Keep the Core, Change Everything Else.

This week I am having the joy of being the Chaplain at Camp Calumet.
It is a place that has meant a lot to my faith journey over the years.
Since I have been on Long Island for the last six years I have not been able to be the chaplain at Camp Calumet and see the day to day operations.
In the two days I have been here so far I have come to see that some things stay the same and some things change.
Camp is still enthusiastic, energetic, beautiful, and filled with young people finding faith and making friends.
These things have not changed and are ingrained into the DNA of this very special place.
Some things have changed.
Free period is now before lunch instead of before dinner.
The day starts with "Ra, Ray, Ray Theme of the Day", instead of quiet time.
Unit time is after discovery time, which in my day used to be called learning groups.
These are improvements.
I see more counselors doing better discovery times then when I was a counselor.
I see more kids participating in free time.
I see lots of improvements.

The point is that this is the way The Church should and could be.
Instead of arguing over what color paint the new bathroom should be.
We should be figuring out what are the things that are core to what and who we are.
We should also figure out what is it that we could or should change because things run better when we change them.
What is core to us as Christians is the grace and love of God of given in Jesus Christ.
What can change is the all the other stuff.
We change things not for the sake of change but because things might run better if we try a different path.

In fact, this can also be true of our individual lives.
What are the things that are core to who we are?
What are the things that we could/should change so that our lives are more fulfilling?
Some things should stay the same.
Some things should be ingrained in our DNA.
Other things, well...they should be up for and welcome change so that things run a bit smoother.