SPEC 2008

Good Morning SPEC Fans,

I’d like to say “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood” but it’s not. It rained all night long – sheets of rain - and it hasn’t let up. I was awakened at three by cold rain on my feet. The wind was blowing the rain into the open window and got my sheets all wet at the bottom. Oh yeah, and the thunder just rolls across the sky like a bowling ball on a wooden lane. So while not a beautiful day, it’s a great day because I get to spend a few minutes with you. Oh yeah, today is the second sleep in day.

Yesterday we had pancakes as well as scrambled eggs, little smokey’s, fruit juice milk etc. Every morning there are also several varieties of cold cereals, as well as bread for toast, and bagels.

Morning celebration, which is the start of most mornings, is for information and worship. We sing, watch a video maybe, hear testimonies and stories, sometimes listen to a special music by individual or group, and just start the day together with each other and God.

After a short meeting of our delegation we headed to SPEC Today Class. Yesterday we focused on “Someday is now………so heal the planet.” As Christians, and more so as Community of Christ, we are called to be good stewards of the earth. Our scripture reminds us the we are to care for creation. Our class focused on the tension between being a consumer society, and yet stewards of the earth’s resources. We are challenged to recycle, to shop wisely, watch our waste, control lust purchases, and be content at times. When we buy something is it a “just want0 or do we “just want it?” How can we, in each of the communities in which we interact, be an agent for stewardship and care? Stewardship is hard work with sometimes cloudy answers. But doing the hard work can make a difference in our world – all of it.



Some of the other elective classes this year are stained glass; advanced stained glass; “What’s going on in your brain”; “You believe what??”; classic gourmet cooking, (I saw some Rockies in there yesterday); turbo kick, acrylic painting just to name a few.

The hot lunch (chicken and pasta) just didn’t call to your reporter so I went cold lunch and had a couple chili dogs again and a good salad. As usual the quesadilla maker was hot (as it were).

The Rockies split volleyball again, lost another softball game, and some individuals drafted to other teams played soccer, basketball and table tennis. We also have a couple boys signed up for wrestling.

Supper was lasagna with bread stix, and veggies. And of course this reporter had a good salad. Fudge brownies alamode capped an elegant dining experience.

Last evening was the swim meet. There were a couple events for real swimmers, but mostly silly swimming events like inner tube races, swim-dive for the ring-swim, push the balloon with your nose while swimming, and other fun races.

The camp entertainment last night was a spiritual comedy team called “Ted and Ingrid”. Some of you long time readers may remember “Ted and Lee”. A couple years ago Lee took his own l ife. Ingrid had been working some with them for years sort of in a background role and also on her own, so she has joined Ted and they have some new material. To watch their show is an interesting roller coaster ride of emotion from joy to pain to laughter, to tears, and everything in between. They really give us interesting human insight into some of the bible stories that are often hard to wrap your head around. Adam and Eve naming the fruits and animals, Sampson and Delilah, Jacob and Leah and Rachal, David and
Bathsheba, Sarah and Abraham, and many others are on their list of stories.

The last activity of the day was a delegation communion service. We had ours on the third floor of the Ad. Bldg. In the chapel up there; if you’ve ever been on the Graceland Campus. If not it’s the big red building in the pix with the turrets and the flag. It’s a wonderful setting for worship. This reporter was very moved by the depth and=2 0honesty of sharing at the service. There was a sense of connection, confession, renewal and freedom in the worship. Then off to the dorms for devotions and bedtime.

Oh by the way; sorry about the delay in getting out the news this morning. As I was sitting here clacking away on the keys someone pulled the fire alarm in the boy’s dorm. So waking and herding the cats outside in the rain, really messed up my time with you this morning.

So have a glorious day, Live Courageously. If we are going to be all that God hopes for us we will need courage. May God grant you as you have need,

Your reporter,
Bob

SPEC photos are here.