re:create

Camera Obscura

⁴ In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *

and the heights of the hills are his also.

⁵ The sea is his, for he made it, *

and his hands have molded the dry land.

-Psalm 95

  

These photos appeared on my phone last week.  When I plugged into my computer and it did its sync thing, I found these strange images amongst the pictures of my family hiking in the woods, early snowdrops and the puzzle I had just completed.  I was ready to delete them and then I discovered that Instagram has a #pic_oops page.  Scrolling through these hazy and sometimes indescribable photos intrigued me.   I wonder if they were accidental pocket pictures or the result of a child pressing a random set of buttons or a message from God saying, “Slow down and look for beauty in the unexpected.”  It’s not just the perfect sunset or the grand architecture of a temple that are worthy creations.   God’s creation is mud, fog and in-between places.  God is in the ambiguity with us.

Christophany registration opens Friday!

I've been asked several times this past week, " What is Christophany?"  In a nutshell, Christophany is a mini-camp experience for youth in grades 6-12.  But it's also much, much more.  The following is a description that will be available of the new diocesan website which goes live next week:

The Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem’s youth and young adult ministries support a variety of events meant to help foster the spiritual formation of Christians ages 12-30.  Christophany is a three-day retreat in the mountains whose purpose is to bring youth in grades 6-12 closer to Christ.  The word Christophany is derived from “theophany” which is an ancient Greek word meaning “appearance of God”.  Just like Moses in the desert and Jesus at the Transfiguration, we believe that a physical place away from the rest of our lives allows for a unique opportunity to be open to the possibility of being transformed by the appearance of Christ.  Each year we gather in the mountains to experience: the beauty of creation; the company of our peers; quiet moments in the woods; songs around the campfire; games inside and out; worship among the trees; and be open to the Holy Spirit.  In addition, we use this time to focus also on the world in service to others.  Every year the youth council and youth missioner choose a focus for outreach and ministry in the world.  This year we are collecting items that will benefit the parish supported missions such as soup kitchens and food banks.  Hope to see you on the mountain!

Bill Slocumb, Associate Director of Episcopal Camps and Conference Centers writes-

 "Camps are excellent places to not only get back to nature and God’s creation, but to re-align our senses. It is a chance to balance oneself, and to be in an intentional Christian community. Such a time enhances our spiritual life. I hope this encourages you to visit your local church camp soon. Come to “taste and see” how broadening and restorative God’s creation can be." 

The rest of this article can be found here