And he said to them, "Go into all the world and
proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.  (Mark 16:15 )

It's not a widely publicized caveat of the  covenant signed by all prospective confirmation campers that they must foreswear all electronic devices (cell phones, computers, MP-3 players, electronic games, etc.) for their wilderness experience.  Horrors!   While we may scoff at the assiduous dismantling of a teenager's comfy world, the experience is not unlike the relentless changes that attend all the seasons of a lifetime.  Some of those seasons may bring welcome changes-like assuming greater responsibilities within a family, starting a first job, getting married, retiring.  Other changes, however, threaten to undermine all that we've known or come to depend upon-loss of a relationship, death of a loved one, unexpected loss of a job, even a loss of faith.  The inevitable transitions from childhood to adulthood are a primer for the seasonal transitions of a lifetime.  And the confirmation camp experience can become among the most significant "teaching moments" in a person's life-not only for recognizing the wilderness for what it is:  wild and unforgiving!  But discovering the where-with-all of God's provision to weather the seasons of change, seeing God's awesome creativity brought to bear on one's own life with steadfast love and forgiveness.

Getting out in the wilderness can be a re-creative event-consider the prolific aftermath of the flood, the Israelites unto the promised land, Jesus at the outset of his earthly ministry, the terror and flight of the first witnesses to the resurrection.  God, through a season of wilderness wandering, brings about a season of re-creation-each of them as primal an event as God bringing order out of chaos at the genesis of creation.  It is more than appropriate, therefore (as salutary as sending our teenagers off to camp), that we recognize a Season of Creation among the seasons of the church year-lifting up not only the redemptive changes inaugurated by Jesus, the Son, and carried through in the Holy Spirit, but also affirming the creative and sustaining presence of God the Father whereby the full history of salvation is celebrated and our faith acquires its full-fledged, Trinitarian form.  The addition of a new church season (for 5 weeks beginning in September) may feel awfully wild at first, but over the course of many seasons, its wisdom can be discerned-like the perspective of a seasoned traveler who has learned to find recreation in the wildest of places.  God goes there faithfully with us.  And there's something all of us can write Mom home about!

Peace +