Sermon:
Sunday, August 24, 2008 (Karen E. May, DLM)
Scripture:
Exodus 1:8 – 2:10
Psalm 124
Romans 12: 1-8
Matthew 16: 13-20
I have such a fullness in
my heart, so much to be grateful for – that it was hard to know what to talk
about this morning!
As the Psalm says, “The
snare is broken and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD
and we have escaped!”
We have just completed a very successful eco-day camp for kids on Texada,
with up to 18 kids enrolled, Monday to Friday. We have planted seeds –
seeds of caring for all the wonders of God’s Creation, seeds of respect and
caring for one another. Kids have forged new friendships – new
relationships with one another, and with the many caring adults who pitched
in and poured themselves out for the good of our children, and ultimately
for the good of our community.
Peter Lock took our kids on a beach walk – where we explored the wonders of
the intertidal zone, turned over rocks to find little crabs and other
critters, and saw all the different life forms that live in tidal pools. We
also collected shells, dried seaweed, little rocks, beach glass and
driftwood to make nature crafts with Petra Hart when we got back to the
hall.
 On
Day 2 – we went on a forest walk with John Dove – identifying different
trees and ferns, mushrooms and berries. We climbed over fallen logs, looked
at nursery trees, crossed creeks on logs, climbed up and fell down, got
dirty –and slept really well that night!
Day 3 saw us out to the farm of Cheryl and Marvin Nyl, where 18 kids
experienced the joy of wide open places to run and whoop and holler! There
were ducks to see, horses to feed, vegetables in neat rows where we learned
to stay on the path! Cheryl brought out a big bowl of fresh-picked
blueberries, and then – Seneca and An had brought a little petting zoo of
baby chickens and guinea pigs, and all the kids got a turn to go into the
pen and play gently with the animals.
 On
Day 4 Harold Diggon talked to the kids about garbage – and what happens to
it, and how we can help to protect the environment from the effects of our
garbage. Under his direction, the kids identified and sorted a pile of
garbage into buckets, and then Lois Freeman brought a bag of garbage she and
her kids had collected at Hechelt Quarry – to graphically show the kids the
nasty effects of littering. She did a great job of pointing out how
disrespectful that is to the environment, and to all of us who want to enjoy
the beauty of the place. Then Harold led us down to the recycling bin – the
kids carrying the buckets of garbage – and showed them where to put
everything in the bin. He then took us on a walk to see the sewage lagoon,
and explained how if we work with nature it’s not that difficult to manage
our human waste.
On Day 5, Rob Diggon took us out to the creek to see the baby Coho Salmon in
the nursery ponds. He had set little traps so he could actually show us the
little fish up close, and every child got to put his or her hand in the
water with the little fish. Rob took us to several different ponds, and
explained carefully to the kids the environmental conditions that are
necessary for the survival of the baby fish – so they can eventually become
food for us!
Each of our facilitators
worked so hard to make this a meaningful and a rich experience for the
children. John Dove and Dave Taylor spent a whole day clearing and
“brushing out” the trail behind the hall, so that we could walk safely
somewhere more “wild” than usual. What a lot of work that must have been!
Peter Lock brought in
flash cards and showed the kids what to look for before the beach walk, and
then reviewed with them what they had seen when we got back! (ever the
consummate teacher!)
Harold Diggon prepared a
very hands-on experience of dealing with garbage, which was very appropriate
and engaging for the ages of the kids participating.
Cheryl and Marvin Nyl
went above and beyond in organizing the petting zoo – which was the
highlight of the farm visit.
Rob Diggon went out the
day before to set the traps and clearly had really thought about how to give
the kids a bit of literally “hands-on” experience. (He also role-modelled
picking up litter on the walk, carrying a bag for the purpose!)
Petra Hart had meaningful
crafts organized for each day – even knowing that some days we might not
have time to do them. She also led an amazing activity where we all sat in
a circle, and threw a ball of yarn to each other, as we answered the simple
question, “what did we like best about our activity today?” In that simple
process we created, with our ball of yarn, a graphic illustration of the
“Web of Life” that the children will not soon forget. As Petra said, “So –
you see we are all connected.”
The children discussed
the difference between needs and wants , and wrote a need and
a want on a paper leaf to hang on our “needs and wants tree.”
Two of the boys offered
an impromptu play about what they saw as the themes of our week: recycle
your garbage, and treat one another with kindness and respect – I nearly
cried.
Two little girls brought
in their guinea pigs for the others to see and to hold – and to talk about
the special needs of their pets.
We all recited our “Kids
for Saving Earth Promise” every day: The Earth is my home. I promise to
keep it healthy and beautiful. I will love the land, the air, the water,
and all living creatures. I will be a defender of my planet. United with
friends, I will save the Earth.
 Phyllis
Soles did a beautiful poster of the Promise for the wall – so we could all
read it easily. The kids put their hand prints and their names on the
poster as a sign of their commitment to look after the Earth. And then we
sang “This little light of mine” with a Texada ecology slant!
At the very end, Les Brownjohn and Ken Soles prepared a cement plaque by the
mural at the RCMP station. Lynn Cardinal wrote the Promise on it – and then
the kids put their names and hand prints on the still wet cement of the
plaque.
 Every day there was
“snack time”, with daily treats provided by Gwen Davis, Maureen Northrop, Doretta Smith, Ruth Barton, and Shirley Weber. This congregation supplied
the hall rental, and all juices, cheese and crackers, etc and some craft
supplies.
It was a very
heart-warming experience for all of us who were involved. The whole
community stepped up to the plate to provide a fun, educational, and
enriching experience for our children. We planted lots of seeds. We moved
out of the box and reached very deeply into our community. And we were
rewarded. We found rich and deep support for our two foundational Christian
values: loving God by loving what God loves – caring for all living
things, and the environment, and loving our neighbour as ourselves –
our key word, and the only rule we allowed during our week was
respect.
 I believe
this week we have been acting upon our Mission Statement: To foster
spiritual development of all members of our community as revealed in the
Bible. Thank you all for your contributions and your support. Let’s
find other ways together with partners to do more – to be what God wants us
to be – a beacon for this community. Let’s not be bound by old ways of
doing things if those ways are no longer relevant or effective.
“The snare is broken and
we have escaped….” Sang the Psalmist. Let us have the courage to accept our
freedom, and the imagination to find ways to share it with our friends and
neighbours. Jesus came to free the captives – by his work we who are
Christians know we are set free. Let us promise ourselves never again to
willingly submit to the bondage of those who have forgotten how to fly.
I hope you’ll join us for
refreshments after the Service. I have brought some photographs of the day
camp, Kids for Saving Earth, to share with you. Also, you can see lots of
pictures on our website:
TexadaUnitedChurch\KidsSavingEarth\index.html
.
(see also the "past events" page on KSE -
click here) |
