Echoes of Creation

Imagine this: It’s midsummer. The sun is beginning to set, and you’re gathered around a campfire. You’re at a church camp that embraces you — not despite who you are, but because of who you are.

That was my experience over 20 years ago, in a quiet town in Indiana on the shores of Lake Waubee. For decades, the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana has been a progressive sanctuary within a largely conservative landscape. Their long-standing partnership with Camp Alexander Mack has created space for a summer camp experience that, over the past 33 years, has come to reflect a theology of liberation — one that affirms and celebrates the full diversity of God’s creation. I’ve witnessed this most clearly in the work of our clergy and volunteers, who continue to make space for queer folks like me to feel not only welcome, but cherished.

Running a camp program is no small feat — and it’s even more challenging to create one rooted in love that moves beyond doctrines of shame or blood atonement. To meet that challenge, the Diocese has built a tradition of intentionality: every part of the camp week — from overarching themes to daily programming — is crafted with care and purpose.

And that’s where this EP comes in.

While more progressive Christian spaces are beginning to embrace artists like The Many, Semler, Flamy Grant, and others, there’s still a noticeable gap in the availability of theologically rich and affirming worship music. So we decided to create our own.

“Echoes of Creation” brings together songs inspired by four original camp themes from recent years, along with a fresh arrangement of “Come Thou Fount.” These songs were written with one purpose in mind: to remind our campers that they are deeply loved — not in spite of who they are, but precisely because of it.

One line from the song Mystery says it best:

“You are strong, you are brave, you’re enough just as you’re made —
in your fears and in your willingness, you’re a story being told.”

This EP may have been written with campers in mind, but it was never meant to stay in the woods. These songs are for anyone looking for a faith that affirms, embraces, and liberates. If you’ve ever wondered whether there’s a place for you in the story of God — this music is here to say: there is, and always has been.

Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, or wherever else you stream!