SPEC 2008

Good Morning Readers,



This reporter always appreciates spending the early mornings with you each day, it is a special time. The dorm is still all asleep; the sun is barely beginning to warm the grey sky with rich hues of orange pink and red, the outside temperature is already beginning its relentless climb to roasting, and you and I review the highlights of yesterday and prepare for today together. If I drank coffee this would be a perfect commercial: “Good friends! Good coffee! Good Morning!”



After a leisurely morning and a good breakfast at Bob Evans Restaurant (we really missed the very gracious hospitality and wonderful food at the Ash’s home and we hope all goes well with your family situation) we drove the couple hours north from KC to Lamoni. It was a quiet trip and the “corn is nearly as high as an elephants eye” – but that’s a different musical.



Graceland Campus was ready to greet the nearly thousand visitors for the week. The whole process of registration is a well oiled machine honed by years of experience and refinement. Rooms are assigned, keys and combinations are passed out, and sports teams are assigned and registered. Even in the age of computers and I-pods is still takes a good couple hours for all that to happen for every delegation – there are nineteen this year with attendance of eight to ten all the way to delegation of just over a hundred. The Rockies have 13 campers and 5 full time staff and about four or five part time staff helpers.



After everyone was registered, we all gathered in an open area between the girl’s dorm, the library and Cheville Chapel. There we took the “beloved “All SPEC” picture. Imagine herding cats into a small roped off area and a photographer in a basket hung up by a crane barking orders – “ sit down, stay inside the ropes, don’t squint, everyone look up here” – you get the picture, as it were. By the way you can see photos at cofchrist.org. Click on events in the upper right area and then click on spectacular. Later in the week world famous photographer, Jim Doty will have his blog spot filled with photos also.



Next was an hour of sweltering sweating activity in the gym. Imagine a thousand people in a confined area grouping, greeting, regrouping, regreeting, shaking hands, high fiving, horse riding, slow dancing and light saber fencing. Yea, you got it. Coming outside into the Iowa heat and humidity seemed cool. It’s all in perspective.




Finally we had the SPEC Opening Ceremony. We officially met the SPEC staff, and each delegation (all nineteen). We were welcomed by the President of Graceland College, as well as Ron Harmon, the official SPEC Apostle, and President of the Community of Christ, Steve Veazy and his wife, Cathy. You can tell the church gives great importance to this activity, when they assign SPEC as a ministry assignment of one of the Apostles, as well as attendance by the President and leader of the church.



The musical group “Recycled Percussion” wrapped up the night’s activities with a cacophony of sounds from trash cans, plastic buckets, plastic waste bins, and of course cymbals and guitars. Loud and proud!



As the sun peeks in the window I am reminded it’s time for breakfast. Today we focus on the theme, “Someday is now….So walk humbly.” How do we balance being humble and still realize our great worth in God’s eyes, just as we are? It will be an interesting day. Sports start today also.



So for now, friends, do something great today, for God’s people, in God’s name.

See you in the morning with all the news and views,

Bob