Reflections From Sunday Evening

Tomorrow we begin our week long Vacation Bible School at church. We anticipate over 300 children coming to learn about Jesus and the stories of faith. This is a tremendous opportunity. Likewise it is a tremendous privilege for those who will lead the children. I cannot help but think about VBS from the "old days." I still have memories of VBS at Trinity Methodist Church. In those days we went for two full weeks. (I would not even mention that to our teachers!) My friends were there. We ate homemade chocolate chip cookies made by mom's and grandma's. We drank red Kool-Aid. We played a game called Red Rover when we went outside to play. It was hot but we did not care. We made crafts from plaster paris. We learned Bible verses. We learned the stories of Jesus. When I think of these days I realize it to be an unimaginable privilege to have had these opportunities. I think about my experience in comparison to that of the hymn writer Edward Mote who wrote "My Hope is Built." "My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus' name." (He originally titled the hymn "The Immutable Basis of a Sinners Hope." They talked differently in the 19th century. Mote would not have been in Bible School. He did not grow up in a Christian home. He was often neglected by his parents who ran a pub in London. Even Sunday mornings would find him playing in the London streets. However at age 18 he was introduced to the Scriptures and was converted at the age of 18. Ultimately he became a pastor at the age of 55 and preached weekly for 21 years. This week we may reach a child who has not been to church before. We will certainly reach out to many who are very comfortable in church. We want to reach out in love and grace to all those who fill our rooms this week. Pray for the children we welcome this week. Pray for our Children's Ministry Dirctor, Jessica Duncan and the many, many voluteers who will be instruments of grace this week. It's been a great day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve