Sacred Space

 During the last week of July our church held its annual Home Grown Mission Week. This a week of middle school and high school students working on community projects during the day and sleeping on the floor of the youth room at night. It is a week full of challenges and blessings. It is hard for 17 teenagers ranging in age from 11 to 18  to work together, eat together, play games together and rest together. It takes a lot of grace sometimes it is there and sometimes it is missing.

One time in each day when the acceptance and grace shined through was in the evening. After the games, but before we bunked down, as a group we trekked up two flights of stairs to Mary's Chapel, the small chapel to the side of the sanctuary.  There was much goofing around as we went up the stairs and hints of ghosts or other things that go bump in the night as we approached the darker parts of the church. The kids would gather outside the door of the chapel and wait for me to lead them in. I didn't ask them to wait, but they did. As I opened the door and lead them into the chapel  each night there was a change to the demeanor of them as individuals and as a group.We were entering a sacred space and peacefulness was quietly waiting for us there.

Some reverenced the cross; some did not. All were quieter. There was some jostling for pew space, but very little. Each of them took a prayer book, opened it and participated. This time of prayer was not  a teaching moment, I had no message for them. It was a time of prayer for all of us. I asked them to be silent for a few seconds so we could refocus; leave the pile of difficulties behind and enter into a quieter feeling. After about 30 second or at least 5 good deep breaths for me, I would start Compline in the Book of Common Prayer. We wandered through the confession and the prayers, the Lord's prayer and the psalm and ended with the final blessing. By the time we were done we were changed  we were a closer community when we left; it was a change I can't explain, one of those mysterious of faith. 

We were faithful in prayer and we were blessed as a result. 

Why Vacation Bible School

We are a week away from the start of our annual Vacation Bible School, a week of bible stories, arts and crafts, games, snacks and silliness. There is some debate and discussion of the efficacy of vacation bible school. It is a lot of work, often a lot of money and a lot of arm twisting to get volunteers. Often we query, what's the return? Which leads, inevitably, to the question of what's the point? Are we trying to gain new souls for Jesus? Are we trying to recruit new members to the church? Are we providing some wholesome diversion for children or maybe a respite for parents during the long, hot summer?

The answer, I think, is yes to all of these questions. Most importantly we are creating a forum, a time and a place, to share the love of Christ. Loving others is not in the declaration of love. We can not rest with the claim that, why yes we do love our neighbors. We have to put some skin in the game. Enthusiastically welcoming a few dozen children into our church, creating skits and games, making puppets and terrariums, and animating the parables of Jesus is our way of showing Christ's love.  We model God's love of world and of the individual to the children, to each other and to anyone who cares to look.

What is the return from the investment of time, talent and tithe in VBS? What is the return of any ministry? How can it be measured? Maybe we are scattering the metaphorical seeds or maybe we are nurturing the seeds planted by others, maybe we will see some harvest. As is often the case when dealing with God and when dealing with people, we must take a step in faith that where we are faithful in sincerely sharing God's love, with patience, kindness, self-control and all the other fruits of the Spirit, God will be faithful to use our efforts to His purposes. VBS is not a means of making art and memorizing scripture. It is the time and place we set apart to love others as Christ loves without measuring the return.