Our creation account in Genesis, familiar as it may be to us, hinges on the reality that God created the first person from the dust of the ground. This given name, Adam, is itself derived from the Hebrew word adamah, or ground. We now understand that each day this earth receives over 60 tons of cosmic dust which becomes soil, becomes food, becomes us. We are, each of us, made up of the parts and pieces of forgotten stars, which also renews the good black earth beneath our feet. Groundedness is our reality as well as a discipline.
Where do we first encounter wonder at the improbable yet irrefutable grandeur of our reality? For many it comes in time apart from the ordinary routines of life, time with peers and counselors, time surrounded by the profligate abundance of this world. This week there are four distinctive camp offerings at the Pinelands Center:
Fine Arts Camp: Camp Inspire | 5th – 10th Grade | July 22 – 27
A week of creativity and performance! Join us as we celebrate the gifts God has given us. Campers will have the opportunity to participate in a music, theater, or photography & video track during this week of tuning into holy inspiration.
High School Camp | 9th – 12th Grade | July 29 – Aug 3
A week of connection and leadership for high school students! Campers will be given tons of opportunities to connect with God and each other while building their leadership skills and preparing for the bold future God is calling them to.
Middle School Camp | 6th – 8th Grade | Aug 5 – 10
A week of multicultural fun and discovery for middle school students! Campers will learn about the Bible, participate in special activities like soccer and STOMP and learn what it means to build bridges between different cultures.
Niños y Jovenes para Cristo | 1st – 12th Grade | Aug 12 – 16
A week of celebrating faith and Hispanic heritage! Campers will grow closer to God through age-appropriate activities and study in a place where Hispanic heritage is celebrated. This camp is welcome to anyone who wants a fun week diving into faith.
Scholarships are available through Camping Ministries as well as from a generous donor here at Flemington UMC. Each of these weeks provides an opportunity for your child or children, grandkids, nieces, nephews, whomever, to encounter the transcendent wonder of God and enter into new life and new understandings. Also – games, s’mores, mud, swimming, and all the other good stuff. If you need more information, you can contact me (Pastor Ben) via email or Ryan Clements at this website.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Ben
For your consideration and meditation:
…Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.
Genesis 2:7-9 (NIV)
Memorial Day Parade