God is not a white man

Last Sunday I headed off for camp.  It was a gray and rainy day in Seattle, even in the middle of July, and my mood, not to mention my attitude, reflected the weather.  I'd hardly been back a week from an emotionally draining week at the Mennonite Church USA convention in Pittsburgh, and I was not ready to be away again, even at beautiful Camp Camrec.  But then I got there and had one of the greatest weeks of my "year as a Mennonite pastor."

I'm sure there will pictures up on Facebook, and the youth tell stories about tubing in the Icicle River, Texas Star Gazing, and pranks - all fun, all memorable.  There are two other things that most excite me though.  

One is the leadership of the counselors and staff, who struck a nearly perfect balance between fun-loving and mature.  They were thoughtful, compassionate, and authentic.  They didn't worry about their images, about impressing others, or about being cool, and our camp of fourteen youth was small enough that we didn't have to worry much about those things from the youth either.  Camrec is a special place like that.  There are at least two or three if not more of these young people, ages 18-25, who I would encourage to explore a calling in ministry or religious leadership.  There's something about the character of a person that they just have.  

And second was the theology.  As camp pastor I led lessons (a.k.a. "Sarah Time") and campfire on the theme of God's Table.  We talked food stories, creation, hunger, and hospitality, and each night we participated in a ritual around a table we had created together on Sunday.  God's Table is a place of radical hospitality, a place where each person has great value, a place where there is a preferential option for the poor and hungry.  And so our next generation of Washington Mennonite youth got a taste each night of inclusive theology, liberation theology, feminist theology, and social justice.  It wasn't just from me though - it was the spirit of the week, and it was captured most in a new song we learned by a group called Gungor, lyrics adapted to reflect inclusive language below.  

Who ever thought a progressive, lesbian camp pastor and a radical, straight, white male camp director would join/lead a bunch of Mennonite youth in singing...

God is not a man
God is not a white man
God is not a man sitting on a cloud

God cannot be bought
God will not be boxed in
God will not be owned by religion

but God is Love,
God is Love,
and God loves everyone
God is Love,
God is Love,
and God loves everyone

God is not a man
God is not an old man
and God does not belong to Republicans

God is not a flag
not even American
and God does not depend on a government

but God is good...