Senior High Conference Day Four!

After a very windy, cloudy and chilly Wednesday we got all the beauty of Lake Chautauqua and LCLC lined up for us today!  The day could not have been more beautiful.  This is looking down the hill past St. John's Dining Hall where we eat all our meals.  Directly across the lake from us is Chautauqua Institution and in moments of stillness you can hear the Miller Bell Tower chime.

On the teaching side it was Team Brauza - Liz and Mother Ellen will do the teaching for the end of the week.  Liz is leading another "real life" exercise, this year it's a food pantry simulation.  The youth are given "families" of various sizes and with various circumstances and have to figure out how to feed and clothe those family members.  Inevitably one of the conference members will ask if life is really like this.  To which, sadly, we have to say "No, it's actually a lot HARDER than this".

Meanwhile Mother Ellen is leading the class on issues of sex and sexuality out under the trees where it is traditionally held.  This year LCLC offers more than the usual number of places for class.  This is a great little circle of chairs in the grove just outside our front door.

Of course Thursday night is the Dance Night.  And as usual some very impressive threads were brought out for the event.  I'm not sure LCLC is used to having things rock out quite that much but a great time was had by all.

EYE coverage from Episcopal News Service

Episcopal Youth enriched and empowered for mission

Great story by Joe Bjordal (who was there virtually the entire time) from Episcopal News Service (ENS) about EYE

That's Bishop Brian Prior of the Episcopal Church in Minnesota (do NOT say Diocese of..., trust me on that) doing a blessing of the Habitat for Humanity house that EYE helped to build.  It's designed to have a minimal carbon foot print and in fact should generate more electricity than it uses.  Yes, that's also a bagpiper up there too.  All of EYE was supposed to be there for the blessing but we had to cross a road to get from the campus to the work site.  The local authorities said that when 1,000 people cross a road it's a parade which require permits and two weeks notice.  So only the bishops and two youth reps from each diocese were there.  The rest of us saw it on video delay.

Senior High Conference Videos

Kelsey gives us lesson in torch singing.  What a performance! (Talent Show 2011)













Sarah does a great job with her dance routine.
(Talent Show 2011)

Worship time at Senior High (and yes, the audio is low)

Senior High Conference Day Three!

Today was a slightly different day from our routine.  A couple years ago we added a service project aspect to the program.  So none of our usual class time.  Bishop Bill had to turn into Bishop Franklin to go back to the "real world".  He led a special morning worship and thanked the conference for their time and energy and input.  He appears to have had a great time and is talking about coming back for as long as possible starting next year.


We did have our time with the chaplain, Father Ethan.  It was a little tough this morning because the conference has hit the mid-week doldrums.  We had so much fun the last couple days our tails were dragging this morning.  But Fr. Ethan did a great job talking about covenants this morning.

One of the traditions of the conference over the last  five or six years has been rubber duckies at the Kinda Sorta Beach party.  This year, in line with our theme of  "A New Thing" we got baby rubber ducks!  Bishop Bill got the first of what we hope is many, many duckies.  We also gave one to Lee Lindeman the director here at Lake Chautauqua Lutheran Center as a thank you for the great reception we've gotten this summer.

 

The big portion of our day was spent at St. Lukes in Jamestown.  We helped them clean out their boiler room, re-organize part of their youth rooms upstairs at the parish house, move some pews in the chancel, and pull some weeds around the Thrift Shop as well.  Then Fr. Eric Williams from St Luke's took the conference out for some coffee and smoothies at a local coffee shop across the street from the church.  We worked hard and had a good time!


Tonight is a presentation from Youth Commission, then the Talent Show.  Then I think we'll all be ready for bed!

Matthew and Quinn doing a comedy piece

Kelsey and Jeff duet

August with a tune he wrote himself

I'll try and get some video up tomorrow!

Senior High Conference Day Two

Got off to a worrisome start with clouds and cool temperatures.  Then it got worse when it started to rain.  However during worship we were singing about the shining sun and whaddya know?  Out came the sun!

Of course class time is a big part of our routine at Senior High.  Casual, relaxed times with the teaching staff discussing a wide variety of topics.  This summer is our first with Bishop Bill (sadly this whole bishop thing is dragging him away from camp after only 2 1/2 days).  He opened his first class time by learning more about the recently ended EYE (Episcopal Youth Event).  If you haven't heard yet the EYE delegation had enormous adventures when severe weather re-routed their flights both to and from Minnesota.  The trip out took 29 hours and involved stops in 5 airports.  Bishop has never been to an EYE and was very interested in the experience.

 In today's class he spoke with the conference about the issue of the state of New York recently passing a Marriage Equality bill.  This is the first of a series of meetings on his schedule this week that will bring the input from a diverse group of people from our diocese.  He then segued the conversation into a larger discussion of the role and duties of a bishop.  Along the way he talked about the symbols of the office and gave the conference a chance to see his pectoral cross, miter, episcopal ring and crozier up close.

 While it was very calm in our protected little portion of LCLC (the retreat center is surrounded by trees) the wind was pretty ferocious today so sailing was called off.  We did get some swimming in.  You can see what a beautiful day it was on Lake Chautauqua and kind of see the big waves the wind was creating.  The water was comfortable once you got in.

Our evening activity was the "Kinda-Sorta Beach Party".  We played music, had a game of Apples to Apples that included almost the entire conference and then sang songs and told ghost stories around the campfire.  We even decided to do Compline (from memory!) at the campfire too.  It was a great end to a great day.

Senior High Conference Day One

We had a great first full day!  Father Ethan Cole is our chaplain and is leading us through our theme "A New Thing" and our worship schedule as well (morning prayer, midday Eucharist and Compline).  Our classes on Monday and Tuesday are with Father John Paul Boyer and Bishop Franklin.

Lots of frisbee being played, KanJam, Ladder ball.  We went sailing yesterday too!  Turns out a lot of the conference wanted to be on boats so we had two catamarans on the water and a bunch of kayaks as well.  A good time was had by all, including Bishop Bill.  The more distant sail seen in the photo at right has him on it.

Our music leader Chuck Basil is working with the youth to on the music and they brought him one that they love.  So here they are working on an arrangement for piano and four guitars.

We ended the day with a little excitement as a bat came to join us but that was resolved very quickly and we all fell asleep.

More to come!

Newsletter June 13 - Father's Day Edition

Well I'm happy to say we are moving ahead with Senior High Conference this year.  It was a very near thing but we made the number.  We can still take a few last minute applications but I strongly recommend that you use the online registration form.  I will be away all next week and won't see any that are mailed in.  So let me know this week and get those registrations in today!  The online form is found HERE

Now something with Father's Day in mind.

SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART

"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4)

It's Father's Day week and time for a quick thought about fathers.

There's this idealized vision that society has about fathers.  Smart, good looking, always there to help out or to offer wise advice.  I'm sure there are a few of them out there somewhere.  As a father myself I know just how hard it is to try and be that perfect father.  It's hard enough just trying to be a not TOO imperfect father.

And I know that some fathers just don't make the grade at all.  That's reality.

So where does that leave us?  It leaves us with imperfect fathers.  But then they had imperfect children too.  Expecting perfection in each other is a sure way to be disappointed.

The quotation above I think is a good one for everyone to think about this week.  Fathers shouldn't provoke their children by being unreasonable, cruel or insensitive.  Likewise children shouldn't provoke their fathers by being ill behaved, rude or insensitive.

I lost my father 11 years ago.  We did not always see eye to eye and there were times when I was a teen that I pretty thoroughly disliked him.  In the end I discovered that he had done the best he could and I came to appreciate him.  Flaws and all.

And I miss him.  A whole, whole lot.  

Think: Does your father provoke you to anger?  Do you provoke him?  How often could you really avoid provoking one another if you tried?

Pray:  Ask God to help you better understand your father.  Ask your father if he would pray with you.

Do: Take a minute to write down the things you like and admire about your dad.  Think about them at those moments when he's being annoying.  See if you can nurture his good points in your own life.

Peace

Jay

Senior High is In Danger!!!!

Once again we find ourselves in panic mode just weeks before a camp.

I can't imagine anyone enjoys this, I know I don't. 

I'm a big an of camp.  It was pivotal in my own journey of faith when I was a teen.  I want to make sure we offer that same kind of formational opportunity to the young people of this diocese.

But here's the reality -  Unless we get about 6 more people signed up Senior High Conference is in danger of dropping off the map this year.  That would be too bad because I know Bishop Franklin is looking forward to spending time with his younger brothers and sisters this summer.  He sees Senior High as a pivotal age group of  upcoming leaders in our diocese (and I agree).  The best time to get to know him and the other young people of your diocese is at camp.  Plus it's a week off after school ends, a week away from your usual routine with your family.

We'll be exploring new things and new places and new relationships.  Please get you application in for camp this week.  Even better, do it today!  If you follow THIS LINK  it will take you to the online registration form that you can fill in right now.