““It is sometimes easy to forget that we are not separate from Creation, but instead a part of it. We can have beneficial impacts upon these ecosystems by wisely discerning that the voices to follow are those that call us to gentleness and humility in the wider world.” ”
Camp Walter Scott in Illinois was such a fun and educational camp I got to spend a week at! I learned so much about the eco-friendly actions that CWS takes to show respect for God’s creations…and I got to feed some goats along the way! CWS is a green chalice ministry campground which means that they practice, preach, and live through the example of environmental justice! The week before I arrived, they had just gotten three goats: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednegoat! I got to sneak over to their pen every once in a while and feed them some carrots and talk to them! CWS cares deeply about creation care and how we as humans can be giving back to the creation that God has provided us. Which means, getting rid of harsh chemicals (hence the goats for invasive plant species removal), composting food waste, planting a garden, and even investing in solar panels. It was so amazing to see how much this camp cares for the land they use, and teach the kids about why these actions are so important along the way.
While at CWS, I had so much fun learning new songs at camp fire, planning worship/ morning reflection time with my small group, and getting to race against the other counselors in human mario kart! During the week, there were mission times where the campers would help give back to the camp grounds/ community at large. Some activities included moving picnic tables over to the goats pen so they had something to play on (and a neat way to recycle an old picnic table!), cleaning up the worship areas for future use, and even decorating cards that would be sent to children being held at the US border around Christmas time. I admire the ways in which Walter- Scott encourages their campers to give back to the spaces they use and love every summer in such beautiful and meaningful ways. In one of the small group activities, we had the campers draw out and narrate the life cycle of a chicken nugget. This was a really unique way of getting the campers to really evaluate where their food comes from and how the environment is impacted in different ways through that cycle. I have to say, there were some really intriguing depictions of a chicken nugget’s life cycle, and it really got me thinking more too about where my food comes from and how my eating habits can harm the environment.
Unlike the other camps I went to, CWS used a curriculum that was from a couple years ago: Creation Speaks. So fitting right!? When it was my small group’s day to plan worship, my co-counselor asked the kids, “what season of life are you in?” While some responded with, “summer,” a couple of the other campers took the time to reflect and realize that many of them are in a season of change (school year, camp age group, emotional and physical changes). When we asked this question at worship, the question really burned into my memory. What season of life am I in? Yes, a season of change, that’s for sure- but more specifically, a season of learning about who Marci really is. (I would soon realize that this was a strong theme throughout the entire summer.)
At this camp, it was clear that while we are all a part of God’s Kindom, that Kindom would not be the same without the creation around us that God has provided us. And in order to make that Kindom come true, we must respect all of God’s creatures- even those creepy crawlies you may find sleeping in your cabin at camp! I did get to lead a workshop day at Camp Walker Scott! Even though I had to maneuver around an unforeseen ending to my initially planned workshop, the kids took so much out of the boxes exercise and led discussion. This camping group was younger than the first two I was at, so I had to shift my presentation a little bit, but so many of the campers had already heard about the Israeli occupation in Palestine in school. Hearing the knowledge that some of these campers had about a topic I have grown to be so passionate about, was unlike any other feeling - they are so hopeful and not shocked out of that youthful innocence that asked the following question. They asked, “well why can’t people just get along?” They are right. As church leaders and justice advocates we ask this question a lot. Why can’t we all just get along? Why can’t we love like God- without limits, bounds, and conditions?
The final days at CWS were so much fun! With an awesome dance, where I got to take a little part of Tall Oaks and teach the kids the dance moves to Footloose!! That night, we also had an epic glow light game night outside! We played laser tag, tic tac toe, and rocket copters with glow sticks! I had an amazing time at CWS and I cannot wait to hear about how those cute goats are doing when I see Clayton and Eli at General Assembly!
Snack update!!
Popcorn I got to try at CWS: home grown popcorn! From the amazing garden that they nurture, they plant specific kinds of corn that can then be used for homemade popcorn!
Camp Walter Scott snack: Fruit Pizza with cream cheese icing and delicious fruit!