Summer Camp 2000, The Adults
by Breda Sunderland

Summer Camp 2000 was a lavish outpouring of God’s love on everyone who participated. Initially, as we gathered to welcome new people and catch up with old friends, there was a latent sense of anticipation of what our time together would bring. One evening early in the week as Brett Burrowes taught insightfully on Romans, he read 6:11 aloud, "Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus" Then focusing on the word "count" he expanded thus: "Whether it feels like it or not, I bank my life on this fact." But what happens if I don’t? or if you don’t?

Imagine for a moment that you have a malignant tumour. Would you prefer that your surgeon kept the diagnosis from you and decided not to embark on essential life-saving treatment lest he hurt you in the short term? Or would you prefer that he undertake without delay the invasive surgery–painful though that might be–that could save your life? I begin this camp report with so stark and radical a word picture because it captures the "back to basics" challenge of living a spiritually healthy life. What are those basics? In the words of Jesus Christ Himself, they are: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" The second is this: "Love your neighbour as yourself" (Mark 12: 30-31).

Something that sets our fellowship apart from most others is that it personalises the Bible. Sin is confronted and exposed so that Christ’s precious vessels may be clear and clean containers for His outpoured love. In spiritual terms that is the invasive, life-saving "surgery" that encourages us to come to the Light and be forgiven.

Much of what I have shared to this point is gleaned from Page Prewitt’s pivotal teaching session, which for me underpinned so many aspects of Camp 2000. There was seamless continuity between Page’s teaching, with its emphasis on obedience to God, and our "review" of Norman, as he taught the foundations of the truth of "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27). I loved seeing and listening to the video-tapes of Norman. His joy is infectious; his message clear. "Humans never had a nature of their own," he repeats vehemently, as he painstakingly establishes the biblical basis for the truth that there is no independent self. Sometimes I’d scribble down one of Norman’s phrases and I found this one totally irresistible: "When you pursue the things of God, you find them. They really find you, of course!"

There was a lot of fun in Boone this summer as we pursued the things of God-and every bit of it working to see Christ more fully formed in us. Judith Rasband’s workshop, intriguingly titled "Appearance Appeal/Image Management for Families," focused on wardrobe management and by the end of the four sessions we were all talking about wardrobe clusters. As the body is the physical vessel the Spirit indwells, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to read that quite a few spiritual lessons emerged as Judith taught her quite literally transforming concepts.

I’ve already mentioned Page Prewitt’s powerful teaching; in addition, she presented two thoroughly enjoyable workshops. Thank You God, there is no end to Page’s sharing of her-self and her bountiful talents for others. I suspect many of us have put into practice some of her flower arranging tips. Page also taught us how to achieve some very sophisticated home-decorating effects using techniques simple enough for a novice.

One thrilling aspect of life lived on the basis of the Total Truth is the amazing interconnectedness of details. So how apt that Steven Prewitt’s art workshops-now an established highlight of Summer Camp-would focus on floral still lifes and use some of Judith’s workshop materials to revise the elements of design. By the end of the second session everyone had painted a contemporary floral still life and it was quite a sight to behold the fifty or so canvasses that lined the walls of Lower Shuford.

As Camp drew to a conclusion, everyone enjoyed a sunny afternoon of fun and laughter at the carnival-a very memorable addition, by the Youth Leaders, to both adult and youth camp schedules. Yes, there was undoubtedly a lot of fun at Camp 2000. More than that, however, there was a resounding seriousness-a personalised challenge verbalised thus earlier in the week: "So, what are you going to commit yourself to?"

"When thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light" (Luke 11:34).