Ben Folds Radio on Pandora is Awesome.

I was trying to think of a clever title for this post and was having trouble, so, because I'm listening to Ben Folds on Pandora, and because it is awesome, I decided to entitle this post "Ben Folds Radio on Pandora is Awesome." It truly has nothing to do with what I'm about to post. but oh well....

so anyway, I've been at camp for a week! WOO HOO! i had reservations coming here because I didn't know anyone, most all of my close friends are not anywhere in florida this summer, and I wasn't sure I was in a place in my life where I could be away from my closest friends. Well, I love all of my closest friends, but my fears have vanished. I don't know if any of you have experienced this, but the moment I started working in this role as Team Pastor, and the moment the camp atmosphere "happened", The Justin that I want to be emerged. The Justin that emerges at summer camp is probably someone most of you have not seen. There is just something about christian camping, and being a spiritual leader to these team members who are to be spiritual leaders to the campers this summer, that gets me all pumped up inside. I don't want to glorify camp at all because I really think that alot of camps have only become something for middle class white students (both counselors/team members and campers) but with every institution, there are flaws that we as Christians are called to change. Camp is no exception and there is something mysterious that happens at camp. With camp you have intentional community, you have discipleship, you have faith formation, and you have kids and team members realizing that they are beloved children of the Triune God. Isn't that awesome??!!! This summer God has provided me the opportunity to be in relationship with new people, to minister to college students, so that they can live into their baptismal identities as children of God and as ministers of the Loving Gospel of Jesus Christ... 

Probably one of my favorite moments from my time here thus far happened last night. Many of the team members got here early to do lifeguard and ropes course training and last night many of them had the first break in their trainings. So instead of resting, we started a basketball game, which my team won... (of course...) and then after that we had a huge volleyball game, 7 vs. 8, in the rain. It was amazing. I get competitive, like really competitive, but It was just amazing to hang out and get know some of the team members better in the rain and in the mud.... They are an amazing group of college students, from what I can tell thus far. The basketball game and volleyball game was then capped off with 20 of the team members coming over to my cottage to watch the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers game. Orlando won so most of the team was happy about that. I do not like NBA at all, but again, it was fun time to hang out and get to know the team better. 

So today I'm working on two of my talks for orientation week worships. The first one is "Preparing for something that is bigger than you." It is the night we look at camp history and learn the story of Warren Willis camp (a story I don't even know...) And I'm going to try to give the talk as a talk and not a sermon, meaning I won't have a document in front of me.. Because if i was at camp, I wouldn't want someone reading to me. So, that will be a challenge. 

So.. for now, I'm done blogging. Need to start working on my talk and my covenant with my supervisor and an article for the weekly camp newsletter... 

Peace! 

J.