News of Pilgrim Point Camp

News

New Programs already being planned for 2009

Dale Dressler, Managing Director

I just got back vary late on Monday night from one of the most profound experiences of my life. A grant from the Ashley fund made it possible for a group of 16 folks that work with youth in the Minnesota Conference to visit Taize, France for a spiritual renewal week. We worshiped three times and day, spent time in bible study, ate simply, and bonded as a community with folks from France, Germany, India, Spain, Hungary, etc. etc.

If you have not experienced a Taize inspired worship you can talk to any of the folks that went with us in March or any one of the folks that are going in a week. Its hard to describe so some of us thought we might be able to offer you a similar experience at Pilgrim Point Camp in the summer of 2009.

When we were there it was a very small group of 400 youth and about 40 adults. During the week the numbers swelled to 2,000 for the Palm Sunday service. In the height of the season they have upwards of 14,000 young people from around the world attending worship THREE TIMES A DAY. I know when I first arrived I was a bit skeptical that I could sit still three times a day for worship but by the end of the week I was rushing down to the chapel ahead of time to get a good seat or waiting until just before worship so those wonderful bells could be heard, calling me, as I walked to worship.

So what was so special? Chanting prayers to God in 4 and sometimes 5 or more different languages (interpretations are written in the song book), 15 minutes of silent prayer, sitting on a hard floor (or benches when you could get one), and being with hundreds and then thousands of fellow Christians, deep in prayer and grateful for the opportunities to be alive and be in worship together.

Again, I'll tell you that I was skeptical that this form of worship would feed my soul but it did feed my soul and the Taize experience has been growing for 78 years and feeding the spiritual needs of countless young people from around the world. We are not yet sure how we will bring our experience back to the people of the Minnesota Conference of the United Church of Christ or what form it will take, but we have a strong sense that a week long experience at Pilgrim Point Camp based on our experience at Taize will feed our Minnesota souls.

Watch for details through the year and ask me about it when you come for camp in 2008!!

Here are some quotes from another group that experienced Taize

“What impressed you about the worship at Taizé?”

“Silence that allows the Holy Spirit to tailor his message to the individual.”
“ The songs sung during the worship stay with you all day. Wherever you walk, someone is singing or humming a chant. The songs penetrate so deeply.”
“Consistency, God-focused worship, silence, simplicity, beauty, inclusive, music fervor.”
“There was no place for announcements or talking. God was the center, the only focus. Worship was never used as a means of conveying logical concerns…”
“The fact that I could go to church three times a day, seven days in a row, and NOT be bored.”
“The simple, repeating chorus of each song touched my heart. As we repeated the songs, I moved further away from thinking of me, and closer to the presence of God.”
“The worship leader was God.”
“It’s simplicity and authenticity. Like a wave in the ocean, it just moves you along with it.”
“Silence.”
“I loved how you never knew what language to expect next during the service, and found the ten minutes of silence very helpful to me.”

In Christ's Service and Yours,

Dale Dressler, Managing Director Pilgrim Point Camp

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