"God loves us just the way we are. But God loves us too much to let us stay the way we are. God keeps shaping us and leading us and pushing us to be better than we ever thought we could be." Bishop Goff sent the assembled into the world with this blessing: "Be strong. Be courageous. Never be afraid. For God who created you has always been with you and loves you fiercely." Wherever you are, wherever you go, remember your way home. Graphic design by Sarah Keithly, words by Henry Burt, concept by Alexander MacPhail. The Stories We TellThis year it seemed harder than ever to pick out our favorite posts, so we've shirked that responsibility and organized things so you might re-read some favorites of your own or find one or two you missed. David Churchman: THE PEACE, THOUSANDS OF TIMES OVER EXPLORERS CAMP, 1998 UNPLUGGED FEELING CHECK WHAT MARIA SAID Lorne Field: MY LIFE OUTSIDE THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER Bishop Susan Goff: QUIET AND STILLNESS AT ART CAMP THE FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION UNCONDITIONAL LOVE Ed Keithly: THE ANNOUNCEMENTS SONG! THEN AND NOW LOLLIPOP, NO, BODY STRING MOMENTS Q&A WITH CONNOR GWIN, CHAPLAIN TO THE STAFF THE PLAYLISTS/THAT LOVING REBELLION Kendall Martin: REFRESH ME AND MAKE ME NEW: ST. ELIZABETH'S COMMISSIONING Q&A WITH PARIS BALL, DIRECTOR OF SHRINE MONT CAMPS John Ohmer: THE CAMP DANCE EXPLORERS THE GREAT CONNOR GWIN, CHAPLAIN TO STAFF, PAYING IT FORWARD Vienna House communications interns*: Parker Benbow: MAD CAMP: A PLAY APART Katie Franzel: MARANATHA *A big thanks to the comm interns, Parker, Katie, Sarah McGrath and Greg Deekens, who spent their days photographing and telling the story all summer. Camp Chaplains: Peter Ackerman: CAMP WRITES ITS OWN PSALM Jordan Casson: WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW Mary Beth Emerson: FOR JUST SUCH A TIME AS THIS Jen Kimball: 10 FANTASTIC THINGS ABOUT CHAPLAINCY Daniel Robayo: CONTEMPLATIONS ON THE SHOUTING PRAYER In-Session Counselors: Taylor Trobaugh: LIGHTS OUT, ST. GEORGE'S Photo Journals: STAFF WEEK JULY FOURTH AND THE BISHOP'S JUBILEE THE POLAR VORTEX CAN'T STOP THIS MAGIC ST. GEORGE'S FIRSTS EXPLORERS CAMP SESSION I ST. ELIZABETH'S CAMP Just a Few of Our Favorite Photos of 2014Until next year!
Love, The View from the Mountain Photo [and everything else] credit: So, so many people. Thank you all.
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He climbed to the stage, poured his heart into a simple song, but couldn't get the last phrase. He shook his head and said, "I can't do it." But Art Camp cried out in a spontaneous chant of "Yes you can. Yes you can." The boy played again. Again the last phrase eluded him. And again camp encouraged him. A third time he began the tune. A third time he faltered. And a third and final time camp lifted him up, praising his perseverance and cheering his courage as he returned to his seat. Throughout the annual Art Camp talent show last Saturday night, the community enacted such unwavering, unconditional love for each person. After boisterous, high spirited antics or repeat renditions of a popular song, the community applauded wildly. After more practiced performances, the community shouted its praise. The growth of campers who shared their talents in past years was noted by the staff and older campers. All who shared were accepted and appreciated just as they are, even as they were encouraged to keep growing and become even better. That is wonderful reflection of God's love. God loves each of us unconditionally, just as we are. But God loves each of us too much to let us stay the way we are. Through encouraging and shaping us, through giving us room to grow, through forgiving us, sometimes through knocking us up the side of the head, God leads us to be better than we've been. Unconditional love is not some loose, anything goes kind of proposal. It is not content with the least we are or the least we can be. Unconditional love is God's very nature that calls us, through accepting us as we are, to grow and stretch and mature and become better than we've ever been, more faithful and loving than we could ever be if left on our own. That kind of love is woven into the fiber of Art Camp and all our Shrine Mont Camps. It is a part of the culture, part of the basic assumption of who we are on the mountain. The counselors and all the staff make decisions minute by minute to reflect unconditional love, the kind that takes others where they are and urges them to grow from there. We don't always get it right. Only God loves perfectly, after all. But in the striving, in the intending to love unconditionally, we draw closer to Agape, that "new kind of love" that we sing about. By Bishop Susan Goff The Rt. Rev. Susan Goff is a summer camp veteran, not to mention the first female bishop elected in the Diocese of Virginia, where she serves as bishop suffragan. This is her third year working as Art Camp's chaplain. Bishop Goff first worked at Shrine Mont as the director of Senior High Conference in the 1980s, before it became SHYC, and has been a friend and supporter of Shrine Mont Camps for all the years in between and since. While in seminary, Bishop Goff directed Eagle's Nest, the summer camp of the Diocese of Newark, for three summers. Important disclaimer but not quite Tipper Sticker: There are a couple songs on the playlists below that parents might not want young children listening to, but in most cases you’d have to be listening carefully. There are no songs that couldn't be played on the radio, and nothing that bears an “Explicit” tag. The playlists are filled with great songs that have formed and inspired thousands over the decades. The Shrine Mont PlaylistS
"The Dance" is filled with music that makes you want to move your feet or twirl around the pavilion making slow-dancing couples feel uncomfortable (sometimes both). “St. G.’s Rebellion” is a playlist of songs from “The Dance” featuring bands like The Clash, Violent Femmes and The Who. These are my personal favorites, more on that in the article to follow. "The Slideshow" is filled with music that would be played along with the end-of-session slideshow. It's slower, hopeful and introspective. It's basically the Cat Stevens of playlists. “The Green Book” contains songs from our camp hymnal of the same name. It includes songs played at camp worship that can be found on Spotify. “Shrine Mont Jams” (above) is the omnibus playlist, combining the music from “The Dance” and “The Slideshow” with some more songs that didn’t quite fit in either category. I got a lot of help putting this playlist together from counselors and campers spanning four decades of camp. I would thank them each by name for the thought and care they put into picking the songs, but that'd take forever. So, thank you all. Some things to note about "Shrine Mont Jams" and the following article.
That Loving Rebellion |
PlayList: The Green Book | PlayList: The Dance |
Then there were camp dances. My only experience of dances up to this point had been “sock hops” at Laurel Ridge Elementary, where our overly-obliging PE teacher, Mr. Krum, played a radio edit of “Bawitdaba” that the boys – in what must have been an adorable display of misplaced male aggression – “moshed” to, as well as “Breathe” by Faith Hill that widened the gender taste/maturity gap as the girls sang along and the boys feigned gagging. There was none of this nonsense at the camp dances. Through sheer force of coolness, the counselors made me realize that every dance I’d experienced up to this point had it completely wrong, and that U2, Ramones, Violent Femmes and countless other classic rock bands I’d never heard before were the real soundtrack of joy and release.
What’s more, St. George’s showed me that I’d been going about my pre-teen musical rebellion all wrong. I’d convinced myself that the way to set myself apart from the authority figures that I – rightly or wrongly – felt contempt for was to question one single value: their decency. Music that strung together expletives for shock value was exhilarating because it’s not what I was supposed to be listening to. But St. George’s Camp, with its central message of being good to one another, of caring for one another, saying that it’s cool – even counter-cultural – to act that way, completely blew apart everything I’d learned about social dynamics up to that point. And the music played at dances scored and highlighted camp’s loving rebellion.
Songs like “Train in Vain” by The Clash, “My Generation” by The Who and “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” by R.E.M. spoke to the brokenness and absurdity of the world. These songs were honest about why it sucks sometimes to be a young adult or teenager – the powerlessness and disenfranchisement – but something about belting out these songs together with Hoss, camp’s house band made up of former counselors, made all that go away. Most importantly, these songs held out hope that things can and will get better, that the meek and powerless shall inherit the earth. For me, the song that typified this was and is Modern English’s “I Melt With You”:
Songs like “Train in Vain” by The Clash, “My Generation” by The Who and “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” by R.E.M. spoke to the brokenness and absurdity of the world. These songs were honest about why it sucks sometimes to be a young adult or teenager – the powerlessness and disenfranchisement – but something about belting out these songs together with Hoss, camp’s house band made up of former counselors, made all that go away. Most importantly, these songs held out hope that things can and will get better, that the meek and powerless shall inherit the earth. For me, the song that typified this was and is Modern English’s “I Melt With You”:
| PlayList: St. G's Rebellion |
What a perfect expression of what camp is: A place outside of time, outside the world and still a part of it, daring to believe that what we do at St. George’s can have a huge effect on the world. What choice did I have but to leave Kid Rock’s camp and fly my banner with the St. G’s rebellion? The type of subversion that St. George’s offered was completely different from how MTV taught me someone my age should rebel. Instead of withdrawing to the basement with Puff Daddy (as he was known in 2000), St. George’s challenged me to be decent. But not the suburban, keeping-up-appearances type of decency; the type of decency that takes hard work and selflessness: trying to see my family’s side when they wanted me to stop being a self-centered jerk, or extending a hand or a kind word to a kid at school who needed it.
It wasn’t an easy task. I didn’t flip a switch and become a teenaged Mr. Rogers or stand on a windy cliff and toss my Kid Rock CD into the ocean, swearing to never listen to crappy music again. Throughout middle and high school I would join in on bullying or go through long periods where I thought only about myself. But what I’d learned at St. George’s about the Body of Christ and my membership in it changed the way I saw the world on a molecular level: Instead of seeing meanness as a form of personal advancement (as it so often is in grade school), meanness and cruelty became something that corroded my soul. Each word I said out of hate or fear drew me away from the rebellion I’d joined at St. G’s, while each counter-cultural good deed I did brought me closer to my home among the misfits who believed, in spite of so much counterevidence, that the world didn’t have to spin on an axis of greed and fear.
It wasn’t an easy task. I didn’t flip a switch and become a teenaged Mr. Rogers or stand on a windy cliff and toss my Kid Rock CD into the ocean, swearing to never listen to crappy music again. Throughout middle and high school I would join in on bullying or go through long periods where I thought only about myself. But what I’d learned at St. George’s about the Body of Christ and my membership in it changed the way I saw the world on a molecular level: Instead of seeing meanness as a form of personal advancement (as it so often is in grade school), meanness and cruelty became something that corroded my soul. Each word I said out of hate or fear drew me away from the rebellion I’d joined at St. G’s, while each counter-cultural good deed I did brought me closer to my home among the misfits who believed, in spite of so much counterevidence, that the world didn’t have to spin on an axis of greed and fear.
Away from the mountain, I was sustained by playlists I created of the music from camp dances, slideshows and everything in between. Even when it had been months since I saw friends from camp and longer since I was last at Shrine Mont, our music brought me back and reminded me that the rebellion still needed my help. It still does today. Now that everyone in the Shrine Mont Camps family has returned to the Valley of the World, I hope that the playlists I’ve created with the help of that constantly-growing family can sustain you and bring you joy too. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord, and viva la resistance. By Ed Keithly | PlayList: The Slideshow |
Ed Keithly is the editor of this blog. He 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.
"Lights out, St. George’s!" The final bell of the final full day of camp rings, signaling that now, after a long day of games and songs and laughter, it is time to go to sleep. My campers and I gather around our candle, and by the glow of its flame and the string of Christmas lights hanging from the rafters we have our last feeling check. After everyone has had their turn, we climb in our bunks and I read to them until every camper seems to have fallen asleep. Now, after this long day on the mountain, I am granted the restful, rejuvenating sleep that I so cherish as a counselor.
There is a tug on my toe. As I slowly rouse, the first thing I see is the moths and other insects floating lethargically around the floodlight outside of my cabin. The second thing I see is a pair of tiny eyes staring back at me from the foot of my bunk.
“Taylor, I need to go to the bathroom,” whispers Jack, an 8-year-old first-time camper. Even to adults, the back path from Cabin 1 to the boys’ latrines can be a terrifying experience at night, and that fear can be plainly read on my camper’s sleepy face. I look at my watch. It’s 4:07. I climb down from my bunk, strap on my sandals, grab my flashlight, and head out the door with Jack trailing close behind.
The mountain is a completely different place on a summer’s night, almost unrecognizable from its usual daytime vibrancy. The bustle of campers is gone, and with it go the sounds of bells and laughter and 20-year-old Backstreet Boys songs that never seem to go out of style at camp. The mountain is silent. Even the crickets seem to be sleeping. It’s a haunting silence, yet peaceful. To so many campers who come from cities and suburbs, this kind of silence is unimaginable in their everyday lives, where they are surrounded by the sounds of the urban world. It is a calm and stillness that I believe is a big part of what makes Shrine Mont truly a place apart.
There is a tug on my toe. As I slowly rouse, the first thing I see is the moths and other insects floating lethargically around the floodlight outside of my cabin. The second thing I see is a pair of tiny eyes staring back at me from the foot of my bunk.
“Taylor, I need to go to the bathroom,” whispers Jack, an 8-year-old first-time camper. Even to adults, the back path from Cabin 1 to the boys’ latrines can be a terrifying experience at night, and that fear can be plainly read on my camper’s sleepy face. I look at my watch. It’s 4:07. I climb down from my bunk, strap on my sandals, grab my flashlight, and head out the door with Jack trailing close behind.
The mountain is a completely different place on a summer’s night, almost unrecognizable from its usual daytime vibrancy. The bustle of campers is gone, and with it go the sounds of bells and laughter and 20-year-old Backstreet Boys songs that never seem to go out of style at camp. The mountain is silent. Even the crickets seem to be sleeping. It’s a haunting silence, yet peaceful. To so many campers who come from cities and suburbs, this kind of silence is unimaginable in their everyday lives, where they are surrounded by the sounds of the urban world. It is a calm and stillness that I believe is a big part of what makes Shrine Mont truly a place apart.
If we were just a hundred yards further down the winding path from camp to the upper ball field, we would be guided by the light of the millions of stars shining down on the mountain, a sight one cannot truly understand or imagine unless they have experienced it firsthand. We, however, nestled into the side of the mountain in the woods, do not have the blessing of this natural light, and find our path only faintly illuminated by floodlights outside of each cabin. In the distance, beyond the latrines - which to a first session camper’s short legs seem an eternity away - is the light on the front porch of the director’s cabin. The floodlights outside cabins 1 through 10 are there to help give the campers a sense of security and to light their way through the dark of night on their way to relieve themselves, but to me the director’s light is a symbol, a beacon telling the staff that the guidance we sometimes need is waiting inside, vigilant and ready to help any member of staff at any time, because sometimes camp counselors need a camp counselor too.
As we walk into the worn, beaten, more-often-than-not leaking and broken latrines, it’s like walking into the St. G’s Hall of Fame. We’re surrounded by the signatures of the greats, the counselors of yesteryear that I remember fondly from my time as a camper. Names like Burt, Wingenbach, Cowherd, Reed, and some guy named Mark Tanner who I think played with our favorite band Hoss once or twice. Not only them, but the names of their counselors, and those counselors’ counselors can be found inscribed in the old wooden walls of the building. Hundreds of signatures spanning the lifetime of camp everywhere you look. In recent years, signing the walls became taboo as space became limited, and it recalls a memory of when I was 15: Upon asking him what I had to do to be allowed to sign the walls, former camp director Joe Wingenbach responded, “Taylor, if you come back as a counselor in a couple years and work here for four summers, you can sign wherever you want, and I’ll hand you the pen.” Well Joe, two summers down, two to go. I’ll see you in 2016.
Jack and I make our way back to the cabin, climb into our bunks, and fall asleep, awaiting the first bell of the very last day of the session, soon after which the St. George’s staff and I will send our campers back off into the Valley of the World, hopefully taking with them the love, laughter, and light they found here.
By Taylor Trobaugh
As we walk into the worn, beaten, more-often-than-not leaking and broken latrines, it’s like walking into the St. G’s Hall of Fame. We’re surrounded by the signatures of the greats, the counselors of yesteryear that I remember fondly from my time as a camper. Names like Burt, Wingenbach, Cowherd, Reed, and some guy named Mark Tanner who I think played with our favorite band Hoss once or twice. Not only them, but the names of their counselors, and those counselors’ counselors can be found inscribed in the old wooden walls of the building. Hundreds of signatures spanning the lifetime of camp everywhere you look. In recent years, signing the walls became taboo as space became limited, and it recalls a memory of when I was 15: Upon asking him what I had to do to be allowed to sign the walls, former camp director Joe Wingenbach responded, “Taylor, if you come back as a counselor in a couple years and work here for four summers, you can sign wherever you want, and I’ll hand you the pen.” Well Joe, two summers down, two to go. I’ll see you in 2016.
Jack and I make our way back to the cabin, climb into our bunks, and fall asleep, awaiting the first bell of the very last day of the session, soon after which the St. George’s staff and I will send our campers back off into the Valley of the World, hopefully taking with them the love, laughter, and light they found here.
By Taylor Trobaugh
Taylor Trobaugh is a second-year St. George's Camp counselor. He's a rising sophomore at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond and a member of Grace and Holy Trinity's campus ministry.
I’m sure when Burt Bacharach and Dionne Warwick inspired the title of this blog – a hit record in 1966 – they weren’t thinking about Shrine Mont Camps. However, what they did have in mind is love. And love is all I could breathe, touch and feel while serving as chaplain for Session I of St. Sebastian’s Sports Camp earlier this summer, a camp that promotes teamwork and sportsmanship as ways to re-emphasize God’s grace and love among God’s people on Earth.
This year’s first session consisted of 30 kids between the ages of 9 and 11. Growing up in New York City (Newburgh by way of the Bronx), I had never participated in an overnight camp. Thus, I must confess, I was extremely anxious. On my drive from Charlottesville to Orkney Springs, I asked myself these questions: What happens if one of our campers becomes homesick? Would the children understand my chaplain sessions – also known as "happy chappy time" – or would they dismiss them as boring? And lastly, would I fit in or would I come off as awkward, particularly to those veteran campers? Well, after two days of being with these wonderful youngsters, outstanding camp counselors and the terrific Shrine Mont Camps staff, I learned very quickly that my fears were unfounded. The first night of camp, several campers got homesick, and because I was also new to camp, in my own predicament, I could not only empathize with these campers, but also calm them. I too was new to camp, but my excitement about how God might reveal God’s self throughout the week translated very well to them, as they too were curious about seeing this themselves.
As the days passed by, I watched and witnessed amazing things from our young people, things that often today we only read about in fiction or exceptional stories. I watched young people literally pinch themselves when they forgot to pass their teammates the ball in games like soccer, hockey and basketball. Or when someone got hurt or just didn’t feel like playing, without being asked, I saw someone sit out with them so they wouldn’t be alone. I observed children, several in fact, who came to camp dealing with anxieties regarding significant family members with serious, even grave, illness. However, leaning on their fellow campers for support really helped them throughout the week. Though they were frightened for their loved ones, camp reminded them that life is not all death, but also beauty, fun, caring and excitement. Before my very eyes, these campers, with no leadership from me, created a community, a community of Christ.
This year’s first session consisted of 30 kids between the ages of 9 and 11. Growing up in New York City (Newburgh by way of the Bronx), I had never participated in an overnight camp. Thus, I must confess, I was extremely anxious. On my drive from Charlottesville to Orkney Springs, I asked myself these questions: What happens if one of our campers becomes homesick? Would the children understand my chaplain sessions – also known as "happy chappy time" – or would they dismiss them as boring? And lastly, would I fit in or would I come off as awkward, particularly to those veteran campers? Well, after two days of being with these wonderful youngsters, outstanding camp counselors and the terrific Shrine Mont Camps staff, I learned very quickly that my fears were unfounded. The first night of camp, several campers got homesick, and because I was also new to camp, in my own predicament, I could not only empathize with these campers, but also calm them. I too was new to camp, but my excitement about how God might reveal God’s self throughout the week translated very well to them, as they too were curious about seeing this themselves.
As the days passed by, I watched and witnessed amazing things from our young people, things that often today we only read about in fiction or exceptional stories. I watched young people literally pinch themselves when they forgot to pass their teammates the ball in games like soccer, hockey and basketball. Or when someone got hurt or just didn’t feel like playing, without being asked, I saw someone sit out with them so they wouldn’t be alone. I observed children, several in fact, who came to camp dealing with anxieties regarding significant family members with serious, even grave, illness. However, leaning on their fellow campers for support really helped them throughout the week. Though they were frightened for their loved ones, camp reminded them that life is not all death, but also beauty, fun, caring and excitement. Before my very eyes, these campers, with no leadership from me, created a community, a community of Christ.
After several days of watching our campers become a community, it came to me that one of our chaplain sessions should take place at the labyrinth. Conventional wisdom regarding labyrinths is this: The person walking the labyrinth pauses in silence before entering the labyrinth, holding a thought or memory in his mind that needs to be released. Upon reaching the center of the labyrinth, he looks up to the sky or ceiling and lets go the thing they’ve carried into the labyrinth. In the case of our sports campers, I deviated from this model. Instead of having them walk alone, I asked them to find a camper they had gotten to know throughout the week with whom to walk it together. Whoever led going into the labyrinth would follow their partner upon the exiting of the labyrinth. Once reaching the center of the labyrinth together, they were then asked to reflect on how their partner had helped them see God at camp.
As I coached many of our campers about labyrinth etiquette, I couldn’t help but notice four separate groups of girls, holding one another’s hands while maintaining the other’s pace. It felt like the Old Testament story of Ruth and Naomi happening before my eyes. And what would happen next is a memory I will never forget. Once these eight girls were finished with their walk, they asked one of the camp counselors, who was meditating by herself near the labyrinth, if they could join her. I was amazed with how they needed to remain connected to the spirit of God that they experienced in the labyrinth, but for them it hadn’t concluded there. I learned later that their meditation placed them in an open field with two chests sitting in the center of the field. One chest held their positive thoughts and the other chest their negative thoughts. During this meditation, they placed their bad thoughts in the second chest and closed it. Then they opened the first chest and reflect for the rest of the meditation on the good things that have happened to them. Even today, I am at a loss for words. These children embarked on a spiritual journey that takes many of us adults years to do. I think I finally know why Jesus says in Matthew, “Let the little children come to me, for they shall inherit the Kingdom of God.”
In a world that can’t seem to stay away from war, oppression, greed, hatred and all other things that keep us from being our best selves and leave us deaf to God’s voice, how is it that at camp, none of these things exist? How is it at camp that the Holy Spirit’s presence is crystal clear and is embodied? Well, brothers and sisters, I think it is clear: God needs us to enter places where cell phones, corporations, bank accounts, republicans, democrats, Jews, Gentiles, blacks, whites and all things that divide us don’t exist. It’s clearer to me now then it was before my experiences at Shrine Mont that God is calling us to places like this camp.
If I had to describe Shrine Mont in one word, that word is simply, “Love.” Love which passeth all understanding and which makes all things equal, simple and calm. And so the world needs that which Shrine Mont Camps offers us, because it is a small glimpse of what the Kingdom of God can and will look like on Earth. So let us petition all those who hate, dislike or are lacking an authentic example of what true love looks like to spend a week at Shrine Mont and experience God like never before.
By Jordan Casson
As I coached many of our campers about labyrinth etiquette, I couldn’t help but notice four separate groups of girls, holding one another’s hands while maintaining the other’s pace. It felt like the Old Testament story of Ruth and Naomi happening before my eyes. And what would happen next is a memory I will never forget. Once these eight girls were finished with their walk, they asked one of the camp counselors, who was meditating by herself near the labyrinth, if they could join her. I was amazed with how they needed to remain connected to the spirit of God that they experienced in the labyrinth, but for them it hadn’t concluded there. I learned later that their meditation placed them in an open field with two chests sitting in the center of the field. One chest held their positive thoughts and the other chest their negative thoughts. During this meditation, they placed their bad thoughts in the second chest and closed it. Then they opened the first chest and reflect for the rest of the meditation on the good things that have happened to them. Even today, I am at a loss for words. These children embarked on a spiritual journey that takes many of us adults years to do. I think I finally know why Jesus says in Matthew, “Let the little children come to me, for they shall inherit the Kingdom of God.”
In a world that can’t seem to stay away from war, oppression, greed, hatred and all other things that keep us from being our best selves and leave us deaf to God’s voice, how is it that at camp, none of these things exist? How is it at camp that the Holy Spirit’s presence is crystal clear and is embodied? Well, brothers and sisters, I think it is clear: God needs us to enter places where cell phones, corporations, bank accounts, republicans, democrats, Jews, Gentiles, blacks, whites and all things that divide us don’t exist. It’s clearer to me now then it was before my experiences at Shrine Mont that God is calling us to places like this camp.
If I had to describe Shrine Mont in one word, that word is simply, “Love.” Love which passeth all understanding and which makes all things equal, simple and calm. And so the world needs that which Shrine Mont Camps offers us, because it is a small glimpse of what the Kingdom of God can and will look like on Earth. So let us petition all those who hate, dislike or are lacking an authentic example of what true love looks like to spend a week at Shrine Mont and experience God like never before.
By Jordan Casson
Jordan Casson is the youth minister at St. Paul's, Ivy. This was Jordan's first year as part of the Shrine Mont family and community. He looks forward to building a strong youth group at St. Paul’s and getting more of them to come to Shrine Mont Camps.
A recent transplant to Virginia, Jordan’s calling began at Morehouse College. After joining the Chapel Assistants Program, which develops leaders by emulating the work of Martin Luther King, Jr., Jordan felt called to religious life and attended Candler School of Theology at Emory University. At Candler, Jordan’s path led towards the Episcopal Church. After meeting Bishop Rob Wright (then the rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta) and discovering the scope of social work in the Episcopal Church, Jordan decided to continue his discernment in the Episcopal Church and was received in 2011.
A recent transplant to Virginia, Jordan’s calling began at Morehouse College. After joining the Chapel Assistants Program, which develops leaders by emulating the work of Martin Luther King, Jr., Jordan felt called to religious life and attended Candler School of Theology at Emory University. At Candler, Jordan’s path led towards the Episcopal Church. After meeting Bishop Rob Wright (then the rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta) and discovering the scope of social work in the Episcopal Church, Jordan decided to continue his discernment in the Episcopal Church and was received in 2011.
Editor's note: Today is the Feast of the Transfiguration, from which the Shrine takes its name. To mark this crucial day in the life of Shrine Mont Camps, we're re-posting Bishop Goff's piece on the Transfiguration that first ran exactly a year ago (complete with new pictures).
It is an amazing joy and privilege for me to spend this week as bishop-in-residence at Shrine Mont. One of the delights that makes this week special is that today is the Feast of the Transfiguration, which we will celebrate at the Cathedral Shrine of the Transfiguration.
The parallels between our experience at Shrine Mont and Jesus' experiences at the place of transfiguration are striking. Jesus went up a mountain to a place apart. Sound familiar? He didn't go alone, but took his friends. Familiar, too, since even those who come to this mountain alone typically discover new friends quickly.
On that mountain, Jesus and his friends prayed. On this mountain, people pray. All the time. At staff meetings, in the dining hall before meals, in the songs that are sung, in cabins before bed, at daily worship, in unexpected moments.
In his mountain place apart, Jesus was changed. The light of God shone through him. In this mountain place apart, we are changed. I've seen the faces of counselors and campers shining with the light of Christ. I've seen them glowing with love for God and for others. It's not just sunburn, it's not just the "glow" from strenuous exercise. The love of God is visible here.
It is an amazing joy and privilege for me to spend this week as bishop-in-residence at Shrine Mont. One of the delights that makes this week special is that today is the Feast of the Transfiguration, which we will celebrate at the Cathedral Shrine of the Transfiguration.
The parallels between our experience at Shrine Mont and Jesus' experiences at the place of transfiguration are striking. Jesus went up a mountain to a place apart. Sound familiar? He didn't go alone, but took his friends. Familiar, too, since even those who come to this mountain alone typically discover new friends quickly.
On that mountain, Jesus and his friends prayed. On this mountain, people pray. All the time. At staff meetings, in the dining hall before meals, in the songs that are sung, in cabins before bed, at daily worship, in unexpected moments.
In his mountain place apart, Jesus was changed. The light of God shone through him. In this mountain place apart, we are changed. I've seen the faces of counselors and campers shining with the light of Christ. I've seen them glowing with love for God and for others. It's not just sunburn, it's not just the "glow" from strenuous exercise. The love of God is visible here.
There was confusion on that mount of transfiguration, too. Jesus' friends didn't understand what was going on. There was hurt as they prayed about Jesus' coming death. There is confusion at times on this mountain. There are hurts and fears. We are real human beings living real lives even here, after all.
Jesus left the mountain with the strength to overcome hurts and fears and to face the coming crisis: His arrest and trial and crucifixion. We leave this mountain strengthened to face the stresses and trials of our daily lives, and to face them with faith and hope.
We are changed in this place. And we are challenged to do all we can to help ensure that all who come to this place apart will be changed for the better.
Jesus left the mountain with the strength to overcome hurts and fears and to face the coming crisis: His arrest and trial and crucifixion. We leave this mountain strengthened to face the stresses and trials of our daily lives, and to face them with faith and hope.
We are changed in this place. And we are challenged to do all we can to help ensure that all who come to this place apart will be changed for the better.
The Rt. Rev. Susan Goff is a summer camp veteran, not to mention the first female bishop elected in the Diocese of Virginia, where she serves as bishop suffragan. This is her third year working as Art Camp's chaplain.
Bishop Goff first worked at Shrine Mont as the director of Senior High Conference in the 1980s, before it became SHYC, and has been a friend and supporter of Shrine Mont Camps for all the years in between and since. While in seminary, Bishop Goff directed Eagle's Nest, the summer camp of the Diocese of Newark, for three summers.
She first joined the bishop’s staff as canon to the ordinary in January 2010. Bishop Goff was consecrated on July 28, 2012. As bishop suffragan, she oversees mission churches, in addition to multicultural and ethnic ministries. Before 2010, Bishop Goff served as rector of St. Christopher’s, Springfield for 15 years. She also served as rector of Immanuel, Old Church, in Mechanicsville; chaplain of St. Catherine’s School in Richmond; and chaplain of St. Margaret’s School in Tappahannock.
Bishop Goff first worked at Shrine Mont as the director of Senior High Conference in the 1980s, before it became SHYC, and has been a friend and supporter of Shrine Mont Camps for all the years in between and since. While in seminary, Bishop Goff directed Eagle's Nest, the summer camp of the Diocese of Newark, for three summers.
She first joined the bishop’s staff as canon to the ordinary in January 2010. Bishop Goff was consecrated on July 28, 2012. As bishop suffragan, she oversees mission churches, in addition to multicultural and ethnic ministries. Before 2010, Bishop Goff served as rector of St. Christopher’s, Springfield for 15 years. She also served as rector of Immanuel, Old Church, in Mechanicsville; chaplain of St. Catherine’s School in Richmond; and chaplain of St. Margaret’s School in Tappahannock.
Every Shrine Mont Camp has its own unique personality and culture. Even though many counselors work at more than one camp, the distinctive characteristics of each remain. Art Camp is the camp I know best, having been its chaplain a number of years. I observe it to be one of the most, if not the most, introspective of the camps. And that doesn't surprise me. The kids who choose to come to art camp are interested, after all, in art. Almost all like to do art and learn about art and talk about art. They enjoy other typical camp activities as well - hiking and swimming, playing games and camping. But most are artists. And artists, as a generalization, are more introspective and more comfortable with quiet and stillness than the general population. Artists are, as a generalization, more introverted. By that I don't mean shy, but instead I refer to the classic definition: an introvert is someone who gets energized by quiet and stillness and who expends that energy with others.
Quiet and stillness are like the "white space" in a piece of art or in a written document. If the page were absolutely covered from top to bottom and from side to side, it would be difficult to make out the words or images. Our eye needs "white space" to help us make sense of what we are seeing. In the same way we human beings need quiet and stillness to help us make sense of what we are experiencing.
Quiet and stillness are like the "white space" in a piece of art or in a written document. If the page were absolutely covered from top to bottom and from side to side, it would be difficult to make out the words or images. Our eye needs "white space" to help us make sense of what we are seeing. In the same way we human beings need quiet and stillness to help us make sense of what we are experiencing.
Thankfully, there are occasions for quiet and stillness woven into the fabric of camp life at almost every turn. At the opening worship service a few days ago, campers were invited to write a brief letter to themselves naming some of their hopes for Art Camp 2014. Silence descended on the Shrine for a moment as campers took out their pens, opened their sketchbooks and began to write. It is not unusual during art time or chaplain's time for a holy silence to fall over the group as campers draw or paint. Quiet conversations are had even on the periphery of a dance. The Goodnight Song offers the entire camp a chance to quiet down and nightly feeling checks invite honest introspection.
Quiet and stillness are not at all counter to the culture of joyful high energy that so marks Shrine Mont Camps. They are, instead, a necessary part of it. Quiet and stillness balance and bless the spirit of all of our camps. Praise God who is known in the activity and in the stillness.
By Bishop Susan Goff
Quiet and stillness are not at all counter to the culture of joyful high energy that so marks Shrine Mont Camps. They are, instead, a necessary part of it. Quiet and stillness balance and bless the spirit of all of our camps. Praise God who is known in the activity and in the stillness.
By Bishop Susan Goff
The Rt. Rev. Susan Goff is a summer camp veteran, not to mention the first female bishop elected in the Diocese of Virginia, where she serves as bishop suffragan. This is her third year working as Art Camp's chaplain.
Bishop Goff first worked at Shrine Mont as the director of Senior High Conference in the 1980s, before it became SHYC, and has been a friend and supporter of Shrine Mont Camps for all the years in between and since. While in seminary, Bishop Goff directed Eagle's Nest, the summer camp of the Diocese of Newark, for three summers.
She first joined the bishop’s staff as canon to the ordinary in January 2010. Bishop Goff was consecrated on July 28, 2012. As bishop suffragan, she oversees mission churches, in addition to multicultural and ethnic ministries. Before 2010, Bishop Goff served as rector of St. Christopher’s, Springfield for 15 years. She also served as rector of Immanuel, Old Church, in Mechanicsville; chaplain of St. Catherine’s School in Richmond; and chaplain of St. Margaret’s School in Tappahannock.
Bishop Goff first worked at Shrine Mont as the director of Senior High Conference in the 1980s, before it became SHYC, and has been a friend and supporter of Shrine Mont Camps for all the years in between and since. While in seminary, Bishop Goff directed Eagle's Nest, the summer camp of the Diocese of Newark, for three summers.
She first joined the bishop’s staff as canon to the ordinary in January 2010. Bishop Goff was consecrated on July 28, 2012. As bishop suffragan, she oversees mission churches, in addition to multicultural and ethnic ministries. Before 2010, Bishop Goff served as rector of St. Christopher’s, Springfield for 15 years. She also served as rector of Immanuel, Old Church, in Mechanicsville; chaplain of St. Catherine’s School in Richmond; and chaplain of St. Margaret’s School in Tappahannock.
A few days have passed since I got home after working with the Shrine Mont Camps. This year I was fortunate enough to work with three: St. George’s II, Senior High Youth Conference (SHYC) and Explorers II. Sharing the beauty of God’s creation and trying to motivate a sense of stewardship in campers is a blessing that I am grateful for. It is also a charge that I take very seriously and try to undertake to the best of my ability. In fact, months of planning go into the precious few hours that I get with the campers. But, even in God’s country, things do not always go according to plan – at least not mine.
July 12-13
I went to Shrine Mont to plan. There were many things to line up. I had spent the previous months coordinating with various community partners and Shrine Mont Camps staff to line up hikes and service projects. Less than two weeks remained before the camps I was working with started. St. George’s was slated to remove invasive plants from the Shrine Mont grounds in order to let native plants return. SHYC was to clear ground and build raised planting beds at a community garden run by St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Toms Brook, Va. Explorers was set to hike to a swimming hole on Overall Run in Shenandoah National Park. The day after that they were to conduct a trash cleanup at Lake Laura.
When I got to Orkney Springs on Saturday the 12th, there was a buzz of activity. A lot of camps were in session and a large congregation from Northern Virginia was visiting for a parish retreat. I had two days to find invasive plants for St. G’s to cut, scout the swimming-hole hike for Explorers and make the final arrangements for SHYC’s community garden project. Most of this work could only be done in daylight so those two days yielded only a few hours of opportunity. My frenzied pace added to the din of activity on the mountain. I have to admit, much of that time, I was stressed and feeling a bit cynical.
In spite of my pessimism, plans came together in that hurried 48 hours. I found a broad stand of Japanese Stilt Grass on one of the trails. Yes, I was actually happy to find an aggressive alien invader in Shrine Mont. It was an opportunity for the campers to reverse a mistake of mankind and try to restore a bit of balance to God’s creation. I thought, not only could St. G’s cut back the stilt grass but they could build a fire ring there and turn it into a usable space. Later that day – I got lost three times – I finally found the swimming hole that Explorers campers would hike to. On Sunday morning I met with Paris Ball and we finalized transportation plans for the SHYC community garden trip and the Explorers hike. I was tired but my plans were set.
The rector of the visiting parish officiated the service at the Shrine later that morning. The Gospel reading that day was the Parable of the Sower from Matthew, chapter 13. Teaching from a boat on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus told the story of the farmer who cast his seeds in a wide swath. Seeds that fell on the road were eaten by birds and did not grow. Seeds that fell on rocky ground immediately grew but were soon scorched by the hot sun. The seeds that fell among the thorns were soon choked by vines. Only the seeds sown on rich soil produced abundant fruit. Some of those produced many times over.
In his sermon, the rector confessed that even he did not know what to make of this passage at first. Jesus’ parables are not tales to be taken literally, but metaphors to be interpreted. After some thought the rector concluded that the path, the stones and the thorns represent the flaws in our hearts and minds that prevent the Word of God from taking root in our soul. We need to work hard to find the good soil in ourselves where God can bring forth fruit.
This struck me hard. I have a bad habit of getting tangled in the thorns and tripping on the stones in my heart. My pride and my selfish longing for validation often cause me to misinterpret the actions of others. In fact, these obstructions kept me away from the Church, and Shrine Mont, for years. Only recently have I found my niche in the Church – my commitment to protecting creation. Tiny seeds of faith are again taking root in that soil. Even still, I struggle to avoid the stones and thorns. After the service I went back to my room in Maryland House and just sighed. It was time to drive home.
When I got to Orkney Springs on Saturday the 12th, there was a buzz of activity. A lot of camps were in session and a large congregation from Northern Virginia was visiting for a parish retreat. I had two days to find invasive plants for St. G’s to cut, scout the swimming-hole hike for Explorers and make the final arrangements for SHYC’s community garden project. Most of this work could only be done in daylight so those two days yielded only a few hours of opportunity. My frenzied pace added to the din of activity on the mountain. I have to admit, much of that time, I was stressed and feeling a bit cynical.
In spite of my pessimism, plans came together in that hurried 48 hours. I found a broad stand of Japanese Stilt Grass on one of the trails. Yes, I was actually happy to find an aggressive alien invader in Shrine Mont. It was an opportunity for the campers to reverse a mistake of mankind and try to restore a bit of balance to God’s creation. I thought, not only could St. G’s cut back the stilt grass but they could build a fire ring there and turn it into a usable space. Later that day – I got lost three times – I finally found the swimming hole that Explorers campers would hike to. On Sunday morning I met with Paris Ball and we finalized transportation plans for the SHYC community garden trip and the Explorers hike. I was tired but my plans were set.
The rector of the visiting parish officiated the service at the Shrine later that morning. The Gospel reading that day was the Parable of the Sower from Matthew, chapter 13. Teaching from a boat on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus told the story of the farmer who cast his seeds in a wide swath. Seeds that fell on the road were eaten by birds and did not grow. Seeds that fell on rocky ground immediately grew but were soon scorched by the hot sun. The seeds that fell among the thorns were soon choked by vines. Only the seeds sown on rich soil produced abundant fruit. Some of those produced many times over.
In his sermon, the rector confessed that even he did not know what to make of this passage at first. Jesus’ parables are not tales to be taken literally, but metaphors to be interpreted. After some thought the rector concluded that the path, the stones and the thorns represent the flaws in our hearts and minds that prevent the Word of God from taking root in our soul. We need to work hard to find the good soil in ourselves where God can bring forth fruit.
This struck me hard. I have a bad habit of getting tangled in the thorns and tripping on the stones in my heart. My pride and my selfish longing for validation often cause me to misinterpret the actions of others. In fact, these obstructions kept me away from the Church, and Shrine Mont, for years. Only recently have I found my niche in the Church – my commitment to protecting creation. Tiny seeds of faith are again taking root in that soil. Even still, I struggle to avoid the stones and thorns. After the service I went back to my room in Maryland House and just sighed. It was time to drive home.
July 22-27
I was back in Shrine Mont and ready to work on Tuesday, July 22. My wife, Heather, and my son, Dylan, were with me this time. I had a vision of the perfect week that lay ahead. Days of sowing seeds of stewardship in campers would be followed by evenings of fellowship and bonding with my family. What happened next was not what I expected.
In spite of all the arrangements, supplies arrived at the last minute, or late, or not at all. Torrential rain caused the community garden project in Toms Brook to be cancelled. Explorers got a late start on the morning of the swimming-hole hike so I had to cut my presentation short. The canoes for the Lake Laura cleanup, which were an unexpected and last-minute addition, never arrived. The whole week required flexibility and a Plan B mentality. I was sure I had let folks down. On Saturday morning I was physically and mentally exhausted. By Sunday, I was tangled in the thorns and it was time to drive home.
It’s taken some time and distance to examine the experience objectively. Every day is an opportunity to plant seeds. Like the farmer in the parable, you can’t always control where they land. Campers are not aware of the planning and logistical wrangling that go into the programs they participate in. They arrive and they do. Volunteers and staff sweat the details and try to find the good soil when obstacles get in the way. The important thing is that the campers get the fruit.
When the rocks for the fire ring did not arrive as planned, we had to send some of the St. George’s campers into the woods to gather some while others pulled the stilt grass. In 90 minutes, they had cleared a space and built a fire ring large enough for a couple dozen campers to sit around. Later that afternoon a mystery group of campers built small stone sculptures there as an offering - or maybe it was a “thank you” gift.
When the community garden project in Toms Brook was cancelled at the last minute because of muddy conditions, I met with the SHYC staff. We rallied and put together Plan B. We hiked the campers out to Salt Peter Run at the base of North Mountain. We found dozens of tiny creatures that make their home in the rocky substrate of the pristine mountain stream. A casual glance at the creek might make one think that its stony bed is a sterile environment. In fact, it is a vibrant habitat alive with innumerable organisms – proof that God’s creation is packed with abundance even in places you wouldn’t expect. That afternoon we installed a rain barrel (it pays to have a few extra lying around) at Stribling Cottage. The rain barrel will reduce runoff and protect the resource that harbors the bugs we played with that morning. Camp staff and SHYC campers gathered firewood later that afternoon and placed seating logs around the new fire ring that St. G’s started the day before. It is a new space where campers can gather and experience the outdoors.
The Explorers hike got off to a late start and we got to the swimming hole behind schedule so we just let the campers play. Overall Run in Shenandoah National Park is a breathtaking place. A series of clear, icy pools cascaded down the canyon and the leafy canopy dappled the water with specks of sunlight. The campers joyfully devoured their time at the swimming hole as they jumped off rocks and slid down waterfalls into the cool pools. After lunch we had a few minutes to reflect on how one can experience God by connecting with creation. The next day, in spite of the heat and the absence of canoes, Explorers campers collected a dozen bags of trash from the ditches and roadways that drain to Lake Laura.
It’s hard to see seeds take root amidst the noise and confusion of marred plans. Now I just focus on my memory of the sights and sounds of campers engaging with creation. They were happily unaware that they ended up in that place through a series of disconnects and improvisations. The week certainly did not unfold as I planned. If I learned anything, it’s that I need to let go of my pride and have faith that it turned out exactly as God intended.
I am absolutely sure of one palatable fruit that grew last week. Each night, after working with the camps, I got to slow down and spend time with Heather and Dylan. There was no television and no computer. We were just a family in the most beautiful place on earth. Sometimes we went fishing at the Orkney Springs pond, sometimes we caught fireflies. On Wednesday night Dylan (age 7) caught his first fish – two actually. When I started to feel the thorns near the end of the week, Dylan planted a new seed in me when he said, “I love this place.”
We’ll be back.
By Lorne Field
In spite of all the arrangements, supplies arrived at the last minute, or late, or not at all. Torrential rain caused the community garden project in Toms Brook to be cancelled. Explorers got a late start on the morning of the swimming-hole hike so I had to cut my presentation short. The canoes for the Lake Laura cleanup, which were an unexpected and last-minute addition, never arrived. The whole week required flexibility and a Plan B mentality. I was sure I had let folks down. On Saturday morning I was physically and mentally exhausted. By Sunday, I was tangled in the thorns and it was time to drive home.
It’s taken some time and distance to examine the experience objectively. Every day is an opportunity to plant seeds. Like the farmer in the parable, you can’t always control where they land. Campers are not aware of the planning and logistical wrangling that go into the programs they participate in. They arrive and they do. Volunteers and staff sweat the details and try to find the good soil when obstacles get in the way. The important thing is that the campers get the fruit.
When the rocks for the fire ring did not arrive as planned, we had to send some of the St. George’s campers into the woods to gather some while others pulled the stilt grass. In 90 minutes, they had cleared a space and built a fire ring large enough for a couple dozen campers to sit around. Later that afternoon a mystery group of campers built small stone sculptures there as an offering - or maybe it was a “thank you” gift.
When the community garden project in Toms Brook was cancelled at the last minute because of muddy conditions, I met with the SHYC staff. We rallied and put together Plan B. We hiked the campers out to Salt Peter Run at the base of North Mountain. We found dozens of tiny creatures that make their home in the rocky substrate of the pristine mountain stream. A casual glance at the creek might make one think that its stony bed is a sterile environment. In fact, it is a vibrant habitat alive with innumerable organisms – proof that God’s creation is packed with abundance even in places you wouldn’t expect. That afternoon we installed a rain barrel (it pays to have a few extra lying around) at Stribling Cottage. The rain barrel will reduce runoff and protect the resource that harbors the bugs we played with that morning. Camp staff and SHYC campers gathered firewood later that afternoon and placed seating logs around the new fire ring that St. G’s started the day before. It is a new space where campers can gather and experience the outdoors.
The Explorers hike got off to a late start and we got to the swimming hole behind schedule so we just let the campers play. Overall Run in Shenandoah National Park is a breathtaking place. A series of clear, icy pools cascaded down the canyon and the leafy canopy dappled the water with specks of sunlight. The campers joyfully devoured their time at the swimming hole as they jumped off rocks and slid down waterfalls into the cool pools. After lunch we had a few minutes to reflect on how one can experience God by connecting with creation. The next day, in spite of the heat and the absence of canoes, Explorers campers collected a dozen bags of trash from the ditches and roadways that drain to Lake Laura.
It’s hard to see seeds take root amidst the noise and confusion of marred plans. Now I just focus on my memory of the sights and sounds of campers engaging with creation. They were happily unaware that they ended up in that place through a series of disconnects and improvisations. The week certainly did not unfold as I planned. If I learned anything, it’s that I need to let go of my pride and have faith that it turned out exactly as God intended.
I am absolutely sure of one palatable fruit that grew last week. Each night, after working with the camps, I got to slow down and spend time with Heather and Dylan. There was no television and no computer. We were just a family in the most beautiful place on earth. Sometimes we went fishing at the Orkney Springs pond, sometimes we caught fireflies. On Wednesday night Dylan (age 7) caught his first fish – two actually. When I started to feel the thorns near the end of the week, Dylan planted a new seed in me when he said, “I love this place.”
We’ll be back.
By Lorne Field
Lorne Field is a former St. George's camper, St. Andrew's counselor, and a member of the Diocese of Virginia's Committee on the Stewardship of Creation.
Lorne works as the environmental outreach coordinator for Chesterfield County. He's been featured on the View from the Mountain for his work with Explorers Camp and for his earlier reflection, "My Life Outside."
"The Parable of the Sower" was originally featured on Lorne's personal blog.
“Almighty and everlasting God, you made the universe with
all its marvelous order, its atoms, worlds, and galaxies, and
the infinite complexity of living creatures: Grant that, as we
probe the mysteries of your creation, we may come to know
you more truly, and more surely fulfill our role in your
eternal purpose; in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
– "For Knowledge of God's Creation," The Book of Common Prayer, page 827
– "For Knowledge of God's Creation," The Book of Common Prayer, page 827
Explorers Camp closed Friday, August 1st. While all of our camps reside in the woods, separated from the wilderness only by cabins and screens, Explorers take their outdoorsy-ness a little more seriously, discovering the Shenandoah Valley with as few conveniences as possible. Explorers Camp is in session as long as any other camp - beginning with Explorers the Great on June 22 and wrapping up the first of August - but if one walked through Bear Wallow Camp on a given day one might ask themselves, “Self, why is it so quiet?” Explorers II was really only at Shrine Mont proper for a few days, the rest of the time they were gallivanting around Duncan Knob and canoeing the South Fork of the Shenandoah River.
Before Explorers’ three days away from Shrine Mont, long-time camp traditions were observed and new traditions were made. For every pool party, it's customary for counselors to swim in ridiculous clothing and dresses.
Explorers play a human chess match with wit, cunning, and some St. Elizabeth’s buddies.
The next day the packs were stuffed, the kids were excited, and Explorers' three-day hike and canoe trips began. Explorers campers were allowed to state a preference for their three-day trip - hike or canoe - but every camper goes on one.
Fun fact: St. George's Session IV and Explorers Session II went on the same three-day trips at different times in the summer, and the Explorers counselors served as leaders for the St. G's three-days.
Fun fact: St. George's Session IV and Explorers Session II went on the same three-day trips at different times in the summer, and the Explorers counselors served as leaders for the St. G's three-days.
The three-day hike crew trekked up to Duncan Knob in the George Washington National Forest where they experienced a breathtaking view that even the picture below doesn't do justice.
The weather during the three-days was gorgeous, and unusually cool for the end of July. For canoeing, the sun reflecting off the water made for a peaceful easy feeling.
For Explorers, three days away from Shrine Mont was just a flash, and they returned just as quickly as they left. Luckily, camp is a full week long and there was more camp to be had. In the town of Mount Jackson, there is a bowling alley. But not just a regular bowling alley, a Duckpin Bowling alley. The bowling balls are smaller and are lighter, and they have a tendency to be more unpredictable. All this made for antics among counselors and campers. In Explorers case, it's OK for them to be indoors once in a while.
The final evening program is an Explorers staple: paint twister! In the end, all the Explorers campers were vibrant examples of a game well played.
Closing at Explorers is an intimate and energized experience. Explorers rejoiced in their time with God’s creation, that it had renewed them and given them a deeper understanding of what about nature and one another we hold so dear. Days spent hiking North Mountain and Duncan Knob, canoeing the Shenandoah, coming together as a community left an impression on Explorers. They'll carry that impression with them off this mountain.
By Greg Deekens
Greg Deekens first came to Shrine Mont Camps three years ago, working as a counselor at St. Sebastian’s Sports Camp. Since then camp has been a big part of Greg's life, and allowed him to take the skills he has learned as a counselor and apply them to life off the mountain.
Greg is a senior at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, where he studies broadcast journalism and business management.
Greg is a senior at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, where he studies broadcast journalism and business management.
About to begin his third and final year at Virginia Theological Seminary, Connor Gwin is nearing the end of his first summer as chaplain to the staff at Shrine Mont Camps, a position that’s grown and evolved over the years, reaching a point now where the role is something that counselors and directors depend on by default for their - and their camp's - spiritual health. Connor has been no exception in making this a reality. As chaplain, he's preached, teached and guided counselors and directors through their faith journeys so that they are well equipped to help campers navigate their own journey.
Connor first came to Shrine Mont Camps two years ago to serve as a session chaplain. 2014 marks his second summer at Shrine Mont, but his 13th summer at an Episcopal summer camp.
Connor is the first seminarian and the youngest person ever to serve as chaplain to the staff. In years past, the second summer for any seminarian sent by the Diocese of Virginia was spent doing a parish internship, and most Virginia seminarians are working in parishes this summer. But this year the program that manages the internships (called the Mid-Atlantic Parish Training Program) opened up the internship possibilities to “non-traditional” placements. Which is good, because I have no qualm with saying that Shrine Mont Camps is the most important thing to happen in the Diocese during the summer, not that we're ranking. Connor and I spent twenty minutes prior to the interview below talking shop, which I’ll spare you from. Mostly we talked about the good news that the shift seemed to be happening from referring to camps condescendingly as “the future of the Church” to an active and vital part of the Episcopal Church.
On an especially cool day for Shrine Mont in July, Connor and I sat on the back porch of the Rectory, his home for the summer. Throughout the interview, we could hear St. George’s Camp singing from the upper pavilion on one side and the sounds of folks passing through the Shrine on the other. Connor is calm, self-contained and just a little impish. In reference to the tendency of some Episcopalians to avoid talking about Jesus, Connor said, “Well we wouldn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable,” and cracked a Cheshire Cat grin. Connor was born in Charlottesville, went to school at JMU, and grew up in Fairhope, Alabama. I’m not dumb enough to attribute his calm demeanor to some kind of slow-talkin’ southern determinism – it probably has a lot more to do with being a centered person – but I will say there’s not much that seems “northern” about him. Often self-effacing, Connor insisted that our interview not be “another article that makes [him] look awesome” referring to the post John Ohmer wrote.
We tried to keep the focus on camp, but I make no promises.
Connor first came to Shrine Mont Camps two years ago to serve as a session chaplain. 2014 marks his second summer at Shrine Mont, but his 13th summer at an Episcopal summer camp.
Connor is the first seminarian and the youngest person ever to serve as chaplain to the staff. In years past, the second summer for any seminarian sent by the Diocese of Virginia was spent doing a parish internship, and most Virginia seminarians are working in parishes this summer. But this year the program that manages the internships (called the Mid-Atlantic Parish Training Program) opened up the internship possibilities to “non-traditional” placements. Which is good, because I have no qualm with saying that Shrine Mont Camps is the most important thing to happen in the Diocese during the summer, not that we're ranking. Connor and I spent twenty minutes prior to the interview below talking shop, which I’ll spare you from. Mostly we talked about the good news that the shift seemed to be happening from referring to camps condescendingly as “the future of the Church” to an active and vital part of the Episcopal Church.
On an especially cool day for Shrine Mont in July, Connor and I sat on the back porch of the Rectory, his home for the summer. Throughout the interview, we could hear St. George’s Camp singing from the upper pavilion on one side and the sounds of folks passing through the Shrine on the other. Connor is calm, self-contained and just a little impish. In reference to the tendency of some Episcopalians to avoid talking about Jesus, Connor said, “Well we wouldn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable,” and cracked a Cheshire Cat grin. Connor was born in Charlottesville, went to school at JMU, and grew up in Fairhope, Alabama. I’m not dumb enough to attribute his calm demeanor to some kind of slow-talkin’ southern determinism – it probably has a lot more to do with being a centered person – but I will say there’s not much that seems “northern” about him. Often self-effacing, Connor insisted that our interview not be “another article that makes [him] look awesome” referring to the post John Ohmer wrote.
We tried to keep the focus on camp, but I make no promises.
EK: What's your favorite memory as a counselor?
CG: Relationships with campers. Camp Beckwith had nine different sessions, and so over the course of the summer I would interact with 900 campers. Seeing that many campers and that many age groups was really great. Specifically, cabin devotional time was my favorite memory. Which is fitting, and one of the early signs of my call to the priesthood.
EK: What’s a “cabin devotional”?
CG: It’s what we did as a cabin [at Camp Beckwith] at the end of every night before bed – kind of like feeling check. Highs and lows for the day. Then we would do some sort of activity which, on the low preparation side, would be just silence or prayer. On the high preparation side, it would be a Bible study or readings or more directed spirituality. Sometimes the Beckwith chaplain would provide what we were supposed to talk about, but a lot of the times it was on the counselor to prepare that. Another sign that I felt the call back then was that I took to cabin devotional time easily and really enjoyed coming up with lesson plans for it, and how natural and fulfilling that was for me. [Connor grins] I almost said chaplain’s time was my favorite memory, but that seemed like cheating.
EK: What do you think makes a successful camp chaplain?
CG: Presence is the biggest thing. It’s not just about physically being there with camp throughout their day – although that is really important – but you can have chaplains who stand in the back and aren’t fully present. Being available and engaged is really important. Ideally, when a staff member or a camper thinks of a question about theology or spirituality – about deep life questions in general – they think to go to the chaplain with that question.
The portrait that’s coming to mind is – and it goes back to being present – the chaplain that was there and such a part of camp that it just seemed natural to talk with them about emotional and spiritual issues. Authority figures are not necessarily the people you want to talk to about spiritual matters because [authority figures] can seem distant, but if the chaplain is really there, then going to the chaplain is a natural part of the rhythm of camp.
Camp is a different situation for ministry than a parish or a school. I’ve seen chaplains come into camp and treat it like a parish or like they would anything else. There has to be some recognition that this community is just a little different than stuff at home.
EK: What is your favorite part of being chaplain to the staff?
CG: I think it’s being in tune with nine different camp cultures and groups and situations. That’s pretty great. I was thinking about this earlier when St. Elizabeth’s sang the Good Night Song at their closing. I’ve been a part of the Good Night Song with every camp at one point or another. And even if I’m sitting out on my porch reading at night I can hear St. George’s sing at night. The Good Night Song is a very special moments at camp: a time to watch every camp end every day with song and prayer.
I especially love it when I’m there [for the good-night prayer] and counselors pray. Sometimes when they see me there they will ask me to pray by default because I’m the chaplain – which I love to do – but I found my voice, my ministry as a camp counselor and it was from people letting me lead prayers and lead discussions. So I love it when counselors, even seeing that the chaplain is there, will still pray.
EK: What are some of the challenges of being the chaplain to a congregation of 100 plus fully-engaged camp counselors?
CG: The biggest challenge is rooted in the same thing that’s the best part. There are nine different camps with nine different cultures, histories and spirits. There’s the unifying Shrine Mont Camp spirit, but each camp has its own thing. It’s not a huge challenge, but it is a factor in my job to keep the pulse of each camp at any different time. And Paris obviously has to be more intentional about that, logistically and administratively. Knowing when one camp is having a tough time or the entire staff is exhausted.
In a traditional parish you don’t interact with that many people on a given Sunday, but you know the 5-10 people that need special attention. But here there are a lot of people on each staff that have very pressing emotional and spiritual things. Making sure they get the attention and the listening ear that they need can be a challenge.
EK: What do you think it is about camp that makes those needs more present?
CG: A lot of the distraction of daily life is gone here. Not that it’s a distraction free environment; there will still be things drawing a counselor’s attention away on any given day. But there are three meals provided for you, no rent, no cell phones, no internet. Camp snaps into focus the emotional and spiritual things that could be looked past if you had other things to worry about.
CG: Relationships with campers. Camp Beckwith had nine different sessions, and so over the course of the summer I would interact with 900 campers. Seeing that many campers and that many age groups was really great. Specifically, cabin devotional time was my favorite memory. Which is fitting, and one of the early signs of my call to the priesthood.
EK: What’s a “cabin devotional”?
CG: It’s what we did as a cabin [at Camp Beckwith] at the end of every night before bed – kind of like feeling check. Highs and lows for the day. Then we would do some sort of activity which, on the low preparation side, would be just silence or prayer. On the high preparation side, it would be a Bible study or readings or more directed spirituality. Sometimes the Beckwith chaplain would provide what we were supposed to talk about, but a lot of the times it was on the counselor to prepare that. Another sign that I felt the call back then was that I took to cabin devotional time easily and really enjoyed coming up with lesson plans for it, and how natural and fulfilling that was for me. [Connor grins] I almost said chaplain’s time was my favorite memory, but that seemed like cheating.
EK: What do you think makes a successful camp chaplain?
CG: Presence is the biggest thing. It’s not just about physically being there with camp throughout their day – although that is really important – but you can have chaplains who stand in the back and aren’t fully present. Being available and engaged is really important. Ideally, when a staff member or a camper thinks of a question about theology or spirituality – about deep life questions in general – they think to go to the chaplain with that question.
The portrait that’s coming to mind is – and it goes back to being present – the chaplain that was there and such a part of camp that it just seemed natural to talk with them about emotional and spiritual issues. Authority figures are not necessarily the people you want to talk to about spiritual matters because [authority figures] can seem distant, but if the chaplain is really there, then going to the chaplain is a natural part of the rhythm of camp.
Camp is a different situation for ministry than a parish or a school. I’ve seen chaplains come into camp and treat it like a parish or like they would anything else. There has to be some recognition that this community is just a little different than stuff at home.
EK: What is your favorite part of being chaplain to the staff?
CG: I think it’s being in tune with nine different camp cultures and groups and situations. That’s pretty great. I was thinking about this earlier when St. Elizabeth’s sang the Good Night Song at their closing. I’ve been a part of the Good Night Song with every camp at one point or another. And even if I’m sitting out on my porch reading at night I can hear St. George’s sing at night. The Good Night Song is a very special moments at camp: a time to watch every camp end every day with song and prayer.
I especially love it when I’m there [for the good-night prayer] and counselors pray. Sometimes when they see me there they will ask me to pray by default because I’m the chaplain – which I love to do – but I found my voice, my ministry as a camp counselor and it was from people letting me lead prayers and lead discussions. So I love it when counselors, even seeing that the chaplain is there, will still pray.
EK: What are some of the challenges of being the chaplain to a congregation of 100 plus fully-engaged camp counselors?
CG: The biggest challenge is rooted in the same thing that’s the best part. There are nine different camps with nine different cultures, histories and spirits. There’s the unifying Shrine Mont Camp spirit, but each camp has its own thing. It’s not a huge challenge, but it is a factor in my job to keep the pulse of each camp at any different time. And Paris obviously has to be more intentional about that, logistically and administratively. Knowing when one camp is having a tough time or the entire staff is exhausted.
In a traditional parish you don’t interact with that many people on a given Sunday, but you know the 5-10 people that need special attention. But here there are a lot of people on each staff that have very pressing emotional and spiritual things. Making sure they get the attention and the listening ear that they need can be a challenge.
EK: What do you think it is about camp that makes those needs more present?
CG: A lot of the distraction of daily life is gone here. Not that it’s a distraction free environment; there will still be things drawing a counselor’s attention away on any given day. But there are three meals provided for you, no rent, no cell phones, no internet. Camp snaps into focus the emotional and spiritual things that could be looked past if you had other things to worry about.
EK: What do you think are the benefits of being a counselor?
CG: There’re a lot of different benefits. The practical benefits are working within the leadership structure. Each counselor has different kinds of directors and you have to answer to all of them. The benefit of working on a staff, like Explorers, that’s part of a bigger staff, Shrine Mont Camps. Your camp has its own mission and its own focus, but that’s part of a bigger mission and focus, part of the whole mission of the Diocese of Virginia and the Episcopal Church. And what may seem like a small job at times is actually part of much bigger thing. Walking with a foot in each of those circles is a good skill to have.
EK: Why do you think it’s important for kids to come to camp?
CG: It’s important for kids to come for a lot of reasons, some practical hands-on reasons, and a lot of emotional, spiritual reasons. There’re less and less opportunities in kids daily lives for kids to do things they do at camp. There is not a ton of time in kids’ schedules now for just pure fun and being with each other. Here at camp they’re not expected to do anything else but be themselves and have fun and enjoy camp, which is growing more and more rare. Practically, it’s a good chance to learn skills that you wouldn’t in your daily life – like pooping in the woods. To live with a group of people who you didn’t select and to make that work and learn to share your space.
It’s the first time for a lot of campers to experience a spiritual setting without their parents or familiar authority figures around. They get to ask questions and explore their faith. A good example is worship planning. Every camper has the opportunity to plan and share in leading a service in the Shrine, which is a good way to give campers ownership over their faith and Church tradition. That’s another benefit for staff, not only are they leading campers, but they’re spiritual leaders as well. It’s really hard to give something or teach something you don’t have yourself. It makes staff figure out what they believe, so they can help the campers figure it out.
EK: How have you equipped counselors for that?
CG: The biggest thing I’ve tried to impart on the staff is that they have the ability to dig through really deep spiritual, theological questions. There’s room within Christianity and the Anglican tradition to ask your own questions and to figure out that we do and don’t believe as a Church; there’s not a lot of top-down, “Here’s the answer to your question.” We put a lot of emphasis on reason and coming to your own answers within the boundaries of Christianity.
What I’ve tried to do, with the exception of tenants and the stuff that make us a creedal Church, is say that if an answer doesn’t work for you that you’ve received at church, it’s okay for you to work through what makes sense for you.
College is notorious as the time when folks who grew up in the Church start asking questions. And when they don’t find the answers they’re looking for in the Church, they don’t go back. Part of what I’ve been trying to do is to let them know what makes us Anglicans is that we think through our theology and our explanations and that thinking through things does not mean a lack of faith. A sign of a vibrant and healthy faith is asking questions and thinking through things. If you tell college students asking these questions that that’s a bad thing or, “There’s no room for that,” there’s no reason for [college students] to stay or come back to church. Because there’s nothing for them there.
EK: So how do your conversations go?
CG: I hear counselors' questions and doubt and leave room for both, while doing things like examining the Nicene Creed [with all the counselors during staff week] and also in one-on-one conversation time with staff members. Not all the time, but often when counselors come to me they’re looking for a certain answer, and what they get instead is the explanation that God won’t be put in a box, and that anyone who is certain about the way that works or the ways of God needs to reconsider. Instead of a certain answer what they’ll get, a lot of the time, is we’ll just sit with the questions and talk through them. I’ve said it couple times: “The opposite of faith is not doubt, the opposite of faith is certainty.” We’re not in the business of certainty.
I’ll point counselors to the Prayer Book as a way to explore their doubts and talk about how every single word in the prayer book was thought over and prayed over to be in there; it wasn’t just a room full of bishops saying “Hey, let’s just say X.” But at the same time I recognize that parts of the Prayer Book and the Creeds are what counselors might be struggling with, maybe they see it as rigid or struggle with valid, serious issues like putting gendered language on God. But doubting with the Prayer Book is a really good way to pray – to understand doubt and faith within the Anglican tradition, within our history.
EK: So, what’s the funniest thing that happened to you this summer?
CG: All-camp worship last Sunday. It will stick with me for all time. There was a St. Elizabeth’s camper who had a lot of physical and verbal ticks. One of them was that anytime someone said the word “yes” she was would say “No!” automatically. So during my sermon, every time I said “yes” I would hear the word shouted back, “No!” Later someone explained to me what was happening. But basically after the third shouted “No!” all my homiletics training left my brain. I wonder how many of my colleagues in Mid-Atlantic have had “No!” shouted at them during their sermons this year.
By Ed Keithly
CG: There’re a lot of different benefits. The practical benefits are working within the leadership structure. Each counselor has different kinds of directors and you have to answer to all of them. The benefit of working on a staff, like Explorers, that’s part of a bigger staff, Shrine Mont Camps. Your camp has its own mission and its own focus, but that’s part of a bigger mission and focus, part of the whole mission of the Diocese of Virginia and the Episcopal Church. And what may seem like a small job at times is actually part of much bigger thing. Walking with a foot in each of those circles is a good skill to have.
EK: Why do you think it’s important for kids to come to camp?
CG: It’s important for kids to come for a lot of reasons, some practical hands-on reasons, and a lot of emotional, spiritual reasons. There’re less and less opportunities in kids daily lives for kids to do things they do at camp. There is not a ton of time in kids’ schedules now for just pure fun and being with each other. Here at camp they’re not expected to do anything else but be themselves and have fun and enjoy camp, which is growing more and more rare. Practically, it’s a good chance to learn skills that you wouldn’t in your daily life – like pooping in the woods. To live with a group of people who you didn’t select and to make that work and learn to share your space.
It’s the first time for a lot of campers to experience a spiritual setting without their parents or familiar authority figures around. They get to ask questions and explore their faith. A good example is worship planning. Every camper has the opportunity to plan and share in leading a service in the Shrine, which is a good way to give campers ownership over their faith and Church tradition. That’s another benefit for staff, not only are they leading campers, but they’re spiritual leaders as well. It’s really hard to give something or teach something you don’t have yourself. It makes staff figure out what they believe, so they can help the campers figure it out.
EK: How have you equipped counselors for that?
CG: The biggest thing I’ve tried to impart on the staff is that they have the ability to dig through really deep spiritual, theological questions. There’s room within Christianity and the Anglican tradition to ask your own questions and to figure out that we do and don’t believe as a Church; there’s not a lot of top-down, “Here’s the answer to your question.” We put a lot of emphasis on reason and coming to your own answers within the boundaries of Christianity.
What I’ve tried to do, with the exception of tenants and the stuff that make us a creedal Church, is say that if an answer doesn’t work for you that you’ve received at church, it’s okay for you to work through what makes sense for you.
College is notorious as the time when folks who grew up in the Church start asking questions. And when they don’t find the answers they’re looking for in the Church, they don’t go back. Part of what I’ve been trying to do is to let them know what makes us Anglicans is that we think through our theology and our explanations and that thinking through things does not mean a lack of faith. A sign of a vibrant and healthy faith is asking questions and thinking through things. If you tell college students asking these questions that that’s a bad thing or, “There’s no room for that,” there’s no reason for [college students] to stay or come back to church. Because there’s nothing for them there.
EK: So how do your conversations go?
CG: I hear counselors' questions and doubt and leave room for both, while doing things like examining the Nicene Creed [with all the counselors during staff week] and also in one-on-one conversation time with staff members. Not all the time, but often when counselors come to me they’re looking for a certain answer, and what they get instead is the explanation that God won’t be put in a box, and that anyone who is certain about the way that works or the ways of God needs to reconsider. Instead of a certain answer what they’ll get, a lot of the time, is we’ll just sit with the questions and talk through them. I’ve said it couple times: “The opposite of faith is not doubt, the opposite of faith is certainty.” We’re not in the business of certainty.
I’ll point counselors to the Prayer Book as a way to explore their doubts and talk about how every single word in the prayer book was thought over and prayed over to be in there; it wasn’t just a room full of bishops saying “Hey, let’s just say X.” But at the same time I recognize that parts of the Prayer Book and the Creeds are what counselors might be struggling with, maybe they see it as rigid or struggle with valid, serious issues like putting gendered language on God. But doubting with the Prayer Book is a really good way to pray – to understand doubt and faith within the Anglican tradition, within our history.
EK: So, what’s the funniest thing that happened to you this summer?
CG: All-camp worship last Sunday. It will stick with me for all time. There was a St. Elizabeth’s camper who had a lot of physical and verbal ticks. One of them was that anytime someone said the word “yes” she was would say “No!” automatically. So during my sermon, every time I said “yes” I would hear the word shouted back, “No!” Later someone explained to me what was happening. But basically after the third shouted “No!” all my homiletics training left my brain. I wonder how many of my colleagues in Mid-Atlantic have had “No!” shouted at them during their sermons this year.
By Ed Keithly
Ed Keithly is the editor of The View from the Mountain. He 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.
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.
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The view from the mountain
Spreading the good news of Shrine Mont Camps into the Valley of the World.
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The View from the Mountain is written by a rotating cast of staff writers and contributors.
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