Contemplative Camp

This week was spent at Camp Mush-a-Mush, NS.  As chaplain, there was lots of praying to lead.  Campers, ages 13-15, were introduced to a variety of prayers coming from monastic traditions and spiritual exercises.  Prayers were sung, offered in silence, comtemplated through the observation of pine cones, expressed in tongue yelping, chanted in a harp-singing type circle, thanks offered via the focus of working through the alphebet.  The best was after Thurs. nights hip, hop, dance to praise songs.  Evening prayer had 75 campers form a circle in the picinic shelter and they breathed in for four counts and out, in and out...as the campers kept breathing breathe prayers, and other words were spoken, in hushed tones, breathing... and it happened...there was a calm presence, an experience...it was felt, for when the prayer was done, there was still silence.
What an awesome reminder that prayer is powerful!   Amen.