Lessons from VBS

As we hurry toward the end of our VBS this year, I find myself thinking of what adults can learn from this week directed completely at children.  What lessons are there contained within the week of VBS?  For me, I have learned 3 things from the practice of VBS this year:

1) JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T LIKE SOMETHING DOES NOT MEAN IT ISN'T USEFUL

As we began the process of setting up and planning VBS this year, we found ourselves a little frustrated at the changes that had taken place in the VBS material.  First, the music this year was different from any year in the past 10-15 years.  For as far as I can remember, Jeff Slaughter has done the music for VBS at Lifeway.  This year he was gone and the instruction and songs seemed lacking to us.  We walked into the first day thinking man, I don't really like this music.  Then, when we went to decorate, we found the instructions complicated or not making as much sense.  We ordered the main stage poster, but in the decorating workbook, their example didn't use the poster.  We found ourselves pulling our hair out trying to make the church look like a theme park.  Finally, the super sampler pack did not include teaching tools this year so we were forced to wing it on our own.

All of these things made me begin the week thinking this is going to be bad.  I don't like this.  Now that we are wrapping up the week, I am seeing God's handiwork all around me.  Those songs that I couldn't stand on Monday are now things that I hum or whistle at random times of the day.  They have grown on me.  The confusing decorating guide forced us to use our creativity and slowly the church became a theme park.  The lack of teaching aids forced the teachers to go back to the Bible ensuring our students were learning the truth of God's word.  We didn't like this material when we started the week.  We found ourselves moaning about wanting to have what we used to have, but in the end we have seen that is useful for the purposes of God.

Just because we don't like something doesn't mean it's not useful.  So many times in churches adults are upset because we don't like something, but what if that thing we don't like is exactly what God wants to use for His glory in this place?  What if the thing we never give a chance is the key to the kingdom exploding in our towns?  We don't have to like something for God to use it.  Sometimes change isn't as bad as we make it out to be.  Sometimes doing something differently accomplishes more than the tried and true way.

2) CHALLENGES ARE FUN AND EXCITING AND CAUSE GROWTH

I think shocked everyone in attendance on Tuesday night when I issued a challenge to the students.  If they can have 70 students here by Friday night I will shave my head.  Bobbi, the Youth Director, added to the challenge that she would dye her hair purple.  The level of excitement in the room doubled or tripled immediately.  People have posted about it on Facebook, and the students have been inviting their friends.  They have a ways to go, but they are trying.  We have 63 enrolled, but only 55 attended last night.  There is a HUGE possibility I will be bald by 9pm on Friday, but that's okay.

This challenge causes growth.  Whether they succeed or fail, growth has occurred because of the challenge.  They have grown in numbers, but they have also grown in courage.  They have had to go out and invite people to church that they may not have invited otherwise.  The challenge has been fun and exciting and it has caused growth.

Adults should take our cue from this.  We need to challenge ourselves as individuals and as church bodies.  When we work toward a challenge, growth occurs whether or not we succeed.  Colossians 3:23 tells us, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not human masters."  Our success is not what is measured when it comes to challenges.  What is measured is how we work at it.  If we work at any challenge as if we are working for God, we will see growth.  We must stop looking at challenges as chores and see them as fun and exciting ways in which we can serve God and find growth.  Only when we challenge ourselves individually and as corporate bodies can we expect to see growth.  Our challenge is always the same - glorify God in our lives to the best of our ability.

3) THERE IS BEAUTY TO BE FOUND IN CHAOS

If I were to use 3 words to describe VBS they would be loud, crowded, and unruly.  That is VBS.  Lots of kids coming together to have fun and learn about Jesus!  To many people that is merely chaos.  Many don't like the noise.  But there is beauty to be found in the chaos.  In those voices is the hope of a generation.  In those voices are potential believers who can follow Jesus closely with the proper guidance.  When those kids begin to sing and dance, the world around them comes alive!  What may seem like chaos has much beauty if we just look.

What I hear in that sanctuary each night of VBS is what I imagine God hears every moment of every day.  The constant cacophony of prayer from every person in the world all at the same time.  For mortal ears it would sound as nonsense. but through that chaos God sees the individual.  Through that noise God hears the fervent heart of a broken spirit.

We live in a world of chaos.  Things always seem to be falling apart.  What we must do is learn to, like God, see the individual within the mess.  They may look different than us.  They may make different choices than we would make, but in their chaos, they are still an individual created in the image of Almighty God to be loved by Him and His people.  There is beauty to be found in chaos and that beauty is the individual created by God and placed in our lives for a time such as this.


VBS ISN'T JUST FOR KIDS

I think adults need to take a step back and see what we can learn in the sights and sounds of VBS.  The lessons found have eternal significance and can teach us how to live out our faith in a fallen world.  In the end, VBS isn't just for kids.