Scouting, Volume 61, Number 3, March-April 1973 Page: 24
92, W1-W32, [16] p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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GOD AT YOUR CAMPFIRE
For three and a half years I have
been a Scoutmaster and during
this time I've watched a good many
Sunday church services at cam-
porees. Once I was asked on Satur-
day night to be the next day's "min-
ister"—they hadn't been able to
locate anyone else. I decided to
conduct the same type of service
that we usually have at our troop
campfires. It combines silent
prayer, one or two group songs
sung from memory, and a short
chapel talk given as a dialogue be-
tween the boys and me. I claim no
credit for these techniques—they
are simply imitations of what I
have seen others do successfully
with children during my own pe-
riod of growing up. Afterward, a
number of adult leaders congratu-
lated me on what they said was the
best Scout church service they had
ever attended.
As the Bible says, there is a time
for worship and a time for fun. I
believe the best time for Scouts to
worship is at the quiet of the day
around the campfire, not on Sunday
morning when you have got about
25 things that have to be done in
the next four hours before you head
for home.
So, in our troop we make a place
for God at the campfire. After
things are underway with some
songs or a story, I will usually
change the mood by saying, "Now
let's get quiet, guys, so that we can
have our chapel service. First of all,
let's just listen—listen for a few
moments and try to hear the sounds
of God's out-of-doors around you.
The wind, the crackling fire—how
much there is that we can hear by
being still!"
It will take a minute or two for
the boys to really begin hearing,
and then I might say, "Did you ever
think that prayer is a way of listen-
ing to God, as well as speaking to
Him? Let's each of us in our own
hearts now, just pray silently to
God and listen for God's voice—
(pause)—pray for us to be more
helpful—(pause)—helpful to our
parents to our friends
to people we don't know
— to
people we have a hard time liking,
like maybe our teacher at school."
Then, before the concentration
breaks (for boys can only tolerate
silence for so long) I may conclude,
"Thank you, God, for this opportu-
nity for us to be friends with You
24
BY EDWARD F. WEBER
and the other Scouts and wildlife in
your great out-of-doors. Amen."
Then to change the pace and hold
attention, I'll get right into my little
chapel talk—and here I like the old-
fashioned "object sermons" my
mother used to do so well as Sun-
day school superintendent. I may
hold up a hand-ax and say some-
thing like this:
Scoutmaster: "What is this I'm
holding?"
Boys: "An ax."
Scoutmaster: "Is it a good ax?"
Boys: (usually confused) "I sup-
pose so."
Scoutmaster: "What makes an ax a
good one?"
Boys: (great variety of replies)
"Sharpened." "Strong handle."
"Tough steel." "Holds its edge."
"Won't fly off the handle."
Scoutmaster: "How can you tell if
this ax is made of the right kind
of stuff?"
Boys: (again a great variety of re-
plies)
"Trademark." "Manufacturer's
name." "How much did it cost?"
"Is it new or old?" "Tempered
steel." "You have to try it out."
Scoutmaster: "That's right, you
can't be sure until you have tried
it out. And you know, people are
like that, too. You can put on a
nice Scout uniform, but until we
see you in action nobody knows
what kind of stuff you are made
of. You might be a fake, just as
this ax might be a fake, too. What
can you do with an ax?"
Boys: "Cut firewood." "Cut trees."
Scoutmaster: "Yes, you can use it
for what it is made for, or you
can use it to destroy things."
Your lives are the same way. I
believe the Bible teaches us that
our lives are meant to be used
for the things that are right—the
things that we take an oath on
our honor to uphold as Scouts.
But we could use our lives always
to tear other people down, by be-
ing selfish, or unfriendly (etc.).
I want you to remember when
you leave here, that as people we
have to be just like a good ax—
we need sharp minds; we have
to be strong, so that we don't
break; we have to be tough, so
that we don't wear down when
things get tough; we can't fly off
the handle when we get upset;
and we have to use our lives for
the things that are right. I think
that's what the Bible means when
it says, 'Jesus increased in wis-
dom, in stature, and in favor with
God and man.' Now, let's sing
softly a few verses of "Lord, I
Want to be a Christian.'"
Sometimes I conclude by having
each boy give a sentence prayer—by
now in our troop we have almost no
reluctance about this and it's a
great way to build group spirit.
When it's over, I go right back to
a regular fun-type campfire. I think
it is idealistic to save the quiet med-
itation for the end and have the
Scouts go back to their tents si-
lently as though chapel is a bedtime
ceremony. For one thing, the silence
is going to be broken as soon as
they reach their tents anyway. I
think it's better to accept the chapel
service as a normal part of a camp-
fire program, and so I put it right
in the middle, just as I think that
religion is in the middle of all life.
Of course, the chapel talk needn't
be based on an object; anecdotes
and Bible stories can also work
well. But "object sermons" hold
attention and assure participation.
Usable objects are in plentiful sup-
ply, depending only on the imagina-
tion of the speaker in comparing
the qualities of people with the
characteristics of selected objects.
For example, you might use an or-
dinary nail—it must be sharp,
pointed in the right direction,
straight (not crooked), made of
strong stuff so that it won't bend
under blows, it can be constructive
(as in building things) or destruc-
tive (as when it's lying in the path
of a car's tires). All of these are
qualities we find in people, too.
Similar comparisons can be drawn
from almost anything. One good
one I saw once was a can of toma-
toes, but it only looked like toma-
toes because that was what was on
the fake label. The boys' eyes really
got as big as at least three fake
labels were peeled off the can until
they realized that the only way to
be sure of what was inside the can
was to open it; the can was just as
phony as some boys who say they're
Scouts, but really aren't trying to
live up to Scouting ideals.
Maybe these ideas will help you
translate God a little more easily
to your troop. Use your own varia-
tion, be yourself, and above all,
don't be afraid to make a place for
God at your next campfire. ■
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 61, Number 3, March-April 1973, periodical, March 1973; New Brunswick, NJ. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth353622/m1/24/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.