Ya Gotta Get a Gimmick

It seems that everybody has to have a gimmick these days and I do mean EVERYBODY. That means you, Jesus.


For the last few years I have noticed that Vacation Bible School themes have become more and more contrived.

I loved Vacation Bible School but then again I was one of those weird kids that liked school. There were no day camps for kids in Carmi, IL in the early sixties so to me summer meant day after day of trying to find something to do. Little league baseball did NOT count. So I was always very happy to know that as soon as school was out Vacation Bible School began.

Even though it was held at the same church where I went to Sunday School every Sunday there was a certain aura surrounding  Vacation Bible School. We lined up on the church steps every morning, not allowed to enter into the sanctuary until the doors opened at nine a.m. sharp when we would march into the sanctuary to the beat of the theme song.

It was always exciting finding out what the theme song was and learning it. Each year we got a new song book with brand new songs each relating to one of the lessons we would be studying for the next two weeks. Yes two weeks! Back then churches could actually find enough volunteers too teach VBS for two weeks!

We'd sing the theme song, say the pledge to the American flag, the Christian flag and the Bible and listen to a short story by the director before heading off to our departments where we had another lesson, worked on in our workbooks and made crafts which for some reason were always constructed completley out of Popsicle sticks and glitter! (No wonder I loved it) 

The theme for Bible School was always something like Living for Jesus, Following Jesus or God's Great Love. When I drive by churches advertising their bible school today there is no mention of Jesus.  I am apt to see something about the rain forest, a safari or a beach vacation. Now I know the guy walked on water but seriously, Vacation Bible School at the beach?

I know. I know I am seriously out of touch with today's parents and children. I mean after all in the age of Dora the Explorer we can't really expect Jesus to be a big enough draw to get kids to go to church every morning (or evening) for a week.

To me this is just another sign that church has become all about US.

Those Popsicle stick crafts just don't cut it anymore either. Was my mother lying to me when she said she loved it and hung it on the kitchen wall? (It did dispense toothpicks very nicely!)

But do Jesus and God have to resort to entrapment to draw a crowd to VBS? Promising the kids a safari, an Amazon adventure or a space flight and then finding out that the guy never left a small area in the Middle East seems a little deceitful.

I am probably reading too much into all of this. I am sure that today's kids will look back on Vacation Bible School with the same fond memories I do. But I am warning you. I am helping in the craft department this year and I am boycotting if there aren't large amounts of glitter involved. After all one of my favorite new hymns is Shine Jesus Shine!