Hopes & Fears

As the staff sit down to write their individual spiritual autobiographies, I’m excited about where we have come in our short time together today and the possibilities for where we can go this summer.

In discussing our hopes and fears, needs from the group, and needs we can fill, I was struck by one particular aspect that we at Camp will be stressing this season. This is an emphasis and dedication to daily prayer (beyond that of worship services).

My own personal prayer life is something that I’ve really tried to establish and grow over the past few months, and while I haven’t always been faithfully consistent, I understand the positive outcomes that come from taking time to talk with God.

It is in that prayer practice that I am able to find peace and clarity. Even if God isn’t talking directly to me, per se, there is a calming influence in connecting with a higher power and opening up that channel in case God decides it is time to send down a personal message.

It is also through prayer that we begin to see the way God is working in our lives through the little interactions with each other, those we serve, or even complete strangers.

I hope that we as a staff will follow through on this hunger for prayer. My fear is that prayer will transform from a time of reflection and connection to a time of duty or a chore. I need the staff this summer, and truly all people that come out here, to be open to this somewhat radical diversion back towards prayer. And I know that what this staff and Camp Cross will need from me is to hold them in my own personal prayers while keeping our prayer practice fresh and engaging.