Uphill idealist

This year in our Shared Confirmation Program, we used Sparkhouse's re:form curriculum and DVDs, enjoyed a Autumn retreat together and integrated Art and Prayer elements to the expereince.The heart image below is a prayer process of weaving hopes and sorrows in a visual manner. This exercise was adapted from my friend Lynne Farrow's resource book:  Art Making and Metaphor Last Sunday, this group of youth, their parents and teaching team had an opportunity to meet at Lake Chautauqua Lutheran Center to share in a time of games, art making, food and fellowship. The banner project was begun by our Create Fellowship that meets on a monthly basis at First Lutheran Church. This group designed the banner, transferred this design on a canvas painters drop cloth by using masking tape as a guide, and began painting the banner. Acrylic paints (found at a Walmart or Michael's) were applied to the canvas to create the Pentecost themed design with wind, fir...

After summer vacation comes to an end, it used to be a tradition of school teachers to ask returning students to respond in essay form to the question, "What I did this summer..." While it's still summertime, and the heat and sunshine do not give the slightest hint that cooler weather is on the way; I somehow feel that in the blink of a few weeks mid-August will be upon us and the school bell will be about to call us back to class. So far this summer, I've been spending a great deal of time working directly with youth and families as they prepare to go to LCLC for summer camping sessions. I also have had the opportunities to spend some longer-term time with students by serving as Chaplin at Convo retreat during General Assembly and just a few weeks ago went to LCLC as part of the teaching faculty for the week of Confirmation Camp. It was a great joy, in both circumstances, to spend some quality time with the youth of our church and our greater area. There were times...

When I was a young girl, I recall collecting stamps for camp each Sunday I was in Sunday School. At the beginning of summer break it was each child's goal to fill up the coupon book to earn a discount for summer camp. Ahh... summer camp. For me this was my only understanding of a summer holiday in the classic sense of things. We were not poor, by any means, but we were not the type of family that went to Florida on spring break either. Summer camp represented many things for me: adventure, independence, new friends, a culturally diverse community, art projects at the craft shack, singing by the campfire and swimming. Oh how I loved swimming! Then beyond all the bug juice and taco lunches was the time and space to unplug from life at home (once the homesickness wore off) and really listen to God speaking into my life. There are moments from camp that still seem tangible to me. One summer, the theme was, "I wanna be a hero." - spinning off of the Steve Taylor song by the sa...