article from JULY-SEPTEMBER 2008
A Sabbath in the Woods
A typical Sabbath for me begins in the comfort of my own home, in Michigan. On a Sabbath evening, I might catch a news program with my family and have some restful sleep in my own bed, waking up the next morning when I desire (within reason).
But when I started my Sabbath in the woods at Ambassador Youth Camp, things were different. On Sabbath evening, my time wasn’t spent quite so leisurely. We began the Sabbath with a Bible Study on the subject of wisdom, and, after fellowship, I walked back to my cabin and slept only for as long as my counselor allowed!
When you are in the woods, the Sabbath is markedly different. On a Sabbath morning at home, I set out for services around 11:00 a.m., with my mother. We arrive at the meeting hall with ample time to fellowship before services begin at 1:00 p.m. Then our group listens to the message sent to us for that Sabbath.
Afterward, we continue our fellowship and depart by 4:00 p.m., the time we arranged with the owners of the hall. We drive home and finish off the Sabbath with some study, lately being the Beast of Revelation booklet.
At AYC, we were given some free time at the beginning of the day. I enjoyed a light breakfast in the dining hall, and then returned to my cabin. With more time available since services is a few steps away, rather than an hour’s drive, I took time to pray, then wrote some new poems and rehearsed my “Interesting Experience” speech for a bit.
Next was brunch with the other campers, after which we changed into our Sabbath attire, fellowshipped and took pictures as we waited for the hall to be ready for services.
The service was one that was geared toward the youth. Both the sermonette and sermon discussed building conviction and what God’s Way has to offer, as opposed to the way of the world.
We continued with a Question & Answer Bible Study by Mr. David Pack. I was inspired by the answers that were given to our questions. After the Bible Study, I continued to fellowship in the dining hall until the Sabbath ended, when we moved on to our evening bonfire.
The Sabbath will be different wherever you are, but it will also bear similarities. The Sabbath in the woods was a great experience and one that I won’t soon forget. The camp environment was great. The live messages on topics pertaining to the youth were incredible!
When I return to Michigan, I will miss having so many teens with whom to fellowship, even though I know that AYC cannot last forever. I know that I won’t see many of my fellow campers for at least another year. But until we reunite, I’ll enjoy these “typical” Sabbaths back home, knowing that wherever we are, the Sabbath should never just be thought of as “typical.” We are to make it a delight, and wherever we are, we should keep that mind.