Between the years of 1990 and 2014 there have only been two summers that Paris Ball, Shrine Mont Camps director, hasn’t been on the mountain. Her history with the camp program dates back to her first year as a St. George’s camper at age eight. She returned each summer until the age of 15 when she “aged out” but returned just two years later to work as a MAD Camp counselor. Over the course of a few years, Paris worked as a MAD Camp counselor, MAD program director, lay chaplain, and Art Camp director before landing at Mayo House as assistant program director in 2006. By 2007, she was overseeing the administration and operations of the summer camps program. While the camps program is in full swing in the summer, it takes a full year to get ramped up for next year’s program. Starting in mid-October of each year, Paris begins making hires, working with Shrine Mont to make sure camp facilities are ready, creating advertising and publications, and visiting churches around the Diocese to share the energy and excitement that is Shrine Mont Camps. All while overseeing other Christian formation programs like Richmond's Grace-on-the-Hill intentional Christian community. I had the opportunity to sit with Paris in Vienna House and ask a few questions about her camp experience. Those who have spent much time around her know that Paris has an almost frenetic, definitely magnetic energy about her. She moves fluidly from acting like the prototypical enthusiastic camp counselor; to being the serious, anchoring presence she needs to be in the mania that can sometimes takeover as camp plans change and adjustments are made; and just as easily steers back into total ridiculousness – laughing hysterically and often speaking in hyperbole. In our interview, she was measured, thoughtful, and sometimes taken by laughing fits in even and interspersed doses. We had only just started the interview when a couple of counselors walked into Vienna with a myriad of requests for Paris. One camp needed walkie-talkies, a parent called and needed health forms, and one camp’s activity had been cancelled due to weather. This continued throughout the entire time we spent talking, which was just 30 minutes. The camp director job is nonstop. KM: What is your favorite memory as a camper? PB: When I was 14 I did the three-day hike and it was really hard and it was not something I thought I could do, even while I was doing it. It was so exciting, and I gained a lot of confidence in myself. KM: What is your favorite memory as a counselor? PB: I loved being a counselor. I loved sharing a cabin with a bunch of girls. especially all of the feeling checks. KM: What is your favorite part of being director of Shrine Mont Camps? PB: I love the busyness of it. I love the unpredictability and the troubleshooting element of it. I really, really love the chance to work so closely with so many really wonderful people. I am inspired and in awe every day of the work that the counselors and program directors and directors do for these camps. It’s really a joy to watch them work and help them along. KM: Why do you think it’s important for kids to come to camp? PB: I think that kids get offered something at camp that they may not be offered anywhere else: a chance to really experience the world and themselves independent of their family and their school friends. They get a chance to explore who they are. They get a chance to discover who God is in their life and who God is calling them to be in a place where they are loved and welcomed fully. For a lot of kids, going to camp is their first time doing anything independent of their parents. KM: What do you think is the value of being a counselor? PB: I think that being a counselor is a really great chance for young adults to take on some real responsibility and learn a lot about who they are. We’ve had counselors who have been surprised both at the things they are good at and the things that are challenging to them. Being a cabin counselor requires patience, requires kindness, and requires you to learn how to keep kids on track without being a disciplinarian. It’s a 24-hour-a-day job that asks that you commit fully to a team. All of these skills are skills that are needed in the workplace, even if they look different in an office setting. KM: What’s a typical day like at Vienna House? PB: There is no typical day. The only typical days I have are when we do camp openings and closings, which constitute about 40% of the summer. The rest of the time I am coaching, providing debriefs for camps, talking to parents on the phone and providing more in-depth training to staff. With over 150 campers on the mountain on any given day, I’m also closely in contact with our nursing team at all times. KM: I imagine coaching at Shrine Mont Camps is different than it is in other settings. PB: [Paris is now walking around the first floor of Vienna cleaning and organizing as she talks.] Partly yes and partly no. There is a period of time in the beginning of the summer during staff training week that is pretty straightforward teaching where we try and use a lot of different teaching methods. But at the end of the day staff training week is where people come together to learn what is expected of them as counselor, and to be equipped with some tools that will help them as counselors. Throughout the summer, I’ll often do in-service training when a camp is between sessions. The director and I will discuss beforehand if there’s a specific tool or technique that their staff either lacks confidence in or just to further develop their skill sets. KM: Do you have an example? PB: Example... [Paris pauses and looks up] A good session had just ended for a staff with, for the most part, completely new counselors. We heard clearly that the cabin counselors did not feel completely comfortable with redirecting or managing behaviors of the campers when the campers were doing something we maybe didn't want them to be doing. So we spent two-hours between sessions talking about camper management, but even though the counselors said they didn’t know what they were doing, the truth is they were already doing well. We helped them test out different phrases or terms they could use with campers so counselors could know what kind of things are okay to say and not to say at camp, and just to know that what they had been doing was good and they could keep doing it. We talked about doing things like putting your hand on the shoulder of a camper who is acting out, or had the counselors all test out their “Is That a Good Idea? Face,” the look that you give that is mainly neutral but slightly negative that you can give when a camper is pushing the limits to let them know what they’re doing isn’t okay; it’s something you can do before you even have to talk to the camper about adjusting. Debriefs are also an opportunity [to teach]. But if you look at what I do the most over the course of the summer, the teaching I do is mainly in one-on-one meetings with directors, but also with program directors and other leadership. I think that I spend, on average, an hour and a half with a director each week during camp reviewing how things are going, how their staff is, reviewing things that are coming up so the director can anticipate things – problems or considerations they need to make. I spend time coaching directors before they have to have difficult conversations with their staff. And that is all informal. We'll go for a walk around the lake, we'll sit on my front porch. That’s one of my favorite parts of this job, but I love both the formal and informal teaching. I love cultivating a relationship with a director and being able to celebrate accomplishments with them. KM: What are some of the challenges of running nine camps with a staff of over 120 people? PB: One of the challenges for me is to remember to have fun at camp. I find a lot of the work to be fun, but it can be easy to go from task to task and I sometimes have to stop to remember to go to one of the camp dances or drop in at the pool party. KM: Camps have a tradition of wearing ridiculous clothing to dances and other events, sometimes with guy counselors in dresses. What does this say about Shrine Mont Camps? PB: I think that part of the dressing silly at camp is just part of the fun and the other part is being confident enough in yourself to be wacky. With dances in particular, dressing in crazy clothing underscores how a dance is about the whole community having fun rather than a chance for couples to spend special time together. We encourage kids to dress up in ridiculous clothes as well. KM: What’s one camp tradition that you’ve loved seeing continue on this summer? PB: [Paris sits down on a couch across from me, holding a cup of tea I didn't see her make.] Camps doing things together. The Fourth of July, in particular, all the camps that were in session had a giant Independence Day party, worshipping together, playing field games, pool party and bonfire. All the kids at all the camps got to be together. KM: What’s something difficult you’ve had to deal with this summer? PB: A few weeks ago they were calling for really disastrous weather. We spent days preparing for it, cancelling camping trips we had going out, rearranging schedules, making back-up second and third option plans, making sure staff were prepared for all possible outcomes and then it was…sunny. KM: What’s the funniest thing that’s happened this summer? PB: That’s impossible to pick. Everything’s been funny this summer. It was really funny to watch Mike Wade [St. George’s director] slam a cake into Cullen Dolson’s face [MAD program director]. Mike was walking around with some cake that was left over from a camper’s birthday. Cullen asked over the walkie-talkie if anyone had headphones that he could borrow. Mike responded, “I do, but what are you going to do for me?” Cullen responded, “Anything you want.” Mike said, “Well I have a cake in my hand, I want to slam it into your face.” So later Cullen was leading evening games with MAD Camp and Mike Wade walked up without saying a thing, slammed the cake in Cullen’s face, handed him the headphones, and walked away. That was funny. By Kendall Martin Kendall Martin works at Mayo House as the assistant to the offices of communications and transition ministry. She graduated from James Madison University with a bachelor's degree in English. She worked previously as assistant editor at the Center for American Places and as a production/circulation manager at Briefings Media Group. Kendall and her husband, Brandon, have two sons, William and Noah.
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On the way up to Shrine Mont from Richmond last Saturday, driving through Charlottesville and headed toward Afton Mountain, I overheard the talk above on the TED Radio Hour on NPR (yeah, I hear how unbearably WASPy that sounds). I don't often go for serendipity; I think there's not much ground to cross to get from, "God put this radio show on for me for my trip to Shrine Mont," to Joel Osteen's Hallmark-card platitudes like, "God will not allow anything to come into your life unless he has a purpose for it." Faith is not simple. God is not petty. I think my views on coincidence and grace are much more in line with David Foster Wallace's "This is Water," a commencement address he gave at Kenyon College in 2005. If you haven't heard or read it, I strongly recommend doing it soon (here's the audio, but please come back). In the address, Foster Wallace says, "Learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience." So driving up Afton Mountain, the barrier separating central Virginia from the Shenandoah Valley and Shrine Mont, I chose to see a direct connection to between what I’ve given to and received from St. George’s Camp, and Drew Dudley’s “lollipop moments.” Let me share one of my own. I was a weird kid. My weirdness probably peaked in 2000, my first year at St. George's, starting as a third session camper after moving back to Virginia from Washington State. (Joe Wingenbach, St. G's director from 2009-2011 and my cabin counselor in 2000, disputes my weirdness, but he's probably just being nice and this is my personal history so I'll tell it however I want.) In 2000, I was always intimidated by the rush of Type-A campers signing up for the "best" free electives, so I would usually just pretend like I didn't care what free elective I ended up in and take the dregs of the open spots on the sign-up sheet for the least popular options. The truth was that I did care: I cared that I didn't end up in a sports-related elective. I was – and still am – a sweaty, smelly kid who sucked at basketball and baseball (also still true). So soaking through and stinking up another t-shirt just to have my ankles broken by my buddy Peyton Bowman – of an unfairly athletic and talented Virginia clan – was something I actively avoided. But then one day there was a girl, and said girl wanted to go to the same free elective as me. There were a few slots left in the Ultimate Frisbee elective, led by my counselor, Joe. A sports elective wasn't ideal, but I was a pre-teen and there was a girl who wanted me to go to the same elective as her. I don't remember much of how the actual game went, but let's go with my ego and say that it went pretty well. Or maybe it went poorly; I'm not sure which made-up memory is better for this story. What I do remember is Joe saying to me after the game, "I'm really glad you came out to this today, man." I understood the implication: I avoided sports and he was congratulating me for stretching beyond my comfort zone. Joe didn't know about my hormonal-led motives for playing; actually, he probably did, but that's not an important detail either. What's important is that that memory has stuck with me and resurfaced each time I find myself facing a decision that will stretch me beyond my comfort zone. "I'm really glad you came out to this today, man," is a simple declaration that has no roots in performance evaluation. Joe wasn't congratulating me for a game well-played or telling me "great effort" because I stunk up the field. That's why it doesn't matter that I don't remember a single pass, catch or point during that Frisbee game. I have learned over the years that my competitiveness will drive me to do my best at the task at hand. If I can get into first gear, second, third and fourth will come, or I'll keep trying until they do. As I worried over whether or not I'm ready to make the jump from a 4,000-student public high school (Robinson in Fairfax) to a 1,500-student private college with vastly different manners and values (Sewanee), I thought of Joe on the other end of my first semester, the other end of graduation. "I'm really glad you came out to this today, man." Starting to catalog all of the "lollipop moments" at camp could go on forever: Charles Cowherd teaching me through cabin clean-ups that being disciplined and being cool were not mutually exclusive characteristics; Izzie Fuqua, 2008 program director, taking me aside after a particularly poor decision and "gently" reminding me that I had a responsibility to care for my fellow counselors, not just my campers; Will Peyton teaching me during staff meetings to apply the David Foster Wallace-style of critical thought to the everyday life of camp. That the work that goes on at camp is just as important – and often more – than anything else I might face. At a St. George’s closing worship last year, feeling a little out of place and like I was reliving past glories, Taylor Trobaugh, my former camper turned counselor, handed me an extra body string. I’ll never forget that little, crucial moment of welcome. Each year at St. George’s, if the camp has successfully come together as an inclusive, loving community – as the Body of Christ – toward the end of the session camp will symbolize this by tying together each individual body string into one big necklace. In my first year at camp, Rad Burt, our director, gave the body strings to me first at the worship service where the tying happens. Unlike most of the stories above which I think I’m telling for the first time, I told Rad about this “lollipop moment” 13 years after the fact, paddling around with him and his family in the LGRA pool in North Side Richmond. If I were to rename “lollipop moments,” I would probably call them “body string moments.” And why not? Drew Dudley’s lollipop experience is hyper-personal to him and the person he affected. Hyper-personal to me is the memory of Rad putting the body strings around my neck, giving me a hug, and instructing me and each person after me to pass the strings on until everyone in camp had felt the weight of the community we'd created around their neck. I don’t remember who I passed them to next. Maybe to my best friend, Spencer Wise, because I was 11 and that seemed meaningful and safe at the time. It doesn't matter. I passed them on to camp. I'm certain that I've given campers and maybe some counselors body string moments of their own, not because my ego makes me that sure of myself, but because those moments just happen at camp, without exception and in droves. It’s in the DNA. I don’t want to end with a TED Talk-esque call to action or moral imperative to pick up the phone right this second and call your third session counselor. As David Foster Wallace says in “This Is Water,” it’s hard work to choose to imagine the lady who just screamed at her kid at the grocery store as a beloved child of God, but it brings us freedom when we choose to think that. It’s hard work to tell the people who affected us so deeply that they did. Maybe it’s been years since we talked to Charles or Izzie or Will, or telling the story makes us vulnerable. But if we choose to tell the stories of our body string moments, to offer the ways the weird, smelly, un-athletic kid in us was profoundly affected by camp, our stories might spread like the Shouting Prayer into the Valley of the World. I’m going to keep trying to tell these stories and hopefully I’ll hear Joe on the other end of each one, "I'm really glad you came out to this today, man." By Ed Keithly Ed Keithly is the editor of this blog. As he mentions above, Ed first came to Shrine Mont as a St. George's camper in 2000, returning in 2007 to work as a counselor. He's worked at Shrine Mont in some capacity every summer since. In his day job, Ed works as the vocation officer serving the Diocese of Virginia, shepherding future priests and deacons through the discernment and formation process and seeking to strengthen diocesan programs for future leaders of the Church. Ed graduated from Sewanee in 2010. He lives in the Fan District of Richmond. “Who knows,” says Mordecai to his cousin Queen Esther, “Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.” The 15- to 17-year-olds at MAD Camp Session III couldn’t have asked for a better story to explore than that of Esther, Mordecai the Jew, Haman, the Persian King, the “Beauty Shop Jail” and the establishment of Purim, the annual Jewish celebration of deliverance from enemies. Through 13 days together at camp, we mined this scripture’s central themes of grace, courage, beauty, power, paradox, anger, objectification and justice. For 13 days we played endless games of “Thing,” “What are the Odds?” “Ninja,” “Mafia” and way too many more to list. We swam and hiked, we had a giant pajama party in the Virginia House, we played King Ball and boogaloo, we became family and – oh, yeah – we took an extremely awesome show on the road. Some of our campers were first timers, some “lifers” and some in-between. There is that teen registration that happens at, well, registration. Eyes darting around the Happy Pavilion, thoughts rising: “I’m not like her,” or “Do I belong here?,” or, as we discussed often in our time together, “Am I worthy … Am I enough?” But fun and encouragement are great equalizers. Our incredible counselors worked hard at complete inclusion and blessed cheerleading. As days and nights passed in auditions, rehearsal, fun, budding friendship and stage swordplay, differences melted away, conversations became spontaneous and goofy – prayer became deep and heartfelt. For 13 days, we got to carry each other. Improv Night was hysterical. The Gospel according to Tina Fey became our inspiration for “Yes, and…” scenarios including ridiculous party guests, and portrayals of the worst lifeguard, doctor and camp counselor ever. Unguarded, inspired, sidesplitting performances ensued. It was very sophomoric and very holy. Body silhouettes filled with “imago dei” character affirmations capped our discussion on beauty and objectification, moments typifying God’s grace. We dreamed strategically at the top of North Mountain; we examined power, anger, justice and our evolution as God’s people and we used found objects to build a new kingdom. Our musical, Bow Down, traveled over two days to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Jerome, then to a center for adults with intellectual disabilities, then a retirement community and then to Christ Church, Winchester. With every visit, realization of our ministry took hold. Entertainment, for sure, but also solid preaching, relationship building, leadership and a ministry of encouragement were these players' gifts to their temporary congregations. By all-camp performance time, the joy was palpable, the invitation to grace and courage infectious. Parts of the play and some of the music were cheesy for sure, but in true company fashion, directors and counselors issued a sending prayer from one showstopper’s lyrics: These 15- to 17-year-old leaders, ministers, creative Christians and evangelists are now unleashed on a world very hungry for good news, and in great need of encouragement, beauty and the hope of justice. They have been unleashed for just such a time as this. By Mary Beth Emerson This is Mary Beth’s second year serving as a chaplain at Shrine Mont Camps. A vocational deacon, she serves full-time as St. Thomas’, McLean’s associate for family ministry, and assists Region V churches with youth and family outreach. Mary Beth claims that she's neither musically nor dramatically gifted, and says she "learned a whole lot from MAD Camp's super-talented campers and counselors." At the commissioning service for the St. Elizabeth's Camp volunteer staff, the Rev. Laura Lockey, the director, invited each staff member to come forward for a blessing and to receive a vial of blessed water. A tag was attached to each vial that reads, “Christ, the living water, refresh me and make me new. Amen.” During the four days the staff members spend as a “buddy” to their campers, this vial will serve as a reminder of Christ’s power to renew and give new life. St. Elizabeth’s, whose campers (ages 14 to 25) have mild to moderate cognitive disabilities, started in 1999 as the brainchild of Happy Pullman, former director of Shrine Mont Camps. The first few years of St. Elizabeth's there were only five campers, a counselor, a chaplain and a director. The Rev. Laura Lockey has been director since 2001 and watched as the camp grew to a staff as big as 34 and 20-28 campers. While other camps focus their staff training on establishing counselors both as an authority figure and a friend to your camper, St. Elizabeth’s puts more emphasis on being a friend and buddy. The role of the buddy is to help facilitate the camper’s ability to enjoy camp activities that they wouldn’t necessarily be able to do on their own. The campers and buddies are matched based on energy level and interests. Each outgoing buddy writes a letter to next year’s buddy with a description of their camper, with a positive focus on difficulties and blessings the next buddy may encounter. “For our counselors, [St. Elizabeth's] is a phenomenal opportunity to learn and acquire leadership skills and to practice selflessness and generosity,” said Mary Beth Abplanalp, assistant director. On a typical day at St. Elizabeth's campers are divided into three teams and take turns visiting an activity station, chaplain’s time, working on an art activity and participating in activities at the lake. In the afternoon they skip rest period and instead participate in free electives such as bingo, yoga, letter writing, "beauty parlor" or swimming. Each team of campers and buddies is responsible for planning and leading worship one day. St. Elizabeth’s is well-known for their traveling concert. They make instruments and take them on a traveling show up and down Orkney Grade, singing songs and dancing. “This has become one of our things we do to evangelize and normalize [the campers’] presence. It’s a chance for public exposure,” said Mary Beth. Perhaps the most telling aspect of how St. Elizabeth’s fully embodies the love and life of Shrine Mont Camps is the emphasis they put on celebrating each camper’s uniqueness. At St. Elizabeth’s, campers are not identified by their disability but by their interests and gifts. As Mary Beth said, “It’s no longer ‘This is Johnny and he has autism’ but ‘This is Johnny and he loves ketchup, the pool and marshmallows.’” By Kendall Martin Kendall Martin works at Mayo House as the assistant to the offices of communications and transition ministry. She graduated from James Madison University with a bachelor's degree in English. She worked previously as assistant editor at the Center for American Places and as a production/circulation manager at Briefings Media Group. Kendall and her husband, Brandon, have two sons, William and Noah. Explorers Session I closed on July 21. In just a week they managed to explore the outdoors, have fun, and grow to better understand themselves and the world, after spending the week "seeing the world through new eyes." Chaplain's TimeAbigail Whorley, Explorers Camp chaplain, guided campers in daily meditations to allow God to enter into their lives. Every morning, she led yoga and shared stories and poetry, like “The Summer Day” by Mary Oliver. During chaplain’s time, campers had the opportunity to connect with each other and God through different activities, like making the altar cloth for their closing service. A Glimpse into CampIn the afternoons, Explorers spent their time learning about the nature around Shrine Mont and, most importantly, having fun. Campers piled onto a hayride where they sang camp favorites on their way to Tomahawk Pond in the George Washington National Forest. They also set out on a mission to find the perfect marshmallow sticks to make some s’mores. Despite rain all day, counselors were able to start a fire and kept it going long enough for all campers to get a s’more or two. Explorers Camp twisted up the game of Twister with a little bit of paint. Hiking North MountainHiking up North Mountain, campers passed backpacks around to share the weight of the hiking supplies. During the hike, they were challenged by the steep hills and rocks on the path. The next day, many of the campers talked about how hiking North Mountain was their favorite moment of camp and where they found peace during camp. At the top, campers cheered, sat down and enjoyed packed sandwiches and carrots. One camper exclaimed, “Holy moly! I am never going to forget this day! This is more beautiful than the ride to Shrine Mont!” Campers faced their fears as they climbed the rock to see the view. Philip Queen, camping director, led a meditation and a songfest before Explorers headed back down the mountain. Closing WorshipAfter a week of new adventures and friendships, camp closed with one last worship service at the Shrine. The altar cloth was decorated with campers’ hand prints as a reminder of the community they formed at camp. By Katie Franzel Photo credit: Katie Franzel except for the Twister series taken by Explorers camper Will Katie Franzel first worked for Shrine Mont Camps as a MAD Camp counselor in 2012, when she says her life was powerfully changed by the campers, counselors, and experiences. She knew then that camp was going to be a lifetime commitment. After spending the first half of her summer studying public health in Ecuador, she found a way back to the mountain this year to work as the Vienna House communications intern. She is a rising senior at the University of Minnesota, where she studies sociology, Spanish, and youth studies. St. George’s Session I kicked off on Thursday, July 10 with first-timers everywhere, but not all first-timers were campers. Sure, the camp for 8- and 9-year-olds was full of girls and boys coming to St. G’s for their first on-the-mountain experience. But many of the seasoned 9-year-olds who attended last year were ebullient with welcome and invitation for kids and adults new to the St. G’s experience. What evangelists! Anticipation was high as campers filled the pavilion, eyed the sparkling swimming pool, calculated how strenuous the hike to their cabins might be, and gauged the potency of those looming grey clouds behind North Mountain. (Answer: pretty darned wet and blustering loud if you were still under the pavilion when it crept over.) Questions echoed under the tin roof and through the canopy of trees as campers and parents caught their first sight of camp. “We’re going up there? But where are the cabins? I can’t see them!” “Is Cabin Seven a cool cabin?” “Thanks, Mom. I’m good. See ya!” First time parents breathed deeply hiking up the hill with bags and younger siblings in tow. After kissing and hugging their campers farewell for the week, many parents breathed even more heavily, with a hesitating gate, on the way down First time grandparents were also in abundance. Many couldn't count the number of trips they’d made bringing their children up the mountain to St. George’s over the years. And here they were back again to introduce an oldest grandchild to the dearly-held traditions and zaniness of St. G’s. Bishop Ted Gulick, former camper, counselor and assistant director, brought his own grandson to the mountain this year for first session. He then stayed on for his first time back in an official capacity at St. George's in over 40 years, serving as the Session I chaplain. With registration over and parents gone, campers made their first trip down the mountain for their first supper at camp. Inseparable friendships were already becoming a texture of their community. The bonds between many campers were being knit on that path between cabin and table, entwined like the body strings the camp would tie together in days ahead. Now that campers are back at home for the first time in a week, hair is combed for the first time in a week, and family hugs abound for the first time in a week, I have a hunch that something else is a first-thing on many minds and hearts, too: “When do I get to go back to St. G’s?” Play along! Tell us your favorite "St. G’s first" in the comments section below. By Julie Simonton Julie Simonton is the officer for congregational development and stewardship for the Diocese of Virginia. Before joining the staff at Mayo House, Julie was the lay associate minister for family ministries and parish life at Grace, Alexandria. Julie has served on diocesan committees in Hawai`i, as adjunct instructor at Virginia Theological Seminary, on lay staff at Christ Church, Alexandria, and in a variety of international education positions in Germany and Virginia. She takes her family to Shrine Mont every chance she gets and can’t wait for her oldest child to be old enough for camp in 2017. In our over-scheduled lives, it can be hard to find stillness. Finding a moment to sit back and reflect, to think beyond the moment and dig deep into meaning is difficult, even for the best of us. When we do find the time, like Explorers Camp did a few days ago, there is time to say... “Come Lord” or, as Explorers says it, "Maranatha." In order to live into this stillness and develop a greater understanding of the world around them, Explorers practiced daily meditations guided by poetry, reflection and silence. Through these meditations, campers learned what it means to look at the world through new eyes. One camper described new eyes as, “When you trip on a rock and get annoyed that it’s in the way, you can look at the rock with new eyes and see that it might be a home to ants.” Throughout the summer, each session has repeated the mantra. Maranatha. This invitation, “Come Lord,” wasn’t just for those moments of meditation, but welcomed into even the busiest parts of their days. Liz Bartenstein, former Shrine Mont camper and counselor, visited the mountain to spend a day with Explorers and lead a mindful art project where campers were challenged to look at nature with new eyes by selecting sticks and leaves to make crafts. By carefully stringing leaves and sticks together, campers created light-catchers in order to create space to observe light in a new way—with new eyes. Liz sent the campers into the woods around the Bear Wallow campsite to silently find things to make their light-catchers. After finding their supplies, campers sat together, quietly constructing their works of art. No two campers created the same piece of art; each one was uniquely beautiful. Through this artful meditation, Explorers Camp was able to explore the Earth around them with the simple invitation: Maranatha. By Katie Franzel Katie Franzel first worked for Shrine Mont as a MAD Camp counselor in 2012, when she says her life was powerfully changed by the campers, counselors, and experiences. She knew then that camp was going to be a lifetime commitment. After spending the first half of her summer studying public health in Ecuador, she found a way back to the mountain this year to work as the Vienna House communications intern. She is a rising senior at the University of Minnesota, where she studies sociology, Spanish, and youth studies. By living in nature, accepting new challenges and meeting new friends, campers are constantly learning and strengthening who they are as people. Not even the summer “polar vortex” could stop our camps from accomplishing new things. St. George's Session IOn the morning the vortex hit, St. George’s I experienced a classic tradition, many for the first time. Campers kicked it off by singing their own announcement song, followed by counselors singing - loud and proud - every announcement song since 1987. During the closing worship service led by Bishop Ted Gulick, also the St. George's I chaplain, the campers learned another important tradition—the passing of the body string. These strings serve as a symbol of their membership in the Body of Christ and community that formed at camp. Explorers Session IWhile St. George’s was heading back to the Valley of the World, Explorers I loaded up the canoes and headed down to Lake Laura. Some campers took off racing to the other side of the lake while others who had never canoed before learned paddling techniques from Penelope Davenport, the camp director. Giggles could be heard from the shore as canoes bumped into each other and campers enjoyed the beautiful day. Mad Session IIIMeanwhile, MAD Camp was learning stage combat technique from Matt, a stage combat choreographer and a friend of Jim Short, the director. Matt offered himself to the MAD III campers by teaching them a new skill to use in their performance. While the campers dueled with wooden dowels, Matt was busy falling in love with all things camp. Disclaimer: the pictures may be misleading; Matt and Jim are not actually fighting. Good Night After a successful day of trying new things at camp, the mountain was quiet as everyone snuggled into their blankets and sleeping bags to fight off the winter cold (low 50s). This mountain creates space for all to learn from each other and their surroundings in a magical way. No polar vortex can stop that magic from happening on this mountain! Katie Franzel first worked for Shrine Mont as a MAD Camp counselor in 2012, when she says her life was powerfully changed by the campers, counselors, and experiences. She knew then that camp was going to be a lifetime commitment. After spending the first half of her summer studying public health in Ecuador, she found a way back to the mountain this year to work as the Vienna House communications intern. She is a rising senior at the University of Minnesota, where she studies sociology, Spanish, and youth studies. “I’ve never known anyone who came to Christ because they lost an argument ... our job is to have the conversation.” When seminarian Connor Gwin first heard that the Diocese of Virginia would allow him to fulfill his summer parish training requirement by serving as Shrine Mont Camps' chaplain to the staff, he jumped at the opportunity. Rather than serving in a traditional parish setting for the required eight-week, full-time program, Connor acts as the in-residence spiritual leader for dozens of college-aged camp counselors. Because those counselors are themselves serving as spiritual leaders to hundreds of campers, the impact of Connor’s ministry this summer spreads diocesan- and even nation-wide. In ministering to summer campers and their counselors, Connor is, in a sense, paying it forward: “I was formed at summer camps,” Connor said. “I can trace so much of my relationship to God to summer camps at [the Episcopal Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast’s] Camp Beckwith. My earliest and most vivid feelings of call – God’s call – were at summer camp. And my call to ministry was first articulated to a summer camp chaplain.” Sitting in on a recent hour-long chaplain’s time with a group of about a dozen campers and their counselors, I could see, firsthand, the impact Connor makes on teenagers and their millennial-generation counselors. I’ve been in ordained ministry for over twenty years, including four years as a youth pastor, and so I’ve sat through or conducted hundreds of presentations and Bible studies. Until that session, though, I had never seen someone so artfully, powerfully and gracefully steer a spiritual conversation into deeper and deeper levels until – by the end of the hour – we all not only had a better understanding of the inadequacy of cultural images of God, but a better and richer understanding of biblical images of God. And all this was done without Connor “teaching” the class in the sense of lecturing, or pouring information into students' ears. Rather, he led them in a conversation, drawing out ideas from their heads and memories while literally drawing out images on a whiteboard. In fact, spend much time with Connor and the word “conversation” keeps coming up. “I’ve never known anyone who came to Christ because they lost an argument,” Connor told me afterward, when I had a chance to ask about his teaching style. “Changing hearts is the work of God through the Holy Spirit; our job is to have the conversation.” However, conversations about God while at Shrine Mont are only the start for Connor. His real motivation is to “stop the dichotomy of Shrine Mont verses the ‘real world.’” “This is the real-est world,” Connor said, “and what we try to do is experience the reality of God so fully here at camp, that we know it and see it better back home. In this community and place, there’s a chance to experience God who is the source of all that is. Here we get a glimpse of reality that is not only possible back home, but is one we should strive for. Camp is not just some getaway to renew, it’s a chance to make the world more like the Kingdom of God, so the ‘real’ we experience here can happen out there, not just at a camp and conference center.” I found Connor to be one of those people who make you feel confident about the future (and present) of the Episcopal Church. But what’s even more encouraging is that he is representative of a major change, or shift, going on in the Diocese of Virginia and the Episcopal Church. Over the past several years, more and more Gen X and Millennial-age Episcopalians like Connor are offering themselves for ordained leadership: At Virginia Theological Seminary, the largest accredited Episcopal seminary in the United States, the median age of students pursuing a masters in divinity degree is 34, and 33 percent of the student body are in their 20s. Their 20s. And the timing of that change – that shift – is good. You see, there’s a narrative about the Episcopal Church, repeated ad nauseam within our own camp and seized upon by our critics and detractors, that we are a shrinking or even dying institution. Go to almost any Episcopal Church conference in the last 10 years and at some point or another, someone – speaking as if he was the only adult in the room – will solemnly intone statistics about declining growth patterns and decreasing average Sunday attendance, as if criticism were wisdom and being a wet blanket was the same thing as being prophetic. Next time I’m sitting through one of those doomsday presentations, I think I’m going to raise my hand and ask the speaker if he or she has ever been to Shrine Mont; if he or she has ever attended a closing worship ceremony for St. George’s camp; if they’ve ever met the 20-something counselors spending their summers here; if they’ve ever spent any time with the Connor Gwins – the future ordained leadership – of this Church. So thank you, Connor. As my friend and colleague the Rev. Mike Kinman said in reflecting on his own years in campus ministry “I have no fear for the future of the Church, because I’ve seen it, and it’s great.” By John Ohmer John is the rector of The Falls Church Episcopal and a long-time supporter of Shrine Mont. He authored a weekly spiritual advice column titled “Faithfully Yours,” and covered the past four General Conventions as an issues writer for the Diocese of Virginia’s “Center Aisle.” John blogs at Unapologetic Theology. Family Camp had its closing worship last Saturday. We'd like to share with you some photos of their time on the mountain and three reflections from Family Camp written by Rock Higgins, the director; Jason Smith, a "camper"; and Stephanie Higgins, Rock's wife, family camper, and bishop's office staff member. They reflect on "porching," musical spirituality and, most of all, the family they built last week. Rock Higgins, DirectorSo let me get this straight. I get an all-inclusive week at a mountain resort, all meals included. I get mental and spiritual enlightenment with engaging speakers. I get to sing at the top of my lungs and clap along to awesome tunes. I get to bring my whole family, even the littlest rugrat or the gangliest teen, and they have programming and activities of their own. Every evening there is a family-friendly party that we can attend. Every afternoon I can hike, splash in a massive pool, "porch" with the adults, or read a book and take a nap. What do you call this and where can I sign up? Family Camp, a 62-year-long tradition. This year we were at it again, with a phenomenal week of being at a place apart from the busyness of the outside world. We had long-timers and new faces having a wonderful time together. Guest speakers Tripp Hudgins and Ana Hernandez led us to rethink our approaches to faith and creativity exploring Sonic Theology, the practice of approaching liturgy from the musical components exploring and applying the creativity to the liturgy and ourselves. The children and youth had fun times of their own. The Family Camp Band led us with singing and celebrating. It was a glorious week. Our Chaplains, the Rev. Dwight Brown and the Rev. Deacon Mary Beth Emerson, led us in times of reflection and inspiration, especially the beautiful closing Eucharist at the Shrine. One of my favorite moments was when the children presented all their crafts, telling stories, sharing verses, and singing songs that went with their daily activities. Having kids of my own there, we came home with two birdhouses they are just dying to put up. The only thing that would have made it better would have been more people to share in the fun with. I hope you might be thinking about how to join with us next year. By the Rev. Rock Higgins This is Rock's second summer as the director of Family Camp. Before working at Family Camp, Rock served as the director of Explorers Camp. Over the years, Rock has served many camps outside of Shrine Mont, both large and small. Rock is the associate rector of St. Thomas', Richmond. Jason SmithAlthough there are no time machines akin to H.G. Wells' vision, this week I experienced something that measures up. I just returned from Family Camp at Shrine Mont. That simple trip transported me back in time, to days of porch swings and lemonade. Even if my ideas of yesteryear are pure nostalgia, the experiences on that holy mountain are real and their impacts permanent. For anyone who has not attended Family Camp, I have a few simple questions to put this rare place apart into context: When was the last time you experienced a week or even a day without stress? Had a vacation without using your car, wallet, or cooking a meal? If you’re a parent, when was the last time you let your kids run and play for hours out of your sight without worry? All of these things happen on the mountain during Family Camp. I’ll leave you with a panorama of thoughts and memories from this week and a simple question: Conversations of family, faith, and experiences, but almost never of work; laughter that was neither forced nor constrained; flashlight beams among the fireflies as children played a game of late-night tag; guitar and mandolin jam sessions; children spontaneously holding hands during song; morning coffee at sunrise; time in relationship with others; the time and quiet to be in relationship with my family and myself. Although the experience is difficult to accurately convey in a short blog post, I urge readers to consider: When was the last time you had a vacation like that? By Jason Smith This was Jason Smith’s second year at Family Camp. He is a parishioner at Trinity, Manassas. He attends family camp with his wife, Jennifer, and his two children, eight and ten years old. Stephanie HigginsFamily camp is both the newest and the oldest of the Shrine Mont camps. Originally called Family Conference and run by Shrine Mont, Family Camp concluded its sixty-second year last week! Two years ago, Family Conference became Family Camp and joined the other Shrine Mont Camps family. And that’s what this week is about – family. Family campers come in all age groups and families come in all compositions: men, women, kids, grandparents, friends, nieces and nephews. No matter who is included in your family you are welcome here, and we are family for this week. This year’s speaker was a friend of mine from college, Tripp Hudgins. Tripp is a doctoral student in liturgical studies at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, and is the director of admissions at American Baptist Seminary of the West. Tripp brought his talent and interest in liturgy and music to Family Camp as we made spiritual sound tracks and explored how music brings us into relationship with God – and with one another. To begin, with we cataloged sounds all around us – everything from birds to cars and children playing. Then we started building our personal spiritual soundtracks. On Friday most of us played the song from the list which most engaged us with our spiritual life – as long as it was under five minutes – and had the opportunity to share the rest of our list and the significance of each song. For those of us who did not have time to play our song during the week we moved this conversation – as well as many others – over to our Facebook group so that we can share playlists, pictures, and news from throughout the year. As this is my second year at Family Camp, I enjoyed picking up on conversations that we left last July and seeing how tall all the kids have gotten. Some of the other families have longer traditions – some going back 61 years! – and had much to catch up on with each other. One long standing tradition which picks up speed every summer is the "secret pal" exchanges. It’s lovely to see the items – usually brought along with us or perhaps found through the camp – that are left with love and care for secret pals. Kids often received small toys, skipping stones or candy. Adults might be harder to surprise but a jar of bubbles or a plastic cup full of clover and small flowers might have been left to brighten someone’s day. So we picked up on conversations and begin new ones as we sit with each other at meals, joined in group discussions and in worship. There was a hike up North Mountain that was abbreviated by a thunderstorm, swimming, bring-your-own prize Bingo night, and plenty of social time in the evenings, including a lovely wine tasting hosted by Boo Elmore and Joe Kittle. And the best part is we got to be family for another week. By Stephanie Gurnsey Higgins This is Stephanie's second year at Family Camp, but she's been coming to Shrine Mont with her family for years now. Stephanie works at Mayo House in Richmond as the bishop's assistant for congregational support. |
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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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