Youth Camp 2013 Thursday

Day 4 – The Mountain Altar

A lot of sleepy eyelids this morning but a breakfast of biscuits and gravy with scrambled eggs on the side got kids cranked up for worship and rec.  Most of the kids have been really good about getting up in the morning but a few still require some persuasion.  It’s not like the smell of wet clothes and dirty socks is something you want to stay and bed and enjoy, but after three full days of hiking in the sun, there are a few struggles to roll out.

Seems the middle school team failed with keep their “contract” with them at all times and suffered the consequences in front of the entire camp at the morning service where the punishment was meted out.  They had to sing songs suited for 1 year olds and be team tied with climbing rope on their way to rec.

Thursday’s study focused on the faith of Abraham in Genesis 15-22 and God’s provision of a sacrifice.   In their 10 for 10 time alone, the students were challenged to examine their life and rate where they stand on their faith and commitment to God.  In their Bible studies through the day they looked at how Abraham tried to help God’s plan along but realized that only when things happen in God’s time and His way will he receive the glory.  Any other way is a reflection of our desire to move the focus to ourselves.

The middle school team became Sherpas for the morning rec time.  When they finally made it to the wall, they traversed the goat trail at a quick gait and lost none of the team.  It’s miracle season at Camp Eagle.  For the afternoon rec, they hit the climbing wall where they scaled the rock like pros.  One middle schooler went about 20 ft. higher than any of the high school group on the most difficult climb that was open. 

The high school team’s first rec was World War III using weapons from the Middle Ages.  TAG uses bow and arrows with marsh mellow tips. The teams were fairly matched and games proceeded at a conservative pace until the “referees” entered the game, free to shoot at will with no worries about getting tagged – they are never out. In Survivor terms, they had unlimited immunity.  Game players quickly learned they only course of action when a ref is spotted is: RUN.

The second rec was a piece of equipment called The Claw.  This excavator was remotely controlled with ropes (which needed Johnson’s No More Tangles) run by team members.  Suffice to say they didn’t create a new Devil’s Sinkhole

Both groups teamed up for Waterfront as their last rec.  There was a whole lot of Blobbing and King of the Hill going on.  Launchees came up with some new moves that looked to be straight from the annals of Saturday Night Fever.  Check out the gravity defying pics. 

The post supper service offered a chance for everyone to worship as the Holy Spirit impressed. We were challenged to honestly identify our priorities and compare with God’s order.  Just as Abraham prepared wood for the sacrifice everyone collected sticks to represent our priorities to be placed on the altar.  We hiked a sketchy trail to the top of the hill overlooking camp where a large altar had been constructed.  The altar was filled with commitment sticks of previous campers.  The worship leader described Abraham’s attitude toward the sacrifice of his son that God commanded.  Each team held a debrief session to discuss the priorities they placed on the sticks and how they were committing make changes to place the priorities in the order God requires.  The students were incredibly honest in their assessment of where they stood and their desire to reorder these priorities and to support each other as they work on following God’s plan.  After placing the sticks on the altar and a time of praise and prayer, we made our way back to camp – some to showers, some to bed and some to the back to the leaders lounge!