Skating to Almont!

I wish save travels to all this holiday season, especially those of you traveling to Almont to attend the big retreat. Here's a picture that Bill drew after the skate pizza party at the 2007 Almont Winter Retreat. Unfortunately, Bill will not be attending this year. We will miss him dearly. I personally will miss the long chats with Bill in the van. We love you Bill!

Here Comes The Almont Winter Retreat!

Yikes!  The Almont Winter Retreat is only 5 days away.

It looks like it's going to be a nice big teen group.  Maybe the biggest in recent history!

We leave in the van from the east the morning of Dec 26.  I pray that we get decent driving weather.  I got a note from Don, the caretaker at Almont, and he told me that it has been snowing like crazy.  Should be a lot of fun playing outside.  Bring snowshoes and brightly colored Frisbees!

If you have any questions, please contact me.  I'll be checking my email right up to when we leave.  After that, you can reach me on my cell.

Hope I see you in a couple of days.  Have a very Merry Christmas!

What Does it Mean to Be A Swedenborgian? - Part 2

Here's Part 2 of a 2 part series for the December edition of the Chaplain's Corner
by Pastor Dave, SCYL Chaplain

In part 1 of this series I identified three ways in which a person can be considered a Swedenborgian (commitment to the Swedenborgian organization, commitment to Emanuel Swedenborg’s theology, and commitment to Swedenborgian principals). We continue with a discussion of Swedenborg’s vision of the New Church, and here the matter becomes a little more difficult to talk about. Swedenborg claims that a new era began in 1757, and that the theology he was inspired to write contained core truths of this new era. This new era is symbolized in the Bible by the woman clothed with the sun from Rev. 12. The son which the women delivered is the doctrines of the new era. The dragon which attacks her and her child signifies the difficulty in acceptance of the new era and its doctrines. We hear different ideas about the relation of the Swedenborgian organization to this new era which is dawning. Some say that we are it—in fact, that is what I was taught when I grew up in the church. Others say we are not it. My response is that we can be part of it, but that it is also happening all around us in the spiritual currents flowing throughout this world.

I think that we as individuals and also as a church organization need to remain open to what is going on around us. We need to let go of Swedenborg himself, to a certain degree. We need to let go of some of his language, and also some of his religious categories. In my mind, to be participants in the new era that is dawning, we need to be committed to truth wherever we find it. Let me offer a few examples of what I mean by letting go of Swedenborg himself. Among us words like will and understanding, or charity and faith are large theological terms that signify a whole complex of meaning. But when we hear psychologists talk about affective and cognitive aspects of the human mind, we are dealing with essentially the same ideas. In the book called The Course in Miracles there is a sophisticated doctrine about evil. As a friend told me, that work does not consider evil real. Evil only has power when we give it reality in our own consciousness. The book does not deny that we can allow evil to have power by assenting to it, but it only has power if we give it power. This is essentially what Swedenborg says. He states quite clearly that evil has no Being. Only good is real. Evil and falsity are perversions of good and truth. If popular contemporary sources are saying the same thing as Swedenborg, why not use his or her language? It is the truth in Swedenborg that matters to me, not his actual books. If we try to understand other doctrinal systems, and don’t approach them with suspicion and in an adversarial fashion, we may find that we are closer to the world all around us than we had thought.

But I don’t mean to say that we don’t need the Swedenborgian Church as an organization. There are doctrines that we can only find in Emanuel Swedenborg’s writings. And there are many, many ideas that I have found in Swedenborg that have shaped my life that I can’t find elsewhere. This church has a lot to offer the world. But I think we need to do it in language that the world will hear. And if this means using other terminology than Swedenborg’s own, then we need to use it. I think people would like most of what we stand for if we talk to them in language they can recognize and accept. We are a Christian church and a Biblical church. If we emphasize Jesus and the Bible, who will object? If we take the spirit and essential doctrines of Swedenborg and talk to others in language they are familiar with our contribution to the world will be much greater. We will be less in grown; and I believe we will grow.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I'll be in Fryeburg Maine celebrating with my extended family on Shelley side - along with Ava, Zsa Zsa and my mom, who is up visiting from Florida.  Thanksgiving Day marks exactly one month until the big Winter Retreat at Almont!  Let me know what you did or are doing on Thanksgiving as well as if you're as excited about going to the upcoming retreat as I am!

What Does it Mean to Be A Swedenborgian? - Part 1

Here's Part 1 of a 2 part series for the November edition of the Chaplain's Corner

by Pastor Dave, SCYL Chaplain

The Three Ways to Be a Swedenborgian

I identify three ways in which a person can be considered a Swedenborgian. These three ways relate to a person’s commitment, and just what they are committed to. First there is commitment to the Swedenborgian Church as an organization. Second, there is commitment to the 30 volumes of theology that Emanuel Swedenborg wrote. Third, there is commitment to the truth at the heart of Swedenborg’s theology, whether it is found in Swedenborg’s actual writings or found elsewhere. One may be a Swedenborgian in all three of these ways, or in one or two of them. I think that all three ways are appropriate. People have different needs and wants from their church. So I thought I’d share my reflections on just what it means to be a Swedenborgian.

Let’s begin by considering a commitment to the Swedenborgian Church as an organization. Some of us have been born into the church. Others are attracted to this church because of its open-mindedness to different approaches to religion. They feel free to pursue their religious quest according to their unique interests and this is a church that encourages free thought. Still others who are committed to the organization come to this church because they feel welcome and like the fellowship of this church [many teens may relate to this - kf]. They find here a sense of community and acceptance. They like the people in this church and consider the church their spiritual home.

Then there are Swedenborgians who are committed to Emanuel Swedenborg’s theology. In the 30 volumes that Swedenborg wrote they find deeply rewarding spiritual truth. They find a theology that makes sense. They find a taught way of living that leads to peace and serenity. Some of those who are committed to Swedenborg’s theology do not feel a need to make a

Finally, there are those committed to Swedenborgian principals wherever they find them, whether it be in Swedenborg’s actual writings, or in other faith traditions. These people may even seek truth in general, and not remain only in Swedenborgian principals. These people are interested in truth in general, and seek it out in a variety of sources. Some look into Eastern traditions, or in ancient systems of theology such as alchemy or Kabala, or perhaps in New Age thought.

I think that all three of these ways of being Swedenborgian are appropriate. Each way offers something meaningful to people, according to the different personalities and needs of each individual.

October was a Blast

In the month of October the teens of the Swedenborgian Church Youth League (SCYL) gathered for three wonderful weekends. The first retreat was over Columbus Day weekend at the Blairhaven Retreat Center in S. Duxbury, MA. Rev. Lee Woofenden, Rev. Kevin Baxter and I led interesting sessions and worship services with 12 teens on the theme “Friend are Friends Forever ~ Living in Heavenly Community”. One highlight of these retreat sessions was a collage artwork activity. The teens were asked to create a visual picture of their soul with their core value or essence at the center, with meaningful images spanning around the center (most important around the center, less important toward the outside edges). The creations that the teens made were nothing short of amazing. At Blairhaven the teens learned all about what it means to be a friend, what qualities good friends have, and what it is like to enter the afterlife and live together in heavenly community. Recreational activities included; killer croquet, Kingston Bay mudwalks, disco bowling and a sundae making movie party. What an incredibly fun and meaningful retreat this was.

The next retreat was over October 24 to 26^th. I joined youth leaders Lori Steinhiser, Dawn Fox and nine teens from Michigan, Indiana and Ohio at Rose’s Retreat Cabins and Campsites (www.rosesretreat.com), a small campground near Grand Junction, MI. The theme for this retreat was “Finding Your Way” and early discussions focused on physical wilderness survival techniques and strategies, including a session and bow drill fire starting demonstration lead by instructor David Rose. Later sessions focused on spiritual survival in which we talked about how to cope with spiritual darkness, what to do when we encounter loss of faith and methods to avoid becoming spiritually lost. All of the spiritual points were matched to a corresponding critical physical survival skill, e.g., staying warm = allowing God’s Love in and staying hydrated = finding truth and protecting yourself from falsity (contaminated water sources). The teens also played a game of Hounds and Hares where they traversed nature trails following a marked path in search of hidden treasure. Of course, no camping adventure is complete without a hotdog roast and s’mores over an open campfire. The group Sunday morning after a closing prayer circle. I am happy to report that there were no casualties during this survival retreat. Everyone made it home alive, hopefully with a few more tools to remain warm, confident and secure in the face of adverse physical and spiritual conditions.

Over Halloween weekend, I had the opportunity to travel to Kansas to attend Camp Mennoscah. Here a small, but spiritual strong group hosted a beautiful little weekend retreat. Rev. Alison Lane-Olson led discussions on the theme Dreams. I was asked to present an afternoon session on my work with the youth. I was also blessed to meet teen McKenzie Galliart, a bubbly 13 yr old girl from Pawnee Rock. The weather was unseasonably warm and sunny so we spent most of the time outdoors, walking the camp trails, wading in the Ninnescah River, talking on the swings and playing games. It was such a gift to be able to spend so much time with one teen in such a peaceful setting. Saturday evening a group of amateur astronomers from Wichita set up huge reflector telescopes at the camp and invited us to join them as they peered into the heavens. It never ceases to amaze me that the light from the Andromeda galaxy that I was viewing was over 2 million years old. It was a perfect end to both a dream-centered retreat and a busy month of teen activities. While walking in the woods, McKenzie mentioned to me that her science teacher instructed her that it was important to walk observantly. I smiled, nodded and told her that this was good advice. May we all remember to walk observantly and touch the souls of those around us with care and understanding.

Memories of Columbus Day 08

Random

Memories
from
Blairhaven









The Orc-powered Suburban death trap
Dying and going to the spirit world
Brownie batter sundaes
Disco bowling
MB's beautiful piano playing
The Newlywed Game
Killer Croquet
Late night Charades
Heavenly collages
Pitching shoes with Celie
Burning our mask chain
Would you rather
Learning & growing to understand that friends really can be friends forever

Columbus Day Retreat 08

What a great time was had by all at this retreat! Check out the pictures in the slide show! The theme was Friends are Friends Forever ~ Living in Heavenly Communities. I think we did a wonderful job living together as friends. How about some stories about this Blairhaven retreat from some of you teens who attended?

Audrey on Why Go to Camp?

[Audrey recently commented on the August "Why Go to Camp?" post. I thought her comment was amazing - so in case you missed it, I wanted to post it for everyone to read]

by Audrey

WHAT?! WHY GO TO CAMP?!?Only because it's the best place ever!Camp Alomont is one just of those places where the first thing you do when you get there is run screaming like a COMPLETE idiot and launch into a rib-cracking hug onto the first friend you see.lol.The first thing i think of when some1 says how was your summer is Almont.Not just because im going to start the horrors of school like 3 weeks after i get back from camp(how lame is that),cause even then a summer full of babysitting would look better,but beacause i can honestly say that Almont is where im the happiest.i mean i even learn lotsa new stuff at almont like who knows how to improvise the ending half of a chapel service that was thrown together by a bunch of insane laughing teenagers that said ok lets make this work and if it doesnt just start making up stuff,go with the flow,and hope every1s laughing by the end.And where else am i supposed 2 learn how to make 1 of those twisty gimp things,wich im still trying to figure out btw,not to mention all of the spiritual questions i ask about the bible and god and just life in general.And i love the fact that parents get let go 4 a week and every1 trusts every1 2 help a crying little kid(where else am i gonna find a buch overly hyper kids,due 2 sugar,besides my own household) Oh and come on Almont is the only place where all of the teens can make a mad dash 4 the swings,fall like 12 times while getting there,and still feel cool cause you got the swing in the shade.Even the work we do there is fun,blareing the music in the kitchen while doing dishes and having a HUGE water fight on the last day,dancing to insanely loud ipods in the the dorms while supposedly "cleaning",planning all those pranks every year that,we never seem to get around 2 any way,at like 3 in the morning,and working at the survivor store all afternoon and keeping it open just a little longer because u know that right after the last class bell those little kids are gonna come truckin across the grass and convincing u with cutesy little smiles to keep it open so they can get last minute candy. The thing i love the best about almont is my friends(which is pretty much every1 any way).I dont think their is a single person from camp that i wouldn't love to see sooner(besides cody im sick of seeing him every sunday,lol,jk).Theirs no tension of trying 2 fit in at almont,because no matter what someone there always makes you feel wanted.So,to wrap it up,almonts great because its a place where people from different places,have different ages,and would most likely travel in different social circles altogether,mesh into 1 and become a giant group of friends that you know you'll love with all your heart and remember for a lifetime.

The Source of Violence

Here's the September edition of the Chaplain's Corner
by Pastor Dave, SCYL Chaplain

Perhaps as a reflection of this diffused global violence, I have been noticing in the movies coming out of Hollywood these days an extremely high degree of violence. Shooting, killing, car chases and destruction fill hours and hours of movie time. On top of all this violence, movies today often depict anti-heroes. I can’t help but think that the effect of these hours of violence, crime and adrenaline can’t have a good effect on the viewers.

Violence and fighting all come from the lower level of our personalities, called the natural level. This level of human personality is concerned with meeting the needs of the self first. This means gratifying the senses, and the body’s needs, eating, clothing, shelter, financial security, and self-protection from any threats—emotional or physical. When the natural level of our personality is threatened, the reaction is to preserve self at any cost. This may mean to fight and destroy anything threatening the self’s survival.

The spiritual level of our personality works against the natural level. While the natural level is formed after the world, the spiritual level is formed after heaven. While the natural level sees self first, the spiritual level sees God first. Where the natural level wants the world to bow to its needs and desires, the spiritual level wants to give to others and to serve the neighbor. While the natural level wants to control and dominate, the spiritual level seeks mutual freedom and consensual relationships.

When our spiritual level begins to rule in our personalities, we begin to know peace. To the extent that ego and selfishness recede, and we allow God into our consciousness, we begin to know bliss and peace. To the extent that we love our neighbor instead of seeing our neighbor as an enemy or as competition, we come into bliss and peace. Letting our spiritual nature rule in our personalities comes over time. It takes a lifetime. But it is worth the effort. As Swedenborg says, “The nature of the tranquility of peace is so delightful, that it surpasses every idea of delight.” (AC 92)

Quote to Share

by Rev. Jenn

there's no greater power than an idea whose time has come

~ wayne dyer

Caterpillars to Butterflies

I recently read Rev. Sage Serene's blog entry "The unknown" (sagereflections.org). Sage has a new job working for a hospice assisting people who will soon be dying. Can there be a bigger rite of passage? I'm also studying Monarch butterflies with Ava (her first science project in school). As she tells me about the caterpillar in her classroom building the chrysalis to create the safe and necessary environment to morph into the adult butterfly, I smile and think, "Okay God, I get the connection". We are all caterpillars crawling along on our oft-randomly appearing journeys that spiral along towards the butterfly dreams. I look forward to traveling the journey with you and recall that it is the journey not the destination that matters. Heaven is not a place, it is a state of being. Let's see if we can find a bit of that world together this fall at our youth groups and retreats.

Upcoming Retreats in October

As I enter into the fall season, I look ahead to the upcoming retreats and youth gatherings. I am so excited to begin our monthly youth group gatherings again here in Maine. I love seeing the new faces coming into youth group as well as the teens who have been involved in retreats and activities for awhile. I'm thrilled that we have three retreats planned in October! New England over Columbus Day weekend (Blairhaven is letting us come!), Indiana/Michigan over October 25 and Kansas (Camp Mennoscah) over Halloween . Each of these events will be filled with opportunities for meaningful discussion, joyful play and nurturing community. Hosting teen events are so important to me. They changed my life when I was a teen and I hope that you teens find them equally precious and fulfilling.

Back to School Ramblings

In the cool morning air amongst long shadows traversing the driveway, I watched my daughter Ava climb onto the school bus for the first time to propel herself into the complicated and wonderful world of kindergarten. This is a big deal for parents and it has started me thinking about journeys and rites of passage. Beginning kindergarten is certainly a rite of passage. But there are myriad new beginnings that each of us launch headlong into without fully understanding what lies (or lies are!) ahead. Actually, all of us are entering into the future, into uncharted territory, every moment of the day. Yet still, we look at certain events in our lives as more significant and perhaps life changing. I think of some of you teens going off to college. I think of the teens I know that are embarking on new jobs and the ones facing new and difficult challenges. I think back to the various rites of passage that I went through when I was younger and the ones that I face in the future. I am fascinated in the journey that is life and I wonder what your journey looks like. Are you traveling a safe road? Do you prefer a risky less sure path? Do you have a leader or are you flying solo? These are questions that I think are important for us to look at every once in awhile. So, how is your journey going? I look forward to hearing from you.

SCYL Chaplain

by Pastor Dave

My name is Pastor Dave. I love to learn. I learn about music by listening to all kinds: classical, jazz, classic rock, and by studying music theory. I write my own songs and lyrics. I learn about life by reading poetry, novels, and religion and by enjoying other people. I write poetry--some of it rhymes, some is free verse. I am learning how to ski, which is fun and hard. I have a B.A. from Urbana University, a Master's degree from Harvard, and a Ph.D. from University of Virginia. I'm still learning and enjoying others.

My favorite cereal is whole grain oat cereal of any brand.

I haven't skipped school for 35 years, but last time I did was to get pizza.

I prefer chunky peanut butter.

If you have anything you are wondering about, or something personal on your mind, please feel free to email me, since you have elected me as your pastor: feketedavid@yahoo.com.

Peace,

Pastor Dave

Convention 08 - closing

by Nina

So basically Convention was a blast from the past. I know many of these fond memories will stick with me forever and I hope that is the case for everyone who came to Convention this year. I would also like to thank Susannah Currie for sponsoring me and Kurt Fekete for supervising us and everyone else who worked hard to put on this Convention. And I reallyyyy hope I’ll be able to make the next one!

Convention 08 - Day 4

by Nina

Day 4:

The fourth day of Convention was definitely the best day. We all took the train out to Harvard Square in Cambridge, Mass. We went shopping around town, and ate dinner at this Mexican/ Seafood restaurant [Border Café] that played country music and served outrageously huge drinks. After dinner we walked around for a bit and then went to church. Then we went to this after party type thing where they served cheese and crackers that actually tasted more like croutons. That was a lot of fun. Especially getting piggy back rides around the yard and singing a whole new world with MB. I also enjoyed throwing the light-up Frisbee around while waiting for the bus to come. And the bus ride home was insanely fun! MB, Holly and I sang songs from “Across the Universe” and various Disney classics the whole time. Except not really the whole time. Because we stopped when Janice started playing her new Rilo Kiley CD which I’m totally gonna download. And since it was the last night a bunch of us tried to stay up all night and I believe Sam, Matt, Josh, Nemo, MB, Janice, Holly, and I (sorry if I left anyone out) succeeded.

Why Go to Camp?

I've recently been asked to write an article on "why go to camp?". I could write up all the reasons I go to our church camps, but it would be much better to hear reasons from you. Why do you go to camp? Please comment! Thanks.

Convention 08 - Day 3

by Nina

Day 3: On the third day of Convention we did our worship service in front of everyone! I think it went very well. I’d say the best parts were Cassie’s depressing scripture reading, Molly, Kate, and Nemo’s skit, Janice, Cody, and MB’s amazing performance of Janice’s original song, and of course Marybeth’s incredible solo. I’ll admit I got a little teary eyed during that part. Oh and of course when Cody got everyone to chant “LIVE YOUR LOVE! LIVE YOUR LOVE!” and we all fell down! I think we pretty much exceeded everyone’s expectations. Go us! It was also the Fourth of July so after the worship service us patriotic ones changed into our red, white, and blue outfits/ fireworks shorts. After lunch some of us went to the movies and others went to Plymouth Rock. I went with the movie group to go see Wall-E. It was surprisingly deep for a computer-animated Disney movie. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Upon returning we had a barbeque, tossed around the Frisbee, and a bunch of us learned some crazy conta-dancing moves! That was a definite highlight for me. Then we sat on top of the hill and watched fireworks that were partially obstructed by trees and buildings but were still super-exciting! And wayyyy later that night at like 2:00am Holly and I decided to give Cody a makeover! So we French braided his hair and did his makeup and painted his nails and made him wear my pink dress and furry purple flip flops! It was quite the sight so we paraded him around the campus only to find that everyone had gone to bed! It was very upsetting. But then we did it again the next day when everyone was still awake and Matt let us give him a makeover too so.. it all worked out pretty well.

Convention 08 - Day 2

by Nina

Day 2:

The second day of Convention was pretty much a planning day. It was also the day me and Janice decided to wear our super-exciting matching outfits! So.. we spent most of the day planning what we were going to do for our worship service. I thought this was a lot funner than lectures and classes because we got to do the talking and we could be creative and inventive and we didn’t just have to sit there and listen to other people talk the whole time. And besides that we played a lot of pool and ping pong and foozeball and Cody and Holly taught me how to play Set which turned out to be an amazingly fun game. Oh! We also played a really intense game of Ultimate Frisbee. We lost even though we had Kurt on our team (who is amazing at Ultimate Frisbee) but it was really close and reallyyyy fun.

Convention 08 - Day 1

by Nina

Day 1:

The first day of Convention happened to fall on my sixteenth birthday which made it even more exciting! It was a good birthday. I got to meet new people and see friends I hadn’t seen since memorial day! And there was a pool table! Holly and I played against Cody and Jake (who I actually thought was Sam at the time) and we lost but it was a fun time. We also learned about the theme (Shout!) and started brainstorming for our worship service.

Convention 2008 Through the Eyes of Nina

Nina was kind enough to write up a day to day summary of her experience at Convention 2008. Her story will be posted one day every week or so. Here's the introduction...

Convention '08
by Nina

I had an AMAZING time at this year’s Convention. Soooo many memories and were created and lots of friendships were formed and I learned how to contra-dance! I’ve been to a lot of retreats but this was my very first Convention. I’d say it was even better than the retreats which is saying a lot since retreats are also insanely fun. I guess I liked Convention better because it was less structured and we were pretty much free to do whatever we wanted. We didn’t even have a bedtime! And we didn’t have to wash any dishes.

Tote Bags

As part of our SCYL fundraising efforts, the teens sold 100% recycled cotton tote bags printed with the "Love, Wisdom, Action" spiral at convention this year. Nancy was kind enough to send me this picture. Her tote bag visited Wahconah Falls State Park in Windsor, MA. Where has yours been?

Convention 2008 Rocked!

Now that it's over, let's be perfectly clear. The teens rocked at Convention 2008!

Those who attended know this and need to visit and contribute to this blog to share the love and good times.

Those who did not attend, need to visit this blog and enjoy seeing how much fun Convention is.

Either way, we've probably got a month's worth of material to talk about and share. As we enter into the summer camp season, we'll be posting lots of Convention articles, reports and pictures. Hope you all come back to visit this blog often, to comment and enjoy the memories!

Less than one week to Convention 2008

Shout with all your Might!

Wednesday, July 2, 2008 to Sunday, July 6, 2008

Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, Massachusetts

Click here to find out more.

SCYL Clear Blue Sky Editor and Communications Officer

By Kristina

Hmm... How does one explain one self, well I'll start with my name, I'm Kristina, I am the editor of Clear Blue Sky for the 3rd year running. Meaning you will be getting lots of e-mails from me asking for you to send a poem, drawing, song, story, pictures, for the next issue of CBS. I am also the Communications Officer for SCYL. I also write my own poems, and short stories.
Right now I am listing to an amazing French Singer named Carla Bruni, who you might not understand unless you speak French. I spent an amazing semester in Belgium. I learned a lot about myself there. As an exchange student you spend a lot of time alone.
I love to read the best book I have read in the past year would have to be either Harry Potter and The Deathly Hollows, or Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers. I am a huge fantasy fan whether it be books or movies. My favorite Disney movie of all time would be Beauty and The Beast (it's even better in French La Belle et la Bete). My all time favorite movie would be The Princess Bride. My favorite breakfast cereal would be Kix with rice milk. Best reason I skipped school this year was to go the Bruxelles with some friends. If I must choose, between crunchy, smooth or flaky, hmmm... crunchy.
I live in Portland Maine the best things about Portland are the coffee shops and the concerts. I spend the majority of my time sitting in coffee shops with some friends or alone with a book. I love concerts. I have been to 7 so far. For me concerts are a time to focus on the music and forget about what’s going on outside the stadium. The best concert I have ever been to would be my first and that was Green Day. My favorite time of the year is the first two weeks of August when I spend two weeks at the Fryeburg New Church Assembly.
I am also a sports fan. My favorite football team would have to be The New England Patriots, and baseball yeah you guessed it The Boston Red Sox. I myself have played many sports, including Judo, Jujitsu, Karate, Softball, Track, Basketball and Frisbee. I love animals, so I work in a pet shop. My co-worker Sam has some funny stories of me touching some animals for the first time and freaking out. I do a lot of volunteer work. I recently spent a week in West Virginia building houses for Habitat for Humanity. Well that’s me!

SCYL East and Public Relations Officer

by Rachel

Hello! I'm Rachel! I reside in Maine and I will be stuck in high school until 2011. My favorite color is green and coincidentally I was born on St. Patrick's Day. I could live off of drinking Jones soda and Arizona Iced Tea. You will always catch me with my ipod in my ear. I really enjoy rolling down hills and bowling. I think that everything is funny so don't be surprised if you don't get why I am laughing. Also I quote movies constantly, and it is more then likely that you have never heard of these movies. I am very competitive when it comes to ice breakers and apples to apples. I am tremendously uncoordinated and I fall for no reason at all. I enjoy swimming and snowboarding, however I would in no way consider myself "good" at these things. If you feel the desire to know more of my intriguing life, I'm sure we will cross paths at some point :D

Convention 2008

Shout with all your Might!

Wednesday, July 2, 2008 to Sunday, July 6, 2008

Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, Massachusetts

Video: spinnning at the park - Convention 2007

The Annual Convention of The Swedenborgian Church is a greatly anticipated and exciting time of year. All ages of our church family from all over North America converge to one place where we spend a few days conducting church business, worshipping, learning and playing together.

Every year teens have a great time at Convention. Most teens choose to room with another teen. It's exciting to share a dorm room with someone else at a college campus! You have a lot of freedom, but with it, comes a lot of responsibility. While the adults conduct the business of the church, teens join together in youth outings, planning meetings, games and discussion. We work most of the day Thursday preparing our very own worship service which we conduct on Friday morning. Friday and Saturday afternoons are usually outing days with fun trips planned in and around the greater Boston area. Evenings are filled with all-Convention activities, including 4th of July BBQ and fireworks. Saturday we plan to visit the exciting and famous Harvard Square area.

The teens set up an SCYL table. We'll be fundraising by selling hats, trading cards and other merchandise. Proceeds from the sales go towards travel and retreat financial assistance so more teens can attend SCYL events. All teens can help with the sales table.

On campus, we have access to tennis courts and the pool and I am thinking the teens might want to have a pool party. Please let me know what other things you might like to do to make your Convention time rewarding and fun. Here are some things you should think about bringing to Convention.

Bathing suit, tennis racket, musical instruments, sports equipment (basketballs, Frisbees, etc.), sunscreen, basic toiletries, nice clothes for church, some spending money ($60 is plenty and $20 is all that is actually needed). Linens are provided so you don't need a sleeping bag or pillow. Also, it is best to leave expensive items that you don't want to lose at home.

The theme "Shout with all your Might!" is based on the story of the of Jericho in Joshua Chapter 6. You might like to read it if you plan on attending Convention this year. Please think about any music (ipod, cd, sheet music) that you might like to play/sing at the worship service during. Each teen has a opportunity to play an instrument and/or sing during our SCYL worship service. Since the theme is Shout with all your Might! is based on the story in of the taking of the city of Jericho, songs that relate to walls falling down or shouting are particularly interesting.

Retreat Piggyback Races

Alex and Nina win by 5 lengths!

The Van Riders at Niagara!

These great pictures came to me courtesy of Rev. Jenn. I am so grateful for the drivers and teens who made the long trip to the Memorial Day weekend retreat in Maine. I know that the drive is tiring and isn't easy, but these pictures remind me how much fun it can be.

Memorial Weekend Retreat

by Cody

The Memorial Day Retreat was such a blast. Just don't kill me, I'm the leprechaun! Millions of friendships sprung up and we have enough inside jokes to last us until the next retreat. I barely slept the entire weekend it was so fun. The theme for the sessions was regeneration and stuff but we tried not to listen to the adults too much lest the interfere with all the laughs going around. There was a game of ultimate Frisbee, we went bowling, played and listened to a lot of music, and just generally hung out. I had a blast and so did everyone else. I can't wait until next year!

The 2008 Memorial Day Retreat is Days Away!

See below post for more information!

Fryeburg New Church Spring Sleepover

The spring sleepover at the Fryeburg New Church was great fun. About ten teens gathered at the church in the late afternoon. It was a cold rainy day, but we rallied together and went outside and did some landscaping and trash pickup around the church grounds and parking lot area. We planted some small pine trees and put up a sign too. After that we went inside to warm up with some hot chocolate. After a spagetti dinner, we did our last session on death and the afterlife. We discussed values, interests, talents and where we feel most ourselves. Looking at these qualities on earth is a good way to determine what we might do and where we will might end up in the afterlife. Swedenborg wrote, "The life of our dominant love never changes for anyone to all eternity because we are our love..." (Heaven and Hell 480). Alex certainly had some interesting responses to these questions (I'll never again look at a bear skin rug quite the same!). I can't wait to check out his pad in the next life. After our session, we played a couple of rounds of Sardines and ate Nina's runny brownie mix before piling up the bean bags for a movie (The Golden Compass). Sunday morning we worked on coloring in the notes the big music banner that will be displayed on music Sunday May 18th. After worship, we headed home excited to get back together again for the next retreat that is only days away!

Memorial Weekend Retreat is Coming Soon!

Our retreat theme: Saved!

A Swedenborgian Perspective on Salvation

We have all heard of people being saved. Perhaps friends or family members have told you that they have been saved. Most religions deal with salvation, redemption or deliverance of some form or another. They offer us a roadmap to a better place. But, religions differ vastly on how someone is saved and what sort of salvation is promised.

Even if we only look at Christianity, we see many different concepts of salvation. Emanuel Swedenborg has a unique understanding of it, but for many Christians, salvation is a process of confessing and believing. AllAboutGod.com summarizes being saved as, “Do you understand that you are a sinner, and believe that Jesus Christ came as the one and only Redeemer of sin? Are you ready to receive God’s gift of His Son, Jesus Christ? If so, believe in Christ, repent of your sins, and commit the rest of your life to Him as Lord.”

In contrast, Emanuel Swedenborg writes in AC6353, “The truth of the matter, however, is that the Lord does not deny heaven to anyone.” Does salvation depend on what religion you believe?

If you’ve ever wondered what it means to be saved or how someone becomes saved, this retreat is for you. If you’ve ever thought people who say they are saved are crazy, this retreat is for you, too. If you could care less about the whole idea of salvation, this retreat is definitely for you. If you believe that you’ve been saved, you’re all set, but feel free to come and share your experience.

Our retreats are open to teens ages 13 – 18 of all faiths and beliefs. At our retreats we offer life skills and spiritual sessions based on the principles of the Swedenborgian church. We strive for a safe, secure and inclusive environment to discuss and share relevant and meaningful ideas and challenges teens face today. We work, play and learn together as a community. We have fun! For teens and parents new to SCYL retreats please don’t hesitate to contact Kurt with any and all questions and concerns (email: kfekete@hotmail.com or call Kurt at: (802) 345-0169). Kurt will answer your questions or, if appropriate, put you in contact with a League officer in your region to help give you as much information and encouragement as you need!

The cost of this retreat is $60. But please do not let finances get in the way of attending!! There are scholarship funds available for help with teen travel and the cost of attendance. If you need financial help to attend contact Kurt and we can easily and confidentially help to cover costs. We want to make sure that all teens interested in coming to the retreat get there!

What to bring…

Clothes for indoor comfort and outdoor warm and cool weather.

Warm sleeping bag, pillow, toothbrush, shampoo, etc.

Outdoor shoes that you don’t mind getting wet and dirty.

Musical instruments.

A towel and personal items.

Sports equipment, cameras.

$15 spending money for outings.

Last, but not least…..a friend!

See you there!

SCYL West and Fundraising & Finance Officer

by Cody

My name is Cody. I am 15 years old. My favorite breakfast cereal is Reese's peanut butter puffs. The best reason I skipped school last year was to go see Avenged Sevenfold in concert. Between crunchy, smooth and flaky, if I must choose, I prefer smooth. But enough pre-typed and edited questions, because I know you all want the inuendo on-the-spot un-edited raw version of me. (Warning! Children over the age of three may be bored, low-intelligence humor and content) Regardless, I suppose you want to know what I do when I'm not with all of you. I write music; live recordings and also with a program called FL Studio. I recently got into animation and "Photoshop" (I use Adobe CS3 Fireworks) and I am learning Flash and HTML scripting. As you probably could have guessed I listen to a lot of music and most of my free time is absorbed by school work and such. I go to a very demanding High-School wher they teech us how 2 b smarticle and writing or / speak Engrish reely well-ly. That's basically it!

SCYL Midwest and Service Officer

by Naomi

I love techno, general music, reading magazine's such as Harper's Baazar and Vogue, reading in general! Jogging and snowboarding are faves of mine too. Anime also is fun....I am currently learning French, but I'd love to learn Japanese, Spanish, Italian, and Russian too.

Fave breakfast cereal? Kashi Maple Harvest.

Best reason I skipped school in the last year? all-day gym.

Do I prefer crunchy, smooth or flaky? CRUNCHY! best way to keep those jaw muscles in shape besides talking.

FNCA Announces New Scholarship Program

Flames Scholarship Program

One New Flame from each Association of the Swedenborgian Church

The Fryeburg New Church Assembly (FNCA) is happy to announce a new scholarship program for teens to attend our summer camp located in Fryeburg, Maine. In an effort to offer the many benefits of the summer camp experience, the FNCA will cover room & board for one teen from each Association of the Swedenborgian Church who has not previously attended the Summer session. We ask that the Association or local church cover travel expenses to and from Fryeburg. Interested teens should contact their Association because each Association will select a teen to attend the FNCA.
The teens at the FNCA are called the Flames. The Flames work together, learn together, play together and make life-long friends at the FNCA. The camp will appoint an adult sponsor to act in loco parentis for any Flame who will be attending camp without a parent or legal guardian.
The dates for this year's session are August 2^nd – 17^th, 2008. For more information about this scholarship program contact the camp director, Deane Currie, (610) 430-7069, deanecurrie@msn.com.
For more information about the FNCA visit our website , www.fryeburg.org.
To request a bulletin, or arrange an adult sponsor contact the Registrar, Nancy Little, (413) 247-0046 or littlenancyf@yahoo.com .

SCYL President

by Sola

My name is Sola and I'm the current President of SCYL. This means that I attempt to keep in touch with other officers and Kurt and help coordinate SCYL stuff like fundraisers and other projects. I live in DeLand, Florida, which is pretty far away from anything resembling teen retreats, but still manage to come to winter Almont and convention. I'm a PK as well, which makes life interesting.
Things about me :)
(random time)

Favorite breakfast cereal? ~ I don't really care about cereal, so long as I get the milk that comes with it.
Best reason you skipped school in the last year? ~ Honestly, the main reason I usually skip school is because I sleep. School gets in the way of that sometimes XD But I will be skipping school in April to go to an anime/geek convention to play with some very odd people. I will be happy.
If you must choose, do you prefer crunchy, smooth or flaky? ~ The words crunchy, smooth and flaky disturb me when put together in a sentence.
* I'm taking I.B. courses and am therefore only half here, as most of my brain has been ruined by banging my head on a wall far too often. YAY.
~My dearest friends and I want to live in, or at least visit extensively, Japan when we grow up.
~Sola's favorite things in life:
My family (including the aforementioned dearest friends XD)
music and books
the cello
fortune cookies :)
the sky
free hugs and other random acts
curry
rain.
Yes. This is basically all you need to now about me. I will do my best as President this year. Thank you :)

Wavin' those Palms

Here's the March edition of the Chaplain's Corner

by Pastor Dave, SCYL Chaplain (who is enjoying learning to ski)

Palm Sunday and the Easter Season are all about joy. Although, Palm Sunday is the prelude to Good Friday, the blackest day in human history, it is also a step toward Easter Sunday, the happiest day in human history. On Palm Sunday, the people of Jerusalem joyously welcomed Jesus into their city with singing and waving palm branches. It is a day of joy, as we reflect on Christ’s entry into our lives and the liberation, love, and joy He brings to us all.

Wherever we find love, there we find Jesus. And wherever, whenever, we find Jesus, we welcome Him as joyously as those ancient Jews who threw palm branches in front of Him, singing songs. Anywhere. It doesn’t have to be in a church. Wherever we are touched by love, or where we touch others by love, we are in a holy place; we are on sacred ground; we are in a temple. And wherever that is, we welcome Jesus with joy.

I would like to share a short story with you about a Palm Sunday experience I recently had. Just last Friday I went to a jazz club to hear a blues musician. I was enjoying his smooth blues immensely. Then something miraculous happened. He sang a song about going down to the water to wash away his burden, wash away his sin. I was now in a church. The song went on, “Saw my shadow in the water looking back at me. He said come on in the water’s fine, you know the truth will set you free.” I was filled with the joy of his music and the spirituality of his lyrics. In another song he sang, “The days have come and gone, only love will live on.” The song went on, “In this life I have sown seeds of love—how they have grown.” This from a blues musician in a nightclub. We brought him out for an encore. And his last song went like this, “There is a light shining in me and the same light is in you, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.” His music brought a triumphal entrance of Jesus into the club, and I wished I had a palm branch to throw onto the stage. I left the club that night with the feeling that I had had a profound spiritual experience in Lester’s music and his spiritual soul. Talk about soul music!

That is the meaning of Palm Sunday. That is the Joy of Easter. The risen and glorified Jesus Christ is with us everywhere. Let us welcome His coming into our lives with the joy He always brings.

SCYL Canada and Activities Officer

by Jake

Hi, I’m Jake
I’m the SCYL Canada / Activities Officer. I live in Waterloo, Ontario and I go to the Church of the Good Shepherd. I’m in grade 11 and I have a job at a local Zehrs in the produce department. I play rugby and run cross-country for my school. I also enjoy making films.

Favourite cereal? Cap'n Crunch.

Best reason to skip school this year? So that I didn't have to go to an assembly.

Crunchy, smooth or flaky? If I had to choose, I prefer smooth. Like me.

I look forward to seeing you all at convention, and meeting the people I missed this year at Almont!

SCYL Officer Bio

I have asked each SCYL Officer (as well as the League Chaplain and myself) to write a brief bio to post. I'll put one up each week. That way you'll know a bit more about the leaders of the SCYL.
I asked each person to answer three rather random questions as part of their bio.
1. Favorite breakfast cereal?
2. Best reason you skipped school in the last year?
3. If you must choose, do you prefer crunchy, smooth or flaky?