I can’t believe it’s almost here again! I think this year makes 13 years that I’ve been at Creation… something like that. Wow. This year, Creation Fest put together a great video and promotion called “I Am Creation” encouraging people to share their Creation Stories. I love how this event can mean so many different things and be special to so many people in different ways. I also love that this verse applies to each and every one of us:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
2 Corinthians 5:17
So what’s my Creation story? Gosh there are so many.
I have to laugh when people ask me about who is playing at the festival, because honestly, I don’t always know. For me, Creation is not about the music or the corporate gatherings at the stage. Strange? Well, sort of… but it’s a good strange.
My experiences at Creation started when I was going for the first time mostly to see Rainchildren, the band my brother and friends were playing in at the time. My parents had come to visit and we were all excited to go see them on the big stage. (I had missed them the prior year at Hershey because I couldn’t get out of the job I was working at the time.) Just days before the festival started, I got a call from my friends at Creation Staff asking if I’d be willing to help out as at Gates Supervisor. They were short and needed someone they trusted that could jump in and do what was needed, so I jumped in! I had no idea what to expect. When I arrived on site I was greeted by Kurt Weaver and Ben Bryson and the wonderful camping staff and the rest of that year is kind of a blur.
At the end of the festival each year, my joking comment is “oh there were bands at the festival?”. Of course there are bands that I love there each year, (this year John Mark McMillan is the main artist I’m hoping to see). but for me… it’s all about the comradery and fun of working together with friends. Some of my Creation friends are people I only get to see once a year and others I work with here at WJTL every day. There is just something special about being at Creation that bonds us in a different way. Is it the beautiful grounds at Agape? Working as a team to accomplish a goal? Serving the Lord together in various ways? Being really sleepy? Well all of these things combined lead to some memories that you don’t make just anywhere.
So, as I look forward to heading West to Mount Union in just a couple of weeks, I am thinking of rolling green hills, unloading trucks, making badges, selling tickets, big hugs, little sleep and lots and lots of laughter. That’s Creation for me… How about you? What’s your Creation story?
