of praise through sports and teamwork. Sports Camp never forgets the balance of being on your game for play, and letting down your hair for fun as we see in these moments that capture the exciting evening programs, the hilarious meal times, and the friendships that will last until we get the chance to come back for a brand new camp experience next summer! In the first book found in the bible, Genesis, readers and hearers are introduced to two phrases that resonate with many. Those are "in the beginning," and "it is good." Between those two phrases God begins what still unfolds in our world today, and that is creation - something that campers at Shrine Mont Camps are invited into as well. These days our youth tend to grow up faster as they are more quickly exposed to the ways of the world that many of us "baby boomers" were. Mixed with that, from earlier ages there is the potential for young people to become just as overly scheduled as their parents are liable to be. Shrine Mont Camps have the primary ability to provide a space for youth to unplug from electronics, get away from their schedules and bond with others. In addition to these wonderful attributes of the Shrine Mont Camps, as the chaplain to Music and Drama (MAD) Camp II, I am witnessing how the young men and women, ages 12-14, are invited to participate in that very God given manner of creating. "Creation" is something that any person who visits Shrine Mont can embrace. Whether one is sitting on a chair meditating by a lake, or hiking up to the cross, or participating in worship at the outdoor Cathedral Shrine, this place is one where we can feel surrounded and connected to God's creation and even echo our Creator by saying "it is good!" Yet creation is not just to be enjoyed, but also an aspect that we are invited to participate with. Our campers at Music and Drama Camp, guided by wonderful counselors, not only enjoy a full, typical camp experience but they are also provided the space to create. One might think that as the campers and staff prepare for, cast and mount a musical production that all of the elements such as props, costumes, scenery, etc. are already present and provided, but that is not the case as I learned this morning on the first full day of camp. As I visited the MAD Camp Art Cabin this morning I noticed long roles of butcher paper with a plentiful array of colored pens strewn about on tables. A page of paper with the words "costumes," "scenery," and "props" was on each table. The campers were encouraged whenever the spirit moved them to add their ideas for costuming, what kind of props and scenery, as well as how to create these - white paint on black t-shirts for skeletons and puppets to represent the "four headed beast" from Ezekiel and more were written or drawn on these papers. Will every idea get utilized? Of course not. As I looked over these posters I witnessed many variations on how to provide what is scripted, and thus the youth will also learn how to create through collaboration. What freedom this is to be given blank butcher paper, a script, pens and then offered the opportunity to participate in creation. No doubt, they are joining the unfolding breath of God that still flows from that time "in the beginning." From this experience at MAD Camp II, these youth will be reminded that they have within them the talents, knit by the creator, that invites them not only here at camp but beyond in their lives to continue to participate in that which God breathes forth...and no doubt they will know that when they remain connected to the Holy, wherever that is...it is good! By the Reverend Peter K. Ackerman - Chaplain Church is becoming such a dirty word. Why can’t we get Millennials in church? What’s wrong with the Church? The top ten reasons young people are leaving the church! We’ve all seen the “click-bait” Facebook posts… but I would like to use this space to offer some clarifying information. Firstly, kids love worship. Worship is probably one of the things they do best. From choosing the songs and leading prayers, to putting on a skit or leading a short Q&A session – these campers know how to worship. I have noticed, however, that we had to get to about the fifth day of camp before we worshiped in the Shrine or even St. Cecilia’s (Chapel in the woods), excluding all camp worship of course. You see, every night a different cabin in the camp gets to lead a worship service. The campers gather together during feeling check or other parts of the day to plan out their own worship service. They get to choose the theme, pick a passage, plan out the songs, and then work together to write prayers or put together a homily. I laugh to myself when I think about how much certain people are paid to do this when some of the most meaningful and well thought out worship services I’ve ever been to were facilitated by 10 year-old's. But hear me when I say that these kids can worship. I also think it’s helpful that they can worship outside of the “normal” settings. If their message involves water, then we’ll worship by the pond or even at the pool. I’ve seen services lead around the campfire or in the dining hall that are about building our community or coming together in Christ. The creativity and authenticity that comes from these children is amazing. I continue to be impressed and motivated by their ideas and excitement to do church differently. Though there are many moments that may seem unpolished, silly, or childish – the intentions are pure – the motives are authentic – and the product is holy. By Phil Woodson
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The view from the mountainSpreading the good news of Shrine Mont Camps into the Valley of the World.
AuthorsThe View from the Mountain is written by a rotating cast of staff writers and contributors. Archives
September 2018
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