Staff training 2009 came and left way too fast. Overall I would say that it went well. Everyone is trained and ready to go for camp...I hope! For me, the highlight of the week had nothing to do with “how to be a cabin leader” or one of the many team building activities. The highlight of my week was a little illustration that had big impact.
I have to give glory to God for the great idea. He truly is the God of good ideas. I first started the thought process towards this illustration during a camp conference in March. The speaker challenged us to find a way to use rocks in our camps in some way that had meaning. In the old testament, people would stack rocks and build alters at places of remembrance. I wanted to do something more than say a pile of rocks said, “our camp is awesome!”
Here is what we did: After morning chapel, each future staff member had to go to a rock pile and pick up a rock. The rocks weighed between 5 and 30 pounds. The staff members where then told that they had to take their rock with them everywhere--all day long. There was only one exception: Those canoeing could leave their rock on the beach. Everyone else had to carry their rock with them everywhere.
At first, everyone was having fun, joking, and dressing up their rocks. However, after a couple of hours, everyone realized how much of a pain it was to carry around their rock. For some people, it was just an inconvenience, but for others, it was physical pain. As the day wore on, people were doing anything they could to put do their rock. No one played volleyball...they just sat with their rock.
That evening the illustration was explained. Everyone was told that the rock represented sin. We tend to like our sin at first--we dress it up, play with it, etc. After a while it causes us pain and we want to get rid of it but we can’t. Then finally our sin has such a hold on us that we can’t do anything but sit with our sin.
After the illustration was explained, we invited the staff members to spend time talking to God about the sins in their life that they are unwilling to let go. Then, when they felt that they were ready, they could take their rock and lay it at the foot of a cross that we had placed in our mini-golf course. Then, they would come inside and take communion in honor of our Lord Jesus Christ. Soon there will be a little sign that says “Laying our sins at the foot of The Cross.”
I was thrilled that it went well, but even more, I was impacted by my experience with my rock. It was a great chance to evaluate my life and give some things over to God. Now my rocks and my sins sit at the foot of the cross.
Resting in Jesus,
Tim
***For pictures check out the picture section on www.timandteresakarr.com
