arrrrrrgh! ahoy mateys! i be writing to ye from the high seas and....(clearing throat and speaking now in my regular tones)...um, sorry about that. we started our vbs program last night, and are excited about all the children who are journeying with us through the book of acts. last night we talked about how God's Word is true, and guides us along the journey like a compass. tonight we'll have new adventures in store, as we continue to explore the mighty love of God.
i find vbs to be at once exhausting and exhilarating. the sheer volume of kids - the number of screaming, snack-filled, sugar-charged high-pitched voices screaming about scripture or some other doctrine of the faith - can be a bit overwhelming for me. but at the same time, sharing 5 nights with all those young people, so full of hope and so willing to hear some good news, is incredible. it is an awesome responsibility to make sure that the Truth of the Gospel isn't lost among the costumes and curriculum, and is offered to the children not as an over-simplified slogan to scream about, but as the life-giving, world-changing love story that it is.
in the end, i know that those who have given up every night of their week to do this work will do the best they can, and we will leave the rest of it up to the Spirit of God, who will sow seeds of learning and hope in the lives of these young people; seeds that we pray will one day bear fruit. it isn't about us. it isn't about the curriculum. it isn't about the crafts or the costumes. it's not the songs or the motions or the skits or the snacks. it's not about us at all. it's about the way that God can touch the lives of these children, even in the midst of the noise of the week. it is exhausting, yes, but it is also an amazing journey - an exhilarating expedition!
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