There is nothing like getting up after the moon has set to watch streaks of red, yellow, and blue shoot across a black, black sky studded with the brightest of stars. It was the Perseid Meteor Shower over Lake Tahoe. Not much can compare with watching little boys building a bridge of boards and rocks to show their decrepit bishop a watery coral of captured crawdads. Family Camp at Galilee is not to be missed. There are campfire songs, consisting largely of oldies from the 70's, folk favorites, and some cheers for God; the simple reverence of Point Prayers   ("The day thou gavest Lord is ended . . ."); and the off beat worship in chapel and amphitheater. Not to mention an adult program on the saints and a kids program including pre-breakfast kayaking.

         One can connect with God here in a way that doesn't happen on Sunday morning. This is no substitute for regular worship in our usual way. But our usual worship is no substitute for this. A balanced spiritual diet requires a variety of spiritual experiences (to borrow a phrase from William James.) This is an essential part of the spiritual formation we do in Nevada.

         I have been hearing for weeks about how Galilee has become a top flight professionally run operation. The new vigor of our camp is making a difference in the faith of our youth and children. They are going home with a spiriutal vitality they cannot get anywhere else, any other way. It will make all the difference for their spirutuality back home in church and daily life. I am enormously grateful to all who have made this happen.

       One more surprise The best represented church at Family Camp is St. Christopher's, Boulder City -- that's one of the farthest churches from Tahoe in the Diocese. Christ Church, Las Vegas is also well represented. We are also blessed with a contingent from Epiphany, Henderson as well as folks from closer by.

        Church camps are hardly ever located near the population centers. If they were easy to get to, there would be light polution. And the element of pilgrimage would be lost. The specialness of this place depends on its distance and its elevation as well as its beauty. The temples of Anicent Greece were not located for convenience and curb appeal, but on top of ruggd mountain surrounded by dense olive groves. You have to hike to get to them. Holiness is not handy. I am grateful not just for Stuart, Monnica, Mitch, the cool counselors, and all those who make this place holy, but for those who have the spiritual initiative to go on pilgimage. The tradition in Jesus' day was to worship in one's local synagogue every Sabbath but to make the long and arduous journey to Jerusalem once a year. Not a bad rhythm. I would recommend it to all our Nevada Episcopalians. Our Jerusalem is here.