Devotional Text

Julie Hart’s devotional for May 4, 2022

This Sunday was Camp Sunday.
My message was called: All I need to know, I learned at camp.
We celebrated a ministry that is foundational in the lives of many here
at Desert Spring – CAMP! We talked about how Jesus went to the
mountain to pray.

We understand the importance of going to the mountain or removing
ourselves from the day-to-day stuff of life every now and then to be
able to connect with God. I believe that this need is even greater for
our children. Camp has a lot to teach us.

What about you? Did you grow up going to camp? Was that
foundational for you? Where do you go to spend time with God?

I talked about the four program goals at our conference camp, Potosi
Pines and what I have come to learn in my 25 years of doing camp.

The first program goal is to build the self-esteem of all who come on
the mountain. And that goal starts with silliness. We are intentional
about being silly at camp, because we want to create a safe place to
be. By showing them that we can be silly by singing songs or doing
silly skits, we show them that they can be silly and try new things too.
Taking small risks leads to taking larger risks. And trusting in God to
give us the strength.

In Philippians 4:14, we read “I can do all things through him who
strengthens me.”

What is it that you do to create a safe place for people to grow,
try new things, and build them up? What have people done for
you to build you up?

The second program goal is about developing leaders. We teach
children and youth that they are a part of the body of Christ and we
create a space for them to try new things and to be able to lead
others. We want children to know that they don’t have to wait to be
adults or pastors to lead. In the Message translation of 1 Peter
2:9-10 we read:
“But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of
priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his
work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day
difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected
to accepted.”

We are all equipped by God to share the good news.
So, what about you? Where have you had the opportunity to be a
leader in the church? How have you nurtured young leaders?

The third program goal at camp is building community, which brings us
back to the Body of Christ. I have been a part of the camp community
for over 25 years. I have been a part of other communities in my life
too, some of which were only for a season, some that I have been a
part of for many years. I became a part of the church community in
1995 when I was married in the church. There are many mini communities within that church community that I have been a part of
since then that have greatly enriched my life. For me, the biggest
impact has been the ministry of camp.

What about you? What communities are you, or have you been a
part of that have helped you to grow in your faith?

Finally, the last program goal at camp is about loving and respecting
God’s creation. In my sermon, I shared that children today only spend
3-7 MINUTES of time playing outside per day. And 7 HOURS of
screen time. That certainly isn’t the way it was for most of us as
children. But, let’s face it, as adults, we probably spend much more
screen time than we should. I have a few days to get away next week
and when I thought about all of the places I could go and things I
could do, I decided to go to the Grand Canyon. It’s been a hectic
season, so my soul needs to spend time in God’s creation.

So how about you? How often are you spending time out in
nature? When is the last time that you were awed by God’s
creation?

So, let’s have a quick recap on all that I need to know that I learned
from camp:
I learned about building self-esteem — for myself and others.
I learned to lead and to encourage others to lead.
I learned the importance of community;
and I learned about loving God’s creation.

Hopefully some of those lessons are good for you too.

If you went to camp as a child and you have great memories, I would
encourage you to go again. If you never got the chance to go to
camp, it’s not too late. Come be a counselor! If you aren’t in a place
to go to camp right now, do what you can to encourage a young
person in your life to get to camp. And, if none of these things are
possible, just go outside and take a look around and remember what
we read in Psalm 24:1:
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who
live in it.”

I hope to see you on the mountain. And, if not there, I hope to see you
in church!

God bless,
Julie 🙂