Welcome back to our journey through the scripture and themes that campers will explore at Kirchenwald, Nawakwa, HC Spirit, and the Wittel Farm this summer.
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” Luke 19:1-2, 5
I cannot read this story of Zacchaeus without the earworm “Zaccheaus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree for our Lord he wanted to see.” I also think about how often ole Z would be made fun of by members of the community, not only for his stature (which we use context clues to assume is short), but for his line of work. On this day, campers will dive deep into understanding how Jesus loves beyond the labels and divisions that we human use to delineate and how we can claim our own identities that go beyond labels that others put on us. What would our communities be like if there was a shared covenant to move beyond labels and practice acceptance?
Discussion Starter – How do you feel when people call you names or make fun of you? What labels do you put on others? How might that make them feel? What labels do you hear people use to divide? Can you think of labels that would bring people together?
Check out all of the camping opportunities and remember to use code PENNCENTRAL2022 for 50% campership when you register for HC Spirit, Kirchenwald and Nawakwa!
Rev. Nora Foust
Associate Conference Minister
