The News from Magruder September 24-30

Fall has come to Camp Magruder. It is such a joy after living years of life on this planet to be able to feel the arrival of a season with the senses. There is a Fall dryness to the air, a crisp feeling as leaves and needles make their lazy drop to the ground. The air still wants to be warm, the sun still wants to hang around a little longer, but their strength is fading. It is a sweet lazy feel on days like this after Outdoor School has left and our weekend retreat groups have not yet arrived. The birds and squirrels are out making final preparations before the winter. The light is dwindling a littler earlier. Still, on the right days, you can go out and feel the sunlight on your shoulders and a cool breeze balancing each other out perfectly.

As the week turned over, we began the second half of our Needlework Camp. This is a camp with many repeat campers, but we also had several new needleworkers. During an afternoon break, it is a great pleasure to drop by the Edwards Lodge and navigate the labyrinth of sewing machines and in-progress quilts. These slower fall days afford a little more time to stop and have a conversation about the projects or whatever other conversation project comes up. The doors are open to let that crisp fall air mingle with the work. Fall lends itself very well to sitting, working with your hands, having a good conversation.

Our first week of outdoor school campers arrived on Tuesday, a large group of kids very excited to be at camp. The dining hall was noisy and full of energy at each meal. There is so much energy in the first week of camp. The staff is one their toes, still getting the routine under their belts. You walk around knowing many people are doing something for the first time. Reality is shifting, becoming something new. Of course, reality is being altered for the campers who just got off the bus and a new place, with a new bed, new roomates, an ocean right outside their window. All this while the seasons are also becoming something new. There's a freshness to that realization, knowing you are entering something new when you wake up and leave out the door in the morning.

On Wednesday temperatures climbing into the 80s. It honestly felt like one of the hottest days of the year on the Oregon Coast--at the end of September. Still, in the midst of the heat, it did not feel like our warm days in the summer. The air was different, there were pockets of cool air as you walked through the woods. The leaves were turning yellowy and brown. This is warmth you don't take for granted, because it could be gone the next day, maybe the next hour.

On Thursday I dressed in long pants, long sleeves, and wool socks. By the middle of the day it was so warm, I felt the need to change into short sleeves, running shorts, and sandals. I came back from lunch feeling much more suited for the weather. Not more than an hour later, though, a marine layer floated in over camp, and the temperatures dropped significantly. Now I was getting chills, closing all the windows, without the sun to warm my shoulders and heat up the office. The fall change can be quick and unannounced.

Regardless of the face Fall is wearing, I am finding it relaxing and refreshing. We are excited for all our Fall groups to experience this air, these changes with us. Let's go out and crane our heads straight up to look at the trees as they change. Let's sit down for a long conversation with the windows open listening to the birds chirp and the ocean ebb and flow in the background. It won't stay like this forever. Take it in while you still have the chance.

This weekend we welcome Christ UMC, Salem UMC, Trinity UMC, and University of Portland Campus Ministries. Take some time with us to lift them up in prayer.