Dear Friends,
Vacation Bible School with/at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is in full swing! On Monday and Tuesday, children gathered in the nave in their “tribes” (ages/classes divided into Tribes of Israel) for warm up activities at 5:30 – learning of songs, introduction of the theme and Bible verse of the day, and prayer. Then it was off to dinner – kid-friendly comfort food provided and served by volunteers from both First Christian and Calvary. Children then attended classes and activities staffed by volunteers, while adults met with me for some study of the Book of Daniel.
What a rich experience! Watching the interaction among these kids and volunteers, focused on widening and deepening their experience of God, I am reminded of one of my favorite passages of Scripture, Deuteronomy 6:4-9, instructions from God through Moses to the Children of Israel as they prepare to cross into the new land promised to them:
Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
I’m proud to see the participation of so many of us from Calvary in the kitchen, in the classroom, and elsewhere. And we’re not finished! You are welcome to come in between 5:30 and 8 P.M. today and tomorrow (Wednesday and Thursday) to experience the wonderful, Babylon-themed decorations, the fellowship, the learning, and the fun!
We celebrate another successful VBS and our abiding friendship with First Christian this coming Sunday, July 15, at First Christian with a Holy Eucharist. I will preach, and The Rev. Dr. Ike Nicholson will preside at Communion. (No worship that day at Calvary.) I am told that we can expect special guests during the service!
Wishing you every blessing,
Mtr. TJ