God outside of video screens

This week's issue of the United Methodist Reporter is focusing on camping and retreat ministries. I think any of us raised in the church can think back to those old Methodist camps and what an impact they had on us. My first experience with camping ministry was at the Wayland Springs Camp in Imboden, Arkansas. No air conditioning, leaky cabins, and 100 degree heat. It was awesome.

If anything, getting kids to engage in camping and retreat ministries is more important now than ever before. With their technological addicition to Playstations, XBox, the Internet, IM, iPods, etc., etc., it is hard to get them to look up and look around for the beauty on God's good earth. The last couple of years that I taught Confirmation Class, we had a rule that there were no cell phones or iPods on our weekend retreat at the end of the Confirmation experience. By their reaction, you would have thought we told them they were going to have to go without food for the weekend.

In my column this week, I talk about why I think getting out of the asphalt jungle is important in our relationship with God. Check it out.