Christian Science Camp at Burning Man 2014 Lecture & Service Schedule

2014 Burning Man, Christian Science, Christian Science Lectures, News
Brad Horn/Nevada Appeal, via Associated Press
Brad Horn/Nevada Appeal, via Associated Press

Here’s a quick breakdown of our schedule, to help out all of you who are volunteering for a prayer watch. Thank you!!

Fri Aug 22 – lead team heads to playa
Sun Aug 24 late – rest of team arrives
Mon Aug 25 – festival begins – foot washing Mon-Sat 9a-7p at Healing Foot Wash: Life, Truth, Love camp
Wed Aug 27 11:15 AM – “Discover your spiritual identity” — talk by John Tyler, CSB, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at Sacred Spaces Village (4&Gold)
Wed Aug 27 7:00 PM – gratitude sharing service at Healing Foot Wash: Life, Truth, Love camp (I&9:15)
Thu Aug 28 10:15 AM – “Beyond the sixth sense” — talk by John Tyler at Sacred Spaces Village (4&Gold)
Fri Aug 29 9:00 AM – “Conflict Resolution: a spiritual approach” — talk by John T at Center Camp
Sun Aug 31 sunrise – church service in the Temple of Grace
Mon Sept 1 – exodus back to Reno and beyond

All times are Pacific Standard Time. Thank you for your support.

Burning Man by the Numbers

2014 Burning Man, Camp, Christian Science Lectures, Foot Washing, News, Outreach, Prayer
http://www.scottlondon.com/photography/burningman/
Photo credit: http://www.scottlondon.com/photography/burningman/

We invite you to join us on the playa in spirit through your prayerful and financial help. Here’s a quick breakdown of Burning Man 2014 by the (approximate) numbers:

  • 8 days  – August 25 to September 1
  • 68,000 people
  • 120 miles north of Reno, Nevada, USA
  • 7 square miles of playa (fine-powdered alkaline desert; about equivalent in size to downtown San Francisco; BLM land that transforms from barren desert to “Black Rock City” and back once a year)
  • 1,000+ Porta-Potties
  • 1 Center Camp where you can purchase ice, coffee and hot cocoa; ice is also available at two other locations; no other commerce is allowed, period.
  • 1,000s of theme camps – from Aloha Camp (island vibes, Aloha spirit and Hawaiian culture) to ZAP! (a giant lightning bolt striking the playa).
  • 1 foot washing camp* – ours! “HEALING FOOT WASH: Life, Truth, Love”Healing Foot Wash banner
    • 15+ on-playa participants
      • 15+ pairs of goggles and dust masks
      • 15+ bicycles
      • 1 gallon of water per person per day for drinking + food
    • 1 playa kitchen organized by our fabulous kitchen team and staffed by each participant in turn
    • 1 evapotron shower system
      • 497 baby wipes 😉
    • 10+ foot washing stations
      • 2000 feet washed (goal, up from 400 feet last year)
      • 1/2 C water + vinegar per foot wash
    • 3 lectures by John Tyler, CSB, a member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship
    • as-yet uncounted number of used Bibles, Science and Healths, MyBibleLessons, Quarterlies, Sentinels, etc., for gifting
    • ++ Prayer Watch volunteers – PLEASE PRAY WITH US! <–sign up for a watch
    • 1/2 of needed funds have been raised – every donation counts! Our participants have purchased their own $380 tickets, and paid for travel and food. However,  we have lecture**, truck rental and a some miscellaneous expense to cover.

Thank you for joining us in spirit through your prayers and donations. It is never too late, nor too little. This camp belongs to everyone who wants to share their love of Christian Science with the world. We appreciate your support and promise to share our experiences with you when we return!

*according to a search for the terms “foot” and “feet” in the theme camp list
**lecture expenses include tickets, travel and food for our lecturer and spouse

Agenda for Sunday 7/27/14 – 5pm CS@Burning Man Conference Call

2014 Burning Man, Christian Science, Foot Washing, Logistics, News, Organizing, Tickets

Healing Foot Wash banner

I know it must feel like it was just yesterday that we had our last conference call, and we have another important one coming up on Sunday. If you’ve been missing these and can be on the next few calls that would be great… it really helps the team feel cohesive when we’re all participating!

(619) 326-2772
Access code: 1246521

** Agenda for 7/27/14 **

** Metaphysical inspiration **

** Fundraising update **
– Funds received to date
– Reimbursement request process & expectations (Name, Description, Amount, receipt)

** Tickets update **
– Has anyone not received their tickets yet (that aren’t at Will Call)?
– Who is still looking for tickets / steps we can take as a group to support

** Communications update **
– Everyone please submit recent picture + short bio for Participants page on site
– Banner artwork for camp entrance
– Playa cards artwork for handing out

** Foot washing **
– Be prepared to wash 1,000 people’s feet this year (~5x last year)
– More stations, be thinking through sustainable process, how we encourage visitors to participate as washers and in our camp. We may be playing much more of a “host” role this year, encouraging volunteers to stick around
– At ~1/2 cup per person, 1000 = 500 cups = ~32 gallons total of water for foot washing

** Official Burning Man Survival Guide **
– How many people have read this year’s version completely?
– This is REQUIRED READING for ALL camp participants. Please do this sooner rather than later. Online version: http://survival.burningman.com, you should have also gotten a copy with your tickets if they’re delivered.

** Metaphysical Support **
– Everyone please spend some time metaphysically supporting this camp, and each of our individual participants
– Some are still looking for tickets, some are financially tight, let’s focus on knowing our true and full supply
– Final camp arrangements are still happening, we have an assigned general location, let’s also pray to know that our specific location and neighbors will be harmonious, beneficial

** Next Meeting Reminder **
– Sunday 8/3/14, 5pm, normal conference call number
– Next two weekends after that will be work at the CSO weekends, PLEASE put this on your calendars

John Tyler speaks to Burning Man participation

2014 Burning Man, Audio, Christian Science, Christian Science Lectures, Inspiration, Talks

john-tyler_small

On today’s Christian Science Sentinel audio chat, John Tyler, CSB, answered a question about Burning Man as submitted by one of our camp members. John (also a member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship) is giving three lectures at Burning Man this year, sponsored by friends of the Spiritual Playa group.

Listen to the chat here. The Burning Man question comes at about minute 50.

CS at BM Camp – Cultural differences

2014 Burning Man, Camp, Christian Science

The following is a slightly edited email sent by Loren, aka “Mist-er”, one of the newest members of the group  — a Burning Man veteran, who has been learning more about our specific approach to going to Burning Man.

Our group is deeply focused on service we provide to others at Burning Man (praying, sharing, washing feet, supporting 3 talks by Christian Science lecturer John Tyler, CSB).  This new member has been eager to share additional Burning Man volunteer opportunities with our group, which we are indeed happy to learn about.  His email below gives a neat perspective on some of the different types of camps people can participate in at Burning Man, and how ours is a little different from many.

Enter Loren:

I think I finally “get it”.

The Christian Science at Burning Man Camp is a relatively small camp of 10-20 campers on the Playa plus about the same number of support persons off Playa (plus God).

Previously I camped with much larger camps, first with an arguably plug and play camp run by a for profit bus company based in San Francisco. They are approx $900 base price (extra luggage and bike transport extra) plus ticket (ticket cost is additional) with tent camping and no showers. The bus company has been going there for 20+ years so are “grandfathered” in with the Burning Man organization. There is not much affinity between camp members.  Members are those from farther away in the US and Canada, and also Europe and Asia, who want the logistics set up for them. Food and liquor are provided, and one of my personal objections was that I was paying for liquor with no option to opt out (maybe I paid involuntarily $100 extra for the booze???).

The next year I camped with a moderate size theme camp of people committed to providing an alcohol-free atmosphere.  Going by bus especially the first year of Burner Express with (at the time, now modified somewhat) severe luggage and bike restrictions presented challenges around food and water which I choose to not repeat with them this year. (They are less communal in terms of sleeping, food and water, for them it is just reserve a space, bring in your own stuff, food and water, pack your own stuff out, which did not work for me as a bus rider well).

This year, my camp at BM is CS at BM, with a smaller group which needs to focus on its own internal infrastructure first with the motivations of getting an “in” with Center Camp or The BORG a lower priority.

Now that I “get it” I will try to keep my discourse in the CS and BM camp list emails and on the calls focused on our camp infrastructure rather than side track folks on other arguably desirable but not essential stuff. Notwithstanding this, I will still make a brief discussion of opportunities for volunteering at Center Camp on the next conference call.

Thanks
Loren Mist-er

We’re very grateful to have Loren as the newest member of our group!

 

lorenLoren (Mist-er)
Loren (Playa name Mist-er) has been attending Burning Man since 2012. He lives near San Francisco and is a recent graduate of San Francisco State University. At Burning Man, he volunteers at the Center Camp Coffee Shop. This year, 2014, will be his first year at Healing Foot Wash Life Truth Love Camp.

Wanna help? Here’s how!

News
Burning Man picture
Love sculpture at Burning Man – photo by Trey Ratcliff, Creative Commons

There are two main ways the Christian Science camp at Burning Man especially needs your help. One is financial donations. Please see https://spiritualplaya.org/donate/ for the mailing address to send a check and for a link to donate online. Thank you!

The other way is to pray, pray, pray! We have a prayer watch sign up calendar here: http://doodle.com/hpecc4kux5qf9tb2. Simply fill in your name and click on the two-hour watches you’d like to take, using the scroll bar at the bottom of the page to move through the dates. Then, scroll all the way to the end of the dates and click “save” to be added to the list. Be sure to mark your calendar!

We appreciate YOU and all your help and prayers!

If all who seek his commemoration through material symbols will take up the cross, heal the sick, cast out evils, and preach Christ, or Truth, to the poor, — the receptive thought, — they will bring in the millennium. – “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” by Mary Baker Eddy

Official Burning Man 2014 Survival Guide is now available (and is mandatory reading for all Camp Participants)

2014 Burning Man, Logistics, Organizing

Burning Man 2014 Survival Guide

The Burning Man 2014 Survival Guide is now available. All camp participants are required to read the entire guide before camping with us, so now’s a good time to get started on that!

Presenting the Burning Man 2014 Survival Guide, offering all the information you need to survive — and thrive — at Burning Man (not to mention on the way in and out).

The Survival Guide is mandatory reading for all Burning Man participants! Make sure you read it through, and that all your campmates do as well. And keep an eye on your mailbox for the printed version, which is mailed along with all purchased tickets.

Anna Lisa’s article about last year’s Burning Man experience is live on ChristianScience.com

2013 Burning Man, Christian Science, Foot Washing, Inspiration, Outreach
Burning Man hands
Photo by Anna Lisa Kronman

Anna Lisa contributed a lovely write-up of her experiences as a camp participant at the 2013 Burning Man festival that has now been published on ChristianScience.com.

We prayed thoughtfully and earnestly for ourselves and all those who would be coming, but we arrived with few outlined outcomes. We planned to gently embrace this city of lively seekers by seeing their spiritual worthiness as we washed dust from their feet. What a surprise that in doing so, we discovered we were in the middle of church! Being in this very unique environment led me to some new thinking on what constitutes Church. Here are a few ideas that came to me in that windswept space about Church pared down to its core essence.

Click here to read the entire article.

Our “Healing Foot Wash Life Truth Love” camp received Placement for 2014 Burning Man!!!

2014 Burning Man, Logistics, Organizing

2014 Burning Man Placement for our camp

We’ve just received word that we’ve been granted Placement for 2014 Burning Man.  This means we’ll have an assigned location for our camp this year, and will be able to share this ahead of time with anyone who might like to visit or participate during the event.  It also means we’ll be able to send a small group ahead of time to setup camp so we’re ready to serve once the general gates open to the public.  We’ll be on Isfahan street, near 9:15.  Full map

From the email :

Congratulations!!!

It is our pleasure to inform you that Healing Foot Wash Life Truth Love has been officially placed for Burning Man 2014: Caravansary!

Your camp has frontage on Isfahan and your nearest nearest cross street is 9:15. Your camp will measure approximately 150 by 50. If your dimensions contain a + or – sign, it means you are an odd shape.

It is impossible to give out exact addresses because there are still a number of variables that may occur right up until the day your camp arrives on the Playa. We try to accommodate camps as much as possible, and sometimes that means making changes up until the very end. Don’t worry, because we really do have everyone’s best interests at heart!

We have approved 8 Early Arrival Passes to be used on or after Thursday before the event.

A big thank you to everyone who has been supporting this effort, particularly in a metaphysical and prayerful manner!

Notes from tonight’s Christian Science at Burning Man group planning call

2014 Burning Man, Christian Science, Logistics, News, Organizing
You bring love from my feet to my heart -- Alana
You bring love from my feet to my heart — Alana

Nice call tonight!  We’re getting into the fun planning details now.  Please review the 3 items below, you may have a TO-DO item or two.

New time for our calls:
Starting next week (7/13/14) we will be moving to 5pm Pacific for our group planning conference calls.  We will also be moving to a weekly call schedule, so please please mark this on your calendar and set a reminder for yourself.  It is very helpful to have everyone on each call going forward so we don’t have to follow up with individuals as we’re planning final logistics.

Kitchen Contributions due by 7/15/2014
In the next week (i.e. as soon as possible), for all confirmed ticket-holders, please send a check payment for $100, made out to Amanda. This will go directly towards our food purchases for the week we’ll be camping together.  We will track these contributions, and if we happen to get sufficient external donations to fully fund everything including our food costs, we should be able to refund this back (although please do not count on this happening, it’s a big MAYBE).  John & Michelle’s food costs will be covered by the group.

TO-DO for Everyone: Please: 1) Send the Kitchen Contribution payment in by 7/15 and 2) Send an email to Amanda confirming you’ve sent the payment.  Her direct email address is craftegirl@hotmail.com.

Travel planning:
We started to get a count of how people are expecting to travel to Burning Man.  We still need information for the following people who were not on the call tonight:

Julian
Andrea
Patricia
John & Michelle Tyler
Cristi

Your TO-DO: If you were not on the call tonight (i.e. your name is on the list above), please reply to this email with your expected transportation option from the options below:

Berkeley Group 1: (Assuming we receive Placement) – Will leave late Thursday evening or early Friday morning (8/21 or 8/22) and will transport all major camp supplies, material and setup tools, to arrive at Burning Man sometime Friday.  This group will build out the camp and claim our assigned location.

Berkeley Group 2: Will leave Berkeley Saturday 8/23 and stay with Reno church families Saturday night, go to church Sunday morning and then head for Burning Man afterwards.  If we do NOT receive Placement for our camp, Group 1 will be combined with Group 2.

Other / Self Transportation: Options include: Burner Bus, taking your own vehicle (we have plenty of Vehicle Passes so that will not be a problem), getting a ride with someone else.  Specify which of these you’ll be going with so we make sure everyone is covered.

Thanks again everyone, and looking forward to our next call:

5pm Pacific time, 7/13/14
(619) 326-2772
Access code: 1246521