June 13, 2025

As I am writing this, Day 4 of Summer Stretch, Saint Anne's week-long day camp for youth in grades K - 8th grade has just finished up. It has been a wonderful week with some pretty amazing kids! Summer Stretch is focused on Micah 6:8: "What does the Lord require of you? Do justice; love kindness; walk humbly..."  We have done all of the above and more this week. 

On Monday, we worked with staff from Harvest Pack on an equity exercise and discussed the difference between "equal" and "equitable". On Tuesday, we practiced showing love to our neighbors by visiting residents at Southview Acres Senior Center. On Wednesday, we explored what it means to walk humbly through a visit to the wonderful SoulSpace Farm Sanctuary. On Thursday, we added in "Self-care" as another spiritual practice, and we wore pajama pants and stayed cozy at Saint Anne's all day with art projects, friendship bracelets, and movies. Friday, as you read this, Summer Stretch will be engaging with our final spiritual practice, "Have Fun!", at the Minnesota Zoo. Also in the mix each day this week were morning prayer practices, visits to different area parks, work on a Little Free Library for Saint Anne's, games, crafts, snacks, singing, whole lot of laughter.

Am I tired? So very! Is my heart full? So very! And so grateful for RaeKell, a true partner from start to finish, amazing Senior Counselor Ramona, wonderful Junior Counselors Myles and Anna , and some really fantastic support from Andy Lambert, Carolyn, Jeff and Mary Holland, Sandy Rude, and Nancy Fuenffinger. It takes a village. And oh, we have such a beautiful one!

My prayer for you this week is to follow the lead of the youth of Saint Anne's and find ways, large or small, to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God. And then may you find space to rest, to care for yourself, and to have fun, not as an afterthought, but also as spiritual practices. And may we all be stretched a little more, in compassion, in love, and in laughter.