June 29 2025

Our daily routine is interrupted on Sundays. This is true of all sessions, and the girls love it. You probably have a Sunday routine that is different from the rest of the week; most people do. We naturally gravitate to this blessing; it is the way we are designed. Our minds and bodies crave time to recharge… a whole day once a week is a minimal standard. To make worship a priority on that day is smart. The Lord considers it a top ten rule for living.

Joseph Sevier appreciated the blessings of a worship-centered day of rest and adjusted our camp schedule accordingly. He made it a day that was much loved by the campers, who talked about those surprisingly moving moments for the rest of their lives. A very old alum visited the camp about 30 years ago and mentioned Sundays as one of her enduring memories. She said that the campers would gather on the lower road below the dining hall and walk together with Dr. Sevier and the counselors to the Pavilion, singing “Holy, Holy, Holy” a cappella. It was a parade that was a lot of fun and honoring to God.

We do not duplicate that moment any longer (I don’t think they did it after camp got bigger than a hundred campers), but we do have a great routine that prioritizes worship. Our church services are excellent because of our minister and each other. The campers and counselors are very familiar with each other and are growing close, REALLY close. This relationship empowers the Holy Spirit when we join together in worship. Andrew Goyzueta is new to Greystone this year. Andrew is a very good speaker who puts a great deal of thought into his deceptively simple Morning Assembly devotions. His focus on our theme verse (Proverbs 3:5-6) has been carefully layered to prepare us for today’s Sermon. Andrew is very smart (he is the RUF minister at Davidson, so intelligence is required) and has a very soft heart (like me!). He is going to show these girls what church can be like, for let’s face it, many of them have not gone to a church service they liked. Many of them are bored as they sit in uncomfortable clothes with people they are uncomfortable being around. That is not the case here. Here, we are packed tight with people we love, wearing comfortable (nice) clothes, and singing songs that we genuinely love to sing… in a traditional Presbyterian worship service (complete with a call to worship, confession of sin, assurance of forgiveness, prayers of the people, offering, sermon, and benediction). You would think the girls wouldn’t be engaged, but they are. It is due the the “sweet, sweet, spirit in this place”. The Holy Spirit is said to be present whenever we gather for worship. It is true. I am moved to tears at camp church; many are. It is a spiritual experience.

Our relationship with God can be profoundly moving. If it is not… work at it! Seek and you will find! Ask and it will be given! I suggest memorizing our theme verse. It is easy (the girls memorized it in two morning assemblies) and it will bless you if you then repeat it to yourself at least a couple of times every day. In doing that simple thing this summer, I have been struck by profound truths and moved to tears on several occasions. It has become precious to me… it will be a comfort and encouragement for the rest of my life. It has made me wiser. It helped me wrap up a talk with the Honor Council on Friday.

We had been considering how God uses humble work situations and surprisingly unexpected paths to equip us for our life’s purpose. I never expected to be running Greystone, but every strange job I had in the “real world” proved to be helpful. Every mundane job I was given at camp (maintenance crew, barn crew, kitchen crew) provided insight into how camp works and showed me how much fun hard work with friends can be. Every leadership job I took because it was “necessary” (not fun) showed me how dependent I was on the blessing and protection of God. The theme verse was the perfect endorsement of my encouragement to not worry so much about getting into Vanderbilt (the girls were surprised to hear that it wasn’t hard to be admitted to that prestigious school when I was their age) or doing something exceptional (top athletic, academic, leadership, or internship experiences). God has a path for them… do your best and “Acknowledge Him” (thank him) in every circumstance. This is the easy part of those verses, and it leads to blessings that accrue to a great life.

Tonight, we will have our first summer concert. It should be a perfect ending to a perfect day.

Thanks for reading, and sharing your girls… thanks for praying for us… Thanks for your encouragement to the counselors. You’re the best!