Dispatch from Forbearance Presbyterian Church: Are We Having Fun Yet? by Charlotte Johnsone

Tom Kaminski wondered for about the hundredth time why he had agreed to do it again. Every year he vowed he wouldn’t, and yet, here he was again presiding over the annual Forbearance Church Retreat—a popular week of summer fun at a campsite in a neighboring state, available at a reasonable cost for all Forbearance members. Almost everyone at Forbearance looked forward to it and, indeed, what was there not to like? A lake for swimming and canoeing, forest paths for hiking, hills to climb, festive communal meals, sports of every kind, craft projects, bonfire gatherings—who couldn’t have fun with all that?

Well, Tom Kaminski, for one. For him, the whole affair was akin to herding cats, and his regrets usually started in the church parking lot, where four buses had to be loaded with people determined, it seemed, to bring along as much of their household goods as they could carry, including inflated water floats, huge inner tubes, massive coolers, beach chairs of every kind, laptop computers, boom boxes, favorite bed pillows, stacks of towels and blankets, strollers, portable cribs, booster chairs, boxes of groceries, several dogs, three guitars and two banjos, beach umbrellas with long poles, bicycles, tents and assorted sand toys. No one, of course, could possibly leave anything behind, and so it fell to Tom to cram them and all their stuff into buses.

Which of your favorite characters attends the Forbearance Retreat? What do they take with them—and what do they take away from the retreat? Find out by reading the full text of this article in the July/August 2008 issue of Horizons.

Call (866) 802-3635 or subscribe to Horizons or order the November/ December 2008 issue (HZN-08-250; $4 plus shipping).

Charlotte Johnstone is a member of Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Along with the cast of Forbearance Presbyterian Church, she welcomes comments. Write to her at Horizons, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville KY 40202-1396, or email. Some of Charlotte’s most beloved tales from Forbearance are available in the book, Annie the Kitchen Queen and Other Dispatches from Forbearance Presbyterian Church. Order Item HZN-06-304 through Presbyterian Distribution Service (PDS), 800/524-2612. $10.00 plus shipping and handling.

Illustration by Annette Cable.

Other Articles Online This Issue

Proclaiming the Gifts of Holy Wounds
Giving Demons Their Due
From Brokenness to Wholeness
Eight Steps to a Sounder Mind
Shopping for Justice
Dispatch from Forbearance Presbyterian Church
Mosaic
Working for Justice and Peace
Faithful Parenting


Which of your favorite characters attends the Forbearance Retreat? What do they take with them—and what do they take away from the retreat? Find out by reading the full text of this article in the July/August 2008 issue of Horizons. Call (866) 802-3635 or subscribe to Horizons or order the November/ December 2008 issue (HZN-08-250; $4 plus shipping).	Are We Having Fun Yet? by Charlotte Johnstone Tom Kaminski wondered for about the hundredth time why he had agreed to do it again. Every year he vowed he wouldn’t, and yet, here he was again presiding over the annual Forbearance Church Retreat—a popular week of summer fun at a campsite in a neighboring state, available at a reasonable cost for all Forbearance members. Almost everyone at Forbearance looked forward to it and, indeed, what was there not to like? A lake for swimming and canoeing, forest paths for hiking, hills to climb, festive communal meals, sports of every kind, craft projects, bonfire gatherings—who couldn’t have fun with all that? Well, Tom Kaminski, for one. For him, the whole affair was akin to herding cats, and his regrets usually started in the church parking lot, where four buses had to be loaded with people determined, it seemed, to bring along as much of their household goods as they could carry, including inflated water floats, huge inner tubes, massive coolers, beach chairs of every kind, laptop computers, boom boxes, favorite bed pillows, stacks of towels and blankets, strollers, portable cribs, booster chairs, boxes of groceries, several dogs, three guitars and two banjos, beach umbrellas with long poles, bicycles, tents and assorted sand toys. No one, of course, could possibly leave anything behind, and so it fell to Tom to cram them and all their stuff into buses. Which of your favorite characters attends the Forbearance Retreat? What do they take with them—and what do they take away from the retreat? Find out by reading the full text of this article in the July/August 2008 issue of Horizons. Call (866) 802-3635 or subscribe to Horizons or order the November/ December 2008 issue (HZN-08-250; $4 plus shipping). Charlotte Johnstone is a member of Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Along with the cast of Forbearance Presbyterian Church, she welcomes comments. Write to her at Horizons, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville KY 40202-1396, or email. Some of Charlotte’s most beloved tales from Forbearance are available in the book, Annie the Kitchen Queen and Other Dispatches from Forbearance Presbyterian Church. Order Item HZN-06-304 through Presbyterian Distribution Service (PDS), 800/524-2612. $10.00 plus shipping and handling. Illustration by Annette Cable. Other Articles Online This Issue Proclaiming the Gifts of Holy Wounds Giving Demons Their Due From Brokenness to Wholeness Eight Steps to a Sounder Mind Shopping for Justice Dispatch from Forbearance Presbyterian Church Mosaic Working for Justice and Peace Faithful Parenting	Current Issue JUL/AUG 2008 About This Issue Contents FREE Resource How to Use In Our Next Issue Items underlined can be seen in this Web site, all others appear in the July/August 2008 issue, HZN-08-230. to Horizons or call (866) 802-3635 this issue ($4 plus shipping/handling)

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