Connections are important. Life depends on them. The nature
of matter, from the subatomic to the cosmic, depends on them. Our brains depend
on them. We'll run with that example because I think brains are fascinating. You have probably heard about neurons and the
important connections between them. As we gain experience doing certain things,
specific connections are strengthened and those things become easier for our
brain to do. That is why practice works. The catch phrase for this is, “neurons
that fire together wire together.” What is most fascinating to me is that the
connections are not limited to neurons or confined inside our skulls. The field
of Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) offers insight into how our minds are
connected to and dependent on other minds. The relationships that we form actually
change the physical makeup of our brains. The human brain does not exist on its
own. It must be connected through relationship with other minds in order to
function. Those with whom we choose to be in relationship and those who reach
out relationally to us affect who we are at a biological and chemical level.
Whoa!
God created humans for connection. We exist in relationship
to one another as God exists in relationship with God’s self in Trinity and
reaches out to humanity in relationship. We cannot be Christians on our own and
apart from Christian community. To do so would be to deny who we are as human
beings and who Christ calls us to be. In the Gospel of John, Christ prays that
we might be one (John 17:20-23). He gives a vision of us connected to each
other and to him as branches are grafted on to a vine. He also commands us to love one another like he has loved us. That's intents (sorry, camp joke).
Camp is all about connection. We connect people to each
other. We connect people to creation. We connect people to God. These
connections affect who these people are and understand themselves to be.
Sometimes, camps operate as if they had enough connections
within their own boundaries. When people behave this way, we call them
narcissists or sociopaths. When groups of people behave this way, we call them
cults or secret societies. The Church does not behave this way. Camps cannot
operate this way. Individual camps must be connected to ministries outside of
their boundaries, especially congregations. Failure to do so is akin to the eye
saying to the hand, “I have no need of you” (1 Cor. 12:21).
Camps also need connection with one another. The simple
truth is that we are stronger together. We need one another. Camping
professionals have realized this throughout the history of camping, and that is
why we have strong organizations like the American Camp Association (ACA) and
the Christian Camp and Conference Association (CCCA).
Denominational lines have fractured the Christian church and
emphasized disunity. I grew up Lutheran, and I know that Lutherans LOVE being
Lutheran. It is wonderful to have a distinctive voice, but this voice is only
valuable if it is in conversation with others. Experience tells me that many
Lutherans prefer to talk to themselves. The momentum of the 20th
century ecumenical movement seems to have lost steam and even reversed course.
Ecumenism is not dead and denominational boundaries are not insurmountable.
Indeed, these boundaries must continually be broken down, even as some seek to
reinforce them. Camp is a place where ecumenism continues to thrive, and this
is one area in which outdoor ministry can be a catalyst for the larger Church.
There is a group of dedicated individuals nurturing deeper
connections among Christian outdoor ministries. They have appropriately called
themselves Outdoor Ministries Connection (OMC),
and they intentionally reach across denominational lines. Outdoor Ministries
Connection is a way for my own tribe, represented by Lutheran Outdoor
Ministries, to share in genuine conversation and collaboration with other outdoor
ministry organizations. Through this process, we ourselves grow and develop, as
the brain does in relation to others, as the Body of Christ does in
relationship with its members.
I recently returned from a gathering of the Outdoor
Ministries Connection group that brought together people from outdoor ministry
organizations representing eight different denominations. There was a lot of
energy in this group as we worshiped together, enjoyed Christian fellowship,
and discussed ways to connect. Some of the methods of collaboration include
training and coaching outdoor ministry professionals, expanding the research of
Christian outdoor ministries, and more effectively spreading the word about
Christian camping among congregations and families. The group also developed a
vision for a large-scale gathering of outdoor ministry professionals in
November 2019. I am excited about the work this group is doing, and I pray that
it continues to bear fruit.
Individual camps cannot be insular and neither can
denominational bodies. We are stronger together, and our ministry is more
effective when we collaborate. We don’t want to be sociopaths. We want to be
the Church.
