It's late Wednesday night and I am elbow deep in camp curriculum preparing for this here email to arrive in your inbox on Thursday morning. I'm glad you keep coming back and hope you are planning to come to camp this summer at HC Spirit, Kirchenwald, Nawakwa, or volunteer at Wittel Farm!
Some camps are starting to fill up! Register soon! And for those interested in working, apply for a dream camp here.
Before we get into today's passage from Ruth, let me invite you out to the Harrisburg Senators baseball game Friday night. A portion of ticket sales benefits Lutheran camping's campership fund! Get your tickets
here!
Now, we continue to explore the HC Spirit theme "What's in a Name" and today's text from Ruth 1.
"Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara." (1:20)
Naomi had a nice life. She had a husband and two married sons. There were not yet grandchildren for Naomi when tragedy struck her family and not only her husband died but both sons, too. In her society, a woman without a man in her household had no status. She felt she should return to her hometown of Bethlehem and told her daughters-in-law to return to their fathers. One did. Ruth stayed with Naomi.
Upon entering her hometown, people began to ask is this Naomi? And she replied with a new name. Naomi means pleasant and Mara means bitter. Naomi had changed much in her years away and she needed to claim her new life so she also claimed a new name for herself.
On this day at camp, participants will explore hard feelings and the importance of naming them. They will also learn ways to hear others stories and experiences with respect, even if they are very different from their own.
Discussion Starter: If your name were a feeling, what would it be? If you could choose any name for yourself, what would it be? Have you ever know someone whose name just didn't fit somehow? What do you think that might feel like?
Rev. Dr. Nora Foust
Associate Conference Minister
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!
