The Bell

#1 Important information to tell the next Camp Director: Do not stand under the bell when you ring it if snow has accumulated on top of it.

     I’ve done this twice. The sound of the bell was accompanied by the sound of my squealing as snow fell on my head and down the back of my neck. Also, if it is very cold, the bell does not really ring; it just sort of makes a muffled dinging noise. And the Chapel bell is rather useless as an ingathering tool, unless people are standing on the Chapel lawn. Poor thing...it just hangs there looking important...but it isn’t...it is not the alpha bell.

#2 Important bell-ringing information to tell the next Camp Director: Before ringing the bell in the Spring make sure there is not a bird nest inside the bell.

     This happened one spring when we discovered that an industrious robin had somehow built a precarious nest; she probably thought it was an incredible real estate find; you know...location, location, location. So, nature lovers that we are, we waited until the babies fledged before we cleaned the nest out. Fortunately it was before camp started so we weren’t forced to evict.

#3 Important bell-ringing information to tell the next Camp Director: If you allow little children to ring the bell remember to tell them to let go of the chain...small children may experience some air.

     This happened to a summer staff person. He allowed a mini camper to ring the    bell and the child didn’t let go of the chain and was lifted off their feet, swinging gently out over the porch! The staffer quickly caught and lifted the child to safety! The child thought it was really cool. The staffer did not.

‎#4 Important bell-ringing information to tell the next Camp Director: The proper bell-ringing sound is ding/ding. Therefore grasp the chain high enough so that it causes the bell to swing strongly enough, so that the clapper strikes both sides of the bell with one pull. Otherwise you get a weak little ding....ding...ding. Bell-ringing novices get that sound and you, sir or madam, need to be a bell-ringing expert.

     There is indeed a technique to bell ringing. And those of us who have been around awhile can instantly tell if someone new is attempting the ringing. "Bell ringing incompetence" says Danae. The goal is to get that sound to resonate all over the camp so that people know it is time to move to the next activity. Six to eight pulls are all that is needed; less than that is not enough and more than that is annoying and it starts to create stress in the staff who begin to wonder if there is an emergency (a three minute ringing is an emergency signal).

#5 Important bell-ringing information to tell the next Camp Director: Respect the bell.

     During the summer of 2007 a gentleman stopped at the camp. He told me that he was the one who had donated the bell to Luz! This was exciting to me because no one I had talked to really knew from where the bell came. Wilmer Brubaker from Bishop, CA (formerly of Smithville) told me the following story (which I’ve condensed).

     The old Georgetown School, on the corner of Egypt and Fox Lake Rds, burned to  the ground (sometime in the early 50’s). Wilmer, who lived next to the school, took the bell and kept it in his garage. One day Floyd Byler stopped by and mentioned that he was looking for items for the new Mennonite camp which was being built on Kidron Rd. Floyd new that Wilmer had the school bell and thought it would be a great item to donate to the camp. So that is what Wilmer did!

     The bell has the date 1886 stamped on the yoke. That makes it 125 years old! Fifty-eight of those years it has resounded right here at Camp Luz. The bell really is one of the major sounds of camp—it moves people. And not just physically. There is an association that happens with that sound; bell=camp=relationships.

     Respect the bell. It’s ringing is powerful. Especially when it invites people to worship our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; the most important relationship of all.

You're wearing me down God!

     I used to be unsettled by Luke 18:1-8; the Parable of the Persistent Widow.  I understand that I am to be diligent in prayer but do I really need to pound on God’s door until he finally gives in? And then I learned that Jesus was using this story not to compare God and the unjust judge, but to contrast them. Of course! The judge “neither feared God nor cared what people thought.” The widow had to persist until the guy finally gave in. We, however, have a God who loves us, listens, knows our needs, and will answer. That understanding brought me great relief.

     However, I have struggled with the whole concept of praying. I’ve had amazing prayer experiences in my life; I’ve also had very dry periods. I’ve seen miraculous answers; some asked for, some unexpected. I’ve used prayer formulas (A-adoration, C-confession, T-thanksgiving, S-supplication, for instance), and different spiritual disciplines. I’ve whispered, cried, laughed, argued, and yelled. I’ve meditated, sang, and been silent. I’ve questioned whether I’m praying correctly, with enough faith or with childlike faith, and why I don’t pray in “tongues.” I’ve been angry at God for not answering my prayers fast enough or like I asked. I’ve….well, you get the picture. All in all, I’ve really tried to make prayer a part of my life; a continuous conversation with my Father.

     One thing I have not been able to figure out though is how to get God to do what I ask! I think that is what bothers me the most about the widow parable; the unjust judge finally gave in and answered the widow’s request and Jesus said that God hears his children crying out to him and won’t keep putting them off. Jesus also said,  

"And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." Jn 14:13-14.

For serious, Jesus? Because I don’t always get that kind of response from ya’ll (which is probably a good thing).

     Recently the camp staff was at a Christian camp conference at a camp on the shores of Lake Erie. The day was so beautiful (sunshine!) that I went for a walk on the beach. I just talked to God while I walked. Then I noticed the stones on the beach; black stones that were eroded by the water. I picked up one that fit perfectly into my palm. I would keep it in my pocket as a “prayer stone.” Then I noticed the smaller and smaller stones which eroded away to nothing but sand.

     That erosion process stuck with me. As I look back on my prayer pilgrimage, especially the more critical portions of the road I traveled, I see something quite interesting. Even though I was not, and am still not, able to change God’s mind regarding my prayer requests, I myself have changed over the journey. Surprise—the ebb and flow of my prayer life has gently eroded me.

     No amount of pounding on God’s door, or eloquently worded grant requests, or an enormous boost on my faith gauge will erode God. But all the time spent in conversation with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit has most definitely eroded me.

     I am a better listener. I am okay with silence. I can trust that I do not need to say a word; God knows best what is on my heart. I have a better understanding of allowing God to teach me what to pray, especially when I am at a loss for words. I am much more conversational with God, preferring to speak to him as I work rather than just at specific devotional times during the day.

     And I am okay with knowing that God has shaped me, worn me away, so that I more easily fit into the palm of his hand. The image below also reminds me that larger stones sit on top of the sand, but the individual grains combine to become a beach. See I will always be in the process of being worn down; quite frankly God just will not leave me alone. You either. And that’s a beautiful thought. Just as I gently rub the stone in my pocket as I pray, God gently caresses me as we converse. I, and my prayers, are changed by that divine touch.

For serious Jesus? Because I always want that kind of response from ya'll.

Strategic Waiting

This is from my journal on February 2010 but it really jumped out at me today as I prepare to share the new vision and logo with the delegates and pastors of Ohio Conference of the Mennonite Church at the annual assembly this weekend.

     Earlier this week I took a prayer walk around the edges of the field adjacent to our yard, which was quite a workout in the deep snow! My prayer focused on the vision; over the last few months there was such a flurry of activity regarding the vision but the whole process seemed to shift into low gear. I am rather lost as to the next steps that need to be taken. At one point on the walk, in the far corner of the field, I stopped and drew a large circle in front of me in the knee deep drift. I told God, “That represents the vision—Freely Proclaiming the Radical Hope of Jesus Christ to the Next Generation!” Then I looked out over the pristine cover of snow over several acres of field. “And that, God, represents the future—I don’t know where to step next. I don’t want to sully the untouched beauty of potential.”

     As I stood in the snow I had to make a decision about getting home; I could not just stand there in the cold but I did not want to retrace my steps. So I just started walking, plowing new steps, knowing I was headed in the right direction. When the snow got too deep, I shifted my route. Since it was blindingly white, I kept looking up to orient myself to my house, which meant adjusting my path. And I eventually arrived at my warm house.

     “If we were talking about good ideas, that would be different. Good ideas are limited to our potential, connections, and resources. If you are simply pursuing a good idea, then you need to devote a great deal of time and energy trying to figure out how to pull it off. A divine vision, on the other hand, is limited only by God’s potential and resources. That means anything is possible. If it is just a good idea, you have to make it happen. When God gives you a vision, there’s a sense in which you stand back and watch it happen.

      The challenge is that sometimes you have to stand back for a long time. Since we never know exactly when or how God is going to intervene, it is imperative that we remain vision focused. We must focus on what he has called us to do, not on how he is going to pull it off.

       Staying vision focused keeps us God-focused. The vision is a reminder of our dependency. We remain aware that if God doesn’t do something, there is no going forward. For that reason, people with vision live with a sense of expectancy. They look for God to do something. They live by faith in the truest sense of the word. That is, they are living as if God is going to do what they believe he has promised to do.

       In light of a divine vision, our daily faithfulness takes on new significance. It is no longer faithfulness for faithfulness’ sake. There is something important at stake. If the visionary doesn’t act, something significant won’t get done. Believers with vision live with the knowledge that how may come about independently from their planning. But it will not come about apart from their faithfulness. Faithfulness is critical to success.[1]

     Let’s keep faithfully praying about the camp’s vision and walking in His light. Our faithful walking does not sully the untouched beauty of potential; rather it requires us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus so that we orient ourselves to His awesome plans for this camp!

Visit www.campluz.com for more information on the Camp Luz vision.

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                [1] Andy Stanley, Visioneering: God’s Blueprint for Developing a Maintaining Vision (Colorado Springs: Multnomah, 1999), 57-58.

Poetry

About 12 years ago I wrote this poem. It came into my head with a melody. I need one of my composing friends to help me out!

I BELIEVE by Deb Horst

I can’t begin to understand all the riches of His plan,

It’s far above what my mind can perceive.
But this I know;
That here below, I will trust Him as I go,
And every day I will say, “I believe!”

Along the way I’ll suffer trials and some pain a little while.
Sometimes it’s hard, but to His arms I can flee.
But this I know;
I will grow into His likeness as I go,
And then with joy I can say, “I believe!”

In God’s great love for all mankind, He works a plan with you in mind,
“Adopted child, through Jesus Christ, My grace receive.”
Oh, this I know;
His Spirit flows on you, His child, as you go,
So you can say for His praise, “I believe!”

I believe in His plan of salvation!
I believe in Jesus Christ my Lord!
Lord, take my hand, and lead me through, I want to be more like You.
Make me more, make me more, like Jesus.


Peace, ya'll.

Hope and Shoveling Snow

     I shoveled some sidewalks today. The snow was about 4 inches thick but very light and fluffy so it was not very difficult. While I was shoveling it began snowing; big fluffy flakes gently falling. It did not take long for the sidewalks to get recovered in a dusting of snow. But that was okay, because it is much easier to keep periodically shoveling a walk than it is to wait until there are 6 inches accumulated! Continued shoveling keeps the edges of the sidewalk marked so that it is easier to know where to shovel. If I wait until no snow is in the forecast before I even attempt to shovel, it is much more back-breaking and I may not have any indication where the sidewalk actually is.

     I read Jeremiah 29:11 this morning and I have been focusing on the word hope; I even wrote it in Hebrew on my wrist. I prayed as I shoveled, “Show me your path, God. Clear the way. Give me hope.”

     Then I realized that seeking God’s direction is a lot like shoveling a sidewalk. If I patiently persevere in prayer, asking God for wisdom and discernment, I essentially am keeping the “path” cleared.  Yes, I may have to keep asking for awhile, and the path may get covered up a bit, but with continued prayerful clearing the edges of my journey remain visible. Meaning, I at least know the direction I’m headed! And I’m continuing the dialogue with God through that prayerful process, which means I will not be overwhelmed and buried by life’s circumstances.

     So, hope keeps me persistently shoveling sidewalks even while the snow is falling. And, hope keeps me prayerfully seeking God’s guidance, even when I am not sure of the next steps in my life. 

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord  Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Rm 5:1-5.

Hopefully,
Deb

How do feathers make a noise?

The other day I took my dog for a walk. I looked up at the brilliant blue sky and noticed an enormous approaching flock of grackles and black birds that rose from our woods and headed south over our house. These flocks form every winter, disband every spring and are always impressive and awe-inspiring to watch as thousands of birds stretch in a huge black band across the sky. The flock moved as one body, rising, twisting, flowing, and sometimes descending on trees, shrubs and lawn with noisy squawking, clicking and chirping noise. I have often wondered which bird dictates their direction. It seems like some bird has to lead and some bird has to be last! Sometimes the middle of the flow bulges and forms a new direction that sort of sucks the ends along. Sometimes the entire flock reverses direction upon itself looking like a wave of the ocean hitting the beach and then receding; the following birds then become the leading birds. Is there purpose in their direction? Are they actually headed somewhere or do they fly for the sheer joy of being able to do so?

This particular day the flock flew directly overhead stretching across the sky like a black ribbon. There was no sound other than the combined whoosh of thousands of wings. Just how do feathers make such a noise anyway? Awestruck at the sound I wondered, would true worship look like this moving, shifting, flowing flock? Would true worship sound like the awesome noise made by something so fine?  Would true worship create a response in the observer of awe and wonder?

“And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech…” NRSV Ezekiel 1:24a.

           This feeling of being awestruck is similar to what I experience during camp worship, especially with the campers under the age of 12 years. Their worship is uninhibited, energetic, and pure. If the words say, “dance,” they obey! These youngest of worshipers, whose movements of praise appear like the moving, shifting, flowing flock of birds, are small in size, their hands and feet have trouble with rhythm, and their voices may not produce harmony, yet their praise is awesome. They worship for the sheer joy of being able to do so. And the Almighty Observer responds with sheer holy joy, and He dances with them.

“The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great joy in you. He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing." Zeph 3:17

Whoa....what's happening?

December 27, 2010, 9:30 AM. The exact time when I received my first ever manicure, for the wondrous occasion of John (my son) and Katie’s wedding! The bridesmaids and both mothers had bright red fingernails, which perfectly matched the wedding colors.

I normally keep my nails well trimmed; I’ve never liked long fingernails on myself and I cannot stand the feel of fingernail polish—its “heavy” on the ends of my fingers (some of you will understand that). However, since I knew I was going to get a manicure for the wedding, for several weeks I had carefully grown my nails. It made me very aware of everything I did with my hands because having a longer fingernail changes the dynamic of touch (especially typing, texting, and picking one’s nose). But I succeeded and the manicurist praised me for my diligence, nail shape, and bravery (although she took pity on me and gave me a free bottle of polish remover because she thought I’d take it off as soon as the wedding was over, which I did not do; it lasted until Wednesday).

That red nail polish was beautiful and I felt confident that when I pointed at something people would really notice and look where the laser-red nail was pointing. Or when I talked with my hands (which I do a lot) the flashes of red would keep listeners’ attention. I felt more mature; like that 15 minutes of trimming, emery-boarding, lotioning, and polishing were rites of passage into a more fashionable adulthood.

I was sure that after the wedding I would trim my nails to return them to their normal length, however when I prepared to do that I just couldn’t. In fact, this morning I looked through my daughter’s polish and chose a light lavender shade, which perfectly matched my shirt. And before my morning devotions, I polished my nails. Whoa….what’s happening to me?

This little experience reminds me of change; specifically the change that is happening here at camp. Our new vision and new logo will be launched this month which will bring excitement and energy into our already vital ministry. It will also bring adjustments; we will feel this change in profound ways as we strike out in faith following God’s lead. The new vision will change the dynamics of this camp; some changes we will embrace and enjoy, but other changes will bring frustration and sorrow. All change, even good things, ushers in a grieving process, so we must be attentive to the rites of passage that will shape this ministry into a more mature model of God’s Kingdom on earth.

Another change will result from the fact that I have resigned from the Camp Director position effective August 31, 2011. God is calling me to embark on a new journey with Him which will involve pastoral ministry of some sort (He hasn’t told me yet). For me this is a lot like the fingernail polish story. I’ve been involved in camp ministry for ten years and I like it (most of the time I even love it). But I know that God is ready to give me a “spiritual manicure”—something new that I have not ever done before. So I’ve been allowing some new growth within my mind & spirit, and it is changing how I think and how I function. I feel this process deeply—sometimes with deep sorrow, sometimes with relief, sometimes with a bit of panic; but I know it is what God desires for me, my family, for the camp, and for whatever new ministry I enter. It will feel and look different from anything I’ve known so far but it certainly will shape me into a more obedient and mature follower of Jesus Christ!

So please pray for the camp, the Board as they conduct a search for a new Director, for the staff, and for me as I faithfully serve these last eight months in a remarkable ministry!