The Pastor’s Piece, Pastor Kevin Cernek, FCFI Chaplain

FCFI
June 29, 2025

“Let’s Go Camping”

Camping is always an adventure no matter what kind of luxury you carry with you from home. When I was kid, my brothers and I would camp out by our creek in the pasture. Sometimes we’d sleep under the stars and sometimes we’d set up a makeshift tent using one of dad’s farm canvases held up with sticks. That type of camping was a challenge because the big temptation was to head back to the house in the middle of the night – which we did a few times. But even when that was the case, we’d get up at daybreak and go back out to the campsite and fry bacon and eggs over an open fire. That is the best!

When my wife and I were first married, we thought we’d try the camping thing. We bought a little tent and chose a campground in Sauk City, Wisconsin. It was very, very hot when we got to the campground. After tossing and turning most of the night, at about 2:00 a.m., I suggested we pack up and go home. My wife loved that suggestion and soon we were in the coolness of our own house.

A few years later, when we were living in Phoenix, Arizona where the temperature is above 100 degrees from May through September, some friends asked us if we wanted to go camping in the mountains with them. That seemed like a good idea so we packed a few things and looked forward to getting out of the heat for a couple days. Red flags went up right away because before we even got out of the city, our friends were arguing in the car. The wife accused her husband of (and I quote): being “dumber than a box of rocks” because he forgot to pack the sleeping bags. “Who needs sleeping bags?” we thought. Come to find out, we all needed sleeping bags. In the mountains that night, the temperature dropped to 38 degrees and we all practically froze to death.

After we had kids, we bought a camper. It was an older unit, but it had a kitchen, bathroom, and shower – all complete with hot, running water – all the things my wife requested after those other camping fiascos. The kids loved it. In between camping trips I parked it out behind the garage and the kids played in it. One day a passerby stopped by wondering if it was for sale? It wasn’t necessarily, but for the right price, everything is for sale. Well, he offered me the right price, so I let it go. When the kids got home from school, they were not happy with me. I told them maybe we’d buy another one – a better one, but they said they liked that one. We never did buy another camper. Instead, we traveled all around this great country staying in hotels as we traveled. That was way cheaper than towing a camper around, and a lot easier too.

Finally, when our children were in their teenage years (or there about), we rented a 34 foot Motorhome RV and traveled to the North Carolina coast. We had our own traveling house – complete with all the luxuries of home. That was sure fun.

They camped in the Bible too, Abraham traveled all the time and lived in a tent. Hebrews 11:8-9 says: “By faith (Abraham) obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise … living in tents with Isaac and Jacob …”

Abraham lived in tents to show that he was a sojourner, trusting in God’s promises rather than settling down permanently. This shows us that he trusted God for his future instead of putting his confidence in earthly security.

Conclusion: camping is Biblical.

(Kevin Cernek is Lead Pastor of Martintown Community Church in Martintown, Wisconsin).