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Reflections with
Camp & Retreat Ministries

WATER

And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. (Genesis 1:6-8 NRSV)

We continue our reflection on the camping curriculum, Creation Speaks, and this week we focus on the theme of water.

Water?!? Really? 

Whose idea was it to speak about water in the middle of winter? Depending on where you live, water in the winter may bring images and memories of mudslides, blizzards, ice, and floods, not to mention frozen pipes.

If you look carefully at the portion of the creation story listed above, even God doesn’t say water and its separation is good! No mentions of “good” or “blessing” this day.

And yet…

And yet, there is truth in the idea that water is life. 

Water, the medium of baptism. 
Water, the gift of mercy to the disinherited Hagar in the desert (Gen. 21:19).
Water, where life began.
Water, which cycles through our environments, sustaining life.

I have the pleasure of serving as the Director of Alton L. Collins Retreat Center, on the western edge of the Cascades, where the moisture piles up as it comes off the ocean. Much of it doesn’t make it over the mountains, and so it falls down from the sky and gathers here. It gathers so much so that under the trees here at Collins, it is often damp, humid, wet. Wet, such that the mosses on the trees swell up like sponges. There is so much moisture in the winter months that there is a species of fern, the licorice fern, polypodium glycyrrhiza, that clings to the trees, and blankets these vertical surfaces. It drinks the moisture straight out of the air.

And so I invite you, in this season, and in all the seasons ahead, to notice the many ways that water surrounds us. Notice the ways that it breaks things or washes or scours. Notice it falling to the ground in sheets, or blanketing the earth. Notice when it is gentle and soft like a kiss on your face. Notice the water and the surprising gifts it brings, like the licorice fern, and remember how necessary it is to life.

How do you encounter water most often? Where does it startle you or make you laugh? How does water refresh you? What does it remind you of?

We invite you to point out to others the way water shapes the earth and shapes our lives. If you would like to share with us any of your stories of life-giving water, please feel free to drop a note to Todd.

In peace and hope,
Dan Benson
Director, Alton L. Collins Retreat Center

*PHOTO: Licorice ferns growing on the vertical trunk of a tree at the Alton L. Collins Retreat Center (Todd Bartlett).


10 Ways to Pray With Kids 

Camp and retreat ministry folks pray pretty regularly with kids, and a recent issue of S'mores, the newsletter of the national United Methodist camp and retreat association, suggests that camping leaders are well equipped to help others in their ministry communities to encourage the faith life of little ones. S'mores recommends this article from Illustrated Ministry, which might spark some new ideas for camper families, church folks, or others who care about kids. Bowing heads and folding hands isn't the only way to connect with God, and creative prayer practices can enrich people of all ages. Read the article here.


Blessings Report

  • Winter weekend at Suttle Lake
  • Playing in the snow
  • Writing thank you notes to donors

 Please send your blessings to share in future issues of the e-news. 


The power of a drop

If you've walked on the beach at Camp Magruder, you've witnessed the power of the ocean's massive waves. But if you've ever walked in the forest and experienced a bit of water falling from a tree down the neck of your shirt, you have also borne witness to the power of a single drop of cold H2O! And when those drops are gathered together into a stream that flows into a river that becomes the ocean, we all understand that tiny drops of water indeed make a difference. The same is true of your financial gifts to camp and retreat ministries. You might think that your donation is just a small drop, but remember that your offering will be joined with many others, and together we all make a huge difference. Donate today to be part of this ocean of support!

Please donate today! 

 *PHOTO: Drops of water caught on a leaf at the Alton L. Collins Retreat Center (Todd Bartlett).

 

Go Camping E-News is a publication of Camp and Retreat Ministries, a collaboration of the Oregon-Idaho Conference of the United Methodist Church and the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon.

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