Each summer at Camp Friedenswald a particular theme helps guide and shape our worship together. From Morning Watch (where we “wake up” to what God’s doing around us), to Quest (where we encounter stories from scripture), to Campfire (where those stories come to life in new ways), to evening devotions (where campers and counselors share questions, insights, and prayers) – the theme comes to life and is woven throughout the day.
Longing for…
…connection.
…guidance.
…peace.
…justice.
…community.
…wholeness.
…love.
This summer’s theme will take campers on a journey of naming and exploring our deepest longings. What does it mean to hold our longings as a gift from God? How can we look to scripture and the traditions of those who came before us, to see how we might live into the longings in our lives today? How do we pay attention to our longings, discerning in community and through prayer where God might be calling us?
When we originally selected this theme for summer 2020, we couldn’t have imagined its relevancy for our lives today. While longings have always been part of life, the events of the past year and the disruption of “life as it was” have exposed and shed new light on longings that otherwise might have stayed hidden.
This summer, as we anticipate the return of campers to the peaceful woods, we’re aware that everyone will come carrying particular – and yet universal – longings. We hope that by naming, and exploring the longings together, that campers and staff alike might find wisdom to listen, courage to speak, community to be part of, prayers to hold, and a deep knowing of God’s goodness and love. We believe that a week at camp holds the possibility for encountering the longings of our hearts in new ways. We hope you will join us on the journey.
