Sundays at camp were tough when I was a kid! We weren't allowed to play ball, ride bikes, leave the campground, or even play games. To be short - Sundays were B-O-R-I-N-G!!!!!
In the afternoon I often had to attend a missionary meeting. With all due respect to missionaries (I'm going to be one this year), the afternoon missions rally was hard to sit through. Occasionally a creative missionary could capture my attention with stories of wild animals; but most of the time I'd have rather been just about anywhere else!
Why did it always seem like Sundays were the hottest days at camp? And we couldn't do anything to cool off.
The first Sunday wasn't too bad because we knew we had a whole week ahead of us. But the second Sunday: well, to us kids it seemed like a terrible way to end Camp Meeting!
But there was one redeeming factor to Sundays.
It was the 'Ring Meeting'!
An hour (or so) before the evening service, people would begin to gather on the northeast side of the tabernacle under the shade of the trees that were there at that time. They would form a small circle and begin to share testimonies. Gradually the crowd would grow until there were thirty to fifty people in the circle!
Sometimes, in the midst of the testimonies, someone would start a song. Occasionally, someone would take off running around the outside of the circle. Someone else might "get blessed" and start crying or shouting! It was an intriguing time for us kids! You never knew just what might happen! It was about the only excitement we had on Sundays!
If I sound flippant, I don't mean to. Although we were usually there for the show, we also were aware that this was real to these adults. On rare occasions, we would even enter in and give our own testimony!
Ring meetings fell by the wayside somewhere along the way, as did many of the unusual manifestations of the Spirit. Let's hope that the giving of testimonies doesn't fall by the wayside! Testimonies give praise to God; and don't forget: God inhabits the praises of His people!
Testimonies also encourage other believers, and we all need encouragement from time-to-time!
This wraps up my sharing of Camp Meeting Memories; I hope you've enjoyed my rambling journey! I'm glad to know that I've stirred up memories for some of you too. And for the younger readers - perhaps you've gained a little insight into the history of THE BEST TEN DAYS OF THE YEAR!!!!
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