Camp Akita 1

For some reason as I was praying this morning I began to think about Camp Akita, a Church camp. It is near Logan, Ohio in SW Ohio. The camp is owned by First Community Church in Columbus, Ohio. I grew up in that church and also in the camp. This camp played a significant part in my personal and spiritual development.

So here I am almost 72 years old and recognizing these spiritual roots. I was formed in my life by this congregation and place. I have deep abiding memories of Camp Akita and how it informed my life on so many levels.

Here is the information on the webpage for the camp, http://www.campakita.org/

These principles I realize are the organizing principles of my faith and life.

They were subtlety transmitted to us as we grew in the church, subtle and sustained. They also were the organizing principles of my 41 years as a minister in the Presbyterian Church ( USA ).

I think the importance of recognizing our life organizing principles are established early and through experience and exposure. I learned these basic thoughts as I lived within my family and then through the church. In that living the Church Camp Akita, brought out the best in me. The part of me that took me through life wanting good for other people and also looking to find the best in myself. I have been no amazing role model as I see it, but now and then someone will tell me that I’d said something that changed their minds or hearts or living situation for the better. I will always feeling like I had this good love to give away because I had been given it, through no action of my own, I do not deserve this grace.

So then what are your organizing principles? Short mantra?. New name? . What affirmations make you who you are? What affirmations do you use to measure the other people in your life.? I think I should write on each one of them. Individually… so look ahead. I’ll take one a day.

God Abide

Bobbie Giltz McGarey

January 9, 2020

Bethlehem, PA

This is the first year in 41 years I don’t have some kind of responsibility around Christmas Eve service and I am missing that fun. It is fun because it is one of the worship services that is filled with details. New details, different from other services, who turns down the lights, then back on when we are finished. Who makes sure everyone has candles? Who knows where the fire extinguisher is and knows how to use it. (Never had to use one) Who got the little candle holder dubbers so they don’t drip on everything and everyone else. We’ve used plastic Champaign cups and just not affixed the base.

I have many memories of how the services went… there was the time the Korean Congregation joined us for the early service and two of their darling girls were dressed in the traditional kimono. They got so excited singing they bounced right off the bottom step into a pile on the floor, popped right back up and kept singing.

There was the time the infant we had in the manger scene was a little girl. One of the angels who was posed beside the manger looked in, her eyes got big, she jumped down from the chancel and ran to her daddy declaring, “Daddy Daddy baby Jesus has a bow! She ran back to her place and got back in wings up angel pose.

There was the time the people who were supposed to bring their child to be posed as the baby Jesus didn’t show up. So when this was discovered, minutes before needed, I found a little girl whose mom said sure. As I took her up her brother, who had been baby Jesus a few years before, said, where are they taking Jenny? The mom said, Don’t worry she is going to be the baby Jesus. The brother, in that child clear loud voice said, “The baby Jesus, The baby Jesus! I want to see the baby Jesus! Couldn’t have planned a better line for the story.

The urgency and the present-ness of the baby Jesus for these children reminds us to get in there. Get into the story and let yourself be surprised. Let your self be reminded, Let yourself be protective of the Spirit of God in Christmas that all may have an opportunity to be a witness to the miracle of God’s abiding Love come to be with us. Always.

Happy Christmas.

God abides

Bobbie Giltz McGarey

From Consider Jesus. Elizabeth Johnson

    P 57 “…it is obvious that Jesus had a special and original experience of God as intimate, close, and tremendously compassionate over human suffering and sin. Out of that experience Jesus surfaced a name for God, namely ABBA. It is the Aramaic word that a small child would use to address his or her father before being able to talk. Translates into English as ‘papa’ or ‘dada’.”

There have been a few times I have truly felt that kind of closeness to God. Inspired by music. The first cry of a baby. The sunrise/set. The ocean either angry or calm. Such as these.

i know I am lucky to have these experiences but perhaps because I look for them. Always on the look, alert, searching and happily satisfied by the simple beauties that are present. When we’d go on hikes and I’d get winded I’d slow the group down and take an ah-ha moment. Looking for something interesting. It was there.

the Psalmists call out to God. You can too even if you don’t measure yourself as super religious. God will respond.

God Abide

Bobbie Giltz McGarey

Raton, NM

@2019

My puppy Annie is quite fond of sitting on the couch in the sun.   She will curl up on the back of the couch pillows or in her circle-the-wagons position.

Where do you find a place of comfort?  Is there someplace where you feel very safe.  It can be a physically accessible place or a place in your memory where you knew things were ok.  For me I can make a mental walk down a path at the camp I attended as a child, Camp Akita in the Hocking Hills south of Columbus.    First Community church owns and operates the camp.   Vesper Hill is the place where worship would take place, vespers.   As your walk away from the main lodge there was a narrow path.  Along the way there was a sign that I think says Silence,  it seems that you were told not to talk after that.   The path opens, up and there is a view in the woods across the valley.  The split log benches of the time I was there welcomed you to come and sit and be quiet.   The cross in the front was rustic, tree branches roped together, rough, some of the bark removed.
I remember singing hymns, listening to scripture, a brief meditation, prayer, quiet, and benediction.   It would go from dusk to dark and you hoped you remembered your flashlight to get back to your cabin.  As a child where the giggling and began again before we finally settled for the night.   Happy from the day and excited for tomorrow.
Find a place to settle yourself.  Breathe.  Trust.

 

God abide

bobbie giltz mcgarey

@2019

Raton NM

 

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rep-elijah-cummings-life-pain-passion-and-purpose-60-minutes-2019-10-17/

Elijah Cummings would tell people

So we have an assignment don’t we? We are called, set apart, everyday to name our pain and through it we will find our passion, and our purpose.

Finding our pain, our deep most true pain, can be a difficult task. Too easy it is to name our pain o a physical level. But that is not the pain that needs a name, The pain that needs a name is etched in our hearts. It can be transformed into power. A spiritual director or mentor can help you name this.

But once we name the pain, we are challenged to turn it into our passion. That which empowers our being. That which holds us up. That which ignited the fire in our heart. That which continues to ignite that fire.

But the challenge the gift of this saying doesn’t end rather it affords a beginning.

It is to become our purpose. Finding that may be a little more difficult. But with prayer, guiding, listening to our dreams, speaking with a spiritual friend, we can come to see what it is God has for us to do.

God abide

Bobbie Giltz Mcgarey

@2019 Raton, NM

So last weekend we had our Presbytery meeting at Ghost Ranch. Each season is beautiful there. As you can see from the yellow hues it’s Fall2019.

Sometimes we need a small reminder of the sacredness of the ordinary. A small 1.5 year old grandson who does a happy dance with arms outstretched and big grin on his face only pausing long enough to clap.

Or his older sister in her car seat with small toy figures in her hands making up a story about how they will get along with each other even when they disagree.

These small beautiful glimpses of the real Kin-dom are around us when we open our hearts to see.

I thank God for eyes to see and a heart to feel and joy enough to share.

1

God abides Bobbie

Bobbie

When my mother died I took a few weeks away from being the pastor of the church and John, my husband and co-pastor, was there for the People. I went back to work and about a month after she died. A lady came up and in all seriousness said, “Well, it’s been a month since your Mom died, I guess you are about over it by now.“. It was not so much a question as a declaration. Times up, move on.

I remember trying to formulate a response. I had none. I remember looking at her, I can only hope with marked incredulity, “WHAT? Over? No, not over.” Was I expected to have some magical powers as clergy to just bounce back from the loss? Was my ‘overness’ supposed to prove my faithfulness? I don’t know. What I do know is that 20 years later I still feel the sting of those words.

Since then in moving and breakage I’ve lost some of the treasures that link me with her, a rocker, a brass flower pot, a set of Desert Rose dishes, and a clear red vase.

Moved from my ‘having’ to ‘have lost’ along with her.

But I am pretty sure that when I miss her most is when I want to share joyful moments in my life. My children, their spouses, my grandchildren all bring me joy. I want to tell her about Marshall, and Nolan, and Gregory. I want to tell her about Maggie Mae and IanMaurice. Look at these photos!

But it is now left to me to hold those memories. In that I find joy.

So then there is this one article this makes a lot of sense and deeply touches me.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/when-my-dad-died-the-shoes-he-was-wearing-ended-up-in-my-closet-now-i-cant-bear-to-get-rid-of-them/2019/09/27/bcace864-c917-11e9-a4f3-c081a126de70_story.html

Well it’s almost started. IanMaurice ready to accept it all.

What a surprise.

No bulletins

No sermon to write

Just a time to ready myself for the next work.

Here I am

Send me use me