VBS - 50th Anniversary

Yep! It's the 50Th Anniversary of my first time at VBS. I was thinking about that today. I have been working at my church's VBS the last 15 years or so. In my previous life ( first marriage) I worked a few years, and while I was in high school. I, of course attended from the time I was about 5 or so til I was too old. Probably a Sophomore in high school.

It was always fun to hang out with church friends. They usually went to a different school, so you only saw them on Sunday and at camp or VBS.

Anyway, I am going to the same church I grew up in. My grandparents, started going there in the late 1930s when they moved to St. Louis from the Kansas City, Kansas area. My mom was from Texas, and met my dad when she was staying with her aunt.....but that is story for another day.

The past several years I have been the craft lady. I volunteered to do the Bible Adventure story this year, to give one of our newbie volunteers a stab at the crafts. I think Laura is having a good time. I was a bit reluctant about the Bible Stories. I am a Christian, ( a Liberal Evangelical as some of us like to call ourselves....so as not to be confused with the right wing..... and all of their baggage....I have enough baggage of my own.)

Anyway, I am a Christian, but I am not a Biblical Scholar. I confess I fall into the very same trap as the Conservatives.....we both suffer from "Selective, Literal, Biblical Interpretation. I pick and choose the scriptures I want to pay attention to.Dangerous for everyone involved. So...do you really want me to tell your kid Bible Stories. One of my favorite scriptures is from Micah...."What does the Lord require of you....seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God." And I love the story about Judith, who seduces the enemy, Holofernes, hacks off his head and saves her people. We never get to tell that story in VBS. Not to mention the fact I am a Presbyterian (PCUSA) , a reformed protestant, Christian group....and Judith is not in "our" Bible.....bummer.


Sometimes, I just have very basic rules about faith. "God loves you, love your neighbor, no exceptions!" It seems simplier that way.

So I need a lot of direction. But it's working out. Yesterday, we all had leprosy, but were cured by Jesus, and we learned to be thankful. Today, Jesus made the blind man see, with a little mud and spit....we reenacted the event....using blindfolds, and oatmeal....much tidier, and we learned to be helpful to others. Tomorrow we walk on water. The directions make is seem sooooo easy. Thursday is the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus and Friday is Pentecost. WOW! Heavy stuff! So keep me in your prayers.

check out our VBS here http://oakhillpcusa.blogspot.com/

Back to the start of this post.....I was thinking about it being the 50th anniversary of my first time at Bible School. My parents even taught at Bible School thru the years. In the photo you will see me, with the sunflower, along with my brother and sister-in-law, and my great niece ( their grand daughter), she is busy being shy. But this is Payton's first time at VBS. Her mom went to VBS here too, once or twice, and so did her grandpa, my brother, Jim. I'm not sure if my sister-in-law(Pat) ever attended VBS here or not, but she did join the church when she was in high school. Well, I talked Jim and Pat into helping out this year. Everyone seems to be having a great time, and learning that God loves them, and that they should love their neighbor, no exceptions. I'll wait and tell them the story about Judith and Holofernes on another day.