VBS has never really been my thing…

Now, don’t get me wrong. I think there is a whole lot of good about VBS. I understand that a lot of kids would never hear about Jesus without it. And I know that a good number of kids go from VBS to VBS all summer long to get away from unhealthy home situations. And I know that a lot of parents depend on VBS for a safe place to drop their kids off in the summer so the whole family doesn’t go stir crazy. Further, I know that there are a lot of kids out there (like mine) that just look forward to having a week full of fun activities and friends that all helps to strengthen their faith. I didn’t say that VBS is a bad thing. It’s not… at all. I just said that VBS isn’t my thing… Not that everything has to be about me, because it doesn’t…


As a kid, I wasn’t even into VBS. My mom was. She helped out at every VBS in town. I tried to hide and pretended I was a teenager (long before I was) so I wouldn’t get assigned to a class. I’m 30 years old now. She still helps at every VBS in town. In fact, she asked me about VBS on the phone, just today, as if it is a foregone conclusion that if you have children (and maybe even if you don’t) VBS is going to take a prominent place in your summer vacation. I told her it was scheduled for next week… and that I was going to lead the music… and that that was a good assignment for me, because I would only have to be there at the beginning and the end (gasp)… and that I really didn’t know anything more about it… But I did get to thinking that maybe I ought to listen to the music, since it’s Thursday and all…


Um… yeah…


I knew I was pretty much in trouble when I hit play and immediately started having theological issues (as a side note… if you ever want to brainlessly enjoy a church related function again, don’t go to Bible college…


Ecclesiastes 1:18 “For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief” (NIV))…

Please… fundamentalists… don’t jump on me before you read this whole paragraph… but the Bible is really not the Word of God. The Bible is, indeed, the inspired written words of God to us. The Bible is, indeed, God’s message for us in written form. I love the Bible. But Jesus is the Word of God (please see John 1). I am a little sickened that I have volunteered to stand in front of children for five nights next week teaching Bible worship. Ouch.


As if this wasn’t bad enough, the creators of this curriculum have also dug way back into the 1980s for some of their song choices. I never… ever... though I’d have to, “shake a friend’s hand, shake a hand next to ya,” again. I am so enlisting my 8 year old daughter for this task.


Not all of the music is bad, and I am just going to choose to focus on that if I possibly can… hand motions and all… And please… If you are reading this, do not think that I am belittling my church’s choice of resources for this year’s VBS or anything. Every person I have had contact with this summer is using this VBS program! I'm sure it's a great program. I just have issues...


Guess it just goes to show that you should ask for lots of details before you volunteer so you’ll know what you’re really getting into. I hope nobody I ask to volunteer for anything in the near future just read this…


Lisa