Vacation Bible School

I am a VBS junkie.

I admit it.  Freely.

My mother was a stay at home mom, who for much of my childhood, couldn't drive.  So she was essentially trapped at home with us during the summer months.  Her solution?  Church, lots and lots of church.  Specifically, Vacation Bible School.  A neighbor, who could drive, but also had a child at home, would take us to whatever VBS my mother directed us to.  It was not unusual for me to attend 5 - 6 VBS at a variety of Christian denominations over the course of the summer.  One summer I actually attended 8 weeks of VBS.  Church of Christ, Assembly of God, Methodist, Baptist.  Did them all.  And this was before the days of canned or boxed VBS sold by publishing houses.  Most churches made their own.

There is not much I remember about all those learning experiences.  Just glimpses.  All the koolaid was watered down and tasteless. All the cookies were those lemon ring cookies that you could slide on your fingers and nimble them down.  The crafts were the best at my home church, we had an artist in residence who led us in making REAL crafts.  The Bible stories were better at the Assembly of God and Baptist churches, than the Methodists.  Seriously, I stumped the VBS leader at the Methodist Church on Bible knowledge.  I was 11.  I can still recite the pledge to the Christian Flag and the Bible.

VBS has changed.  If a child was to attend 8 VBS's this summer, chances are they would attend the same one a couple of times at least.  The music is designed to be electric, loud and rejoicing.  The crafts are typically paper, and after a few months on the fridge door will be tossed aside.  And chances are the Bible story will be taught by a puppet or DVD.  And even with all those changes I still LOVE VBS.  Churches that attempt to maintain this righteous, serious facade, simply can't do that during VBS when they are filled with screaming and jumping children.  The church is never more alive than when filled with excited, active children.  I am convinced it is what God intends a place of worship to be.

While noisy, and sticky, it is a thin place.