The Summer Dance

"And so they linked their hands and danced
'round in circles and in rows
And so the journey of the night descends
when all the shades are gone."

It was a summer ritual. In my college years camp could not come soon enough. To be with nature: forests, water, birds in the morning, crickets at dusk. It was a time when my daily routine was set by the sun, not by my appointment book. There were games to play, rivers to paddle, rocks to climb, and children to amaze with stories and legendary feats of wonder.

The camp that became home to me is named Kirchenwald, "church in the woods." And that is what we did there in the woods: we had church. We gathered every day around the things of God with fellowship, adventure, stories about God's faithfulness to God's people, and the service that comes when we depend on each other for the daily things of life.

And Saturday would come too fast. The campers would hug us, hug each other, promise to be back in a year, and drive off with parents in tow. The camp would be quiet. We, counselors, would stay. We would grill and sit, chat and dance, until dusk. We would relish the time off, and yet relish the anticipation we felt for the next day, Sunday, when we would encounter God again in the faces of new campers.

And what did our campers leave with? A sense of creation, an experience of living off the earth and trusting God's people. And, of course, a garland of memories that evidenced the life of a child in the presence of God.

"A garland gay we bring you here
And at your door we stand
Here's a sprout, well budded out
The work of our Lord's hand."

Where is this place for me today? Do I celebrate the summer work of God, with it's solar appointment book and fellowship opportunities? I try with marginal success, yet the dance continues to draw me in as I wear that garland of memories every year, dancing through the night into the day.

"We've been rambling all the night
and sometime of this day
Now returning back again
we bring a garland gay."

See you in church,
VT...

The lyrics are from Loreena McKennitt's song "Mummer's Dance."