Tomorrow is the first day of VBS, and it is going to be great! How do I know? Well I saw the curriculum in action on our Bathurst mission trip, and it is honestly just so much fun. I’m excited for another week of singing those songs and watching kids build relationships with each other and their leaders and they experience the different stations and learn about God’s love for them.
I also know VBS will be great because it’s what God wants us to do. We had staff training on Saturday, and I shared a devo based on Mark 10:13-16. The story comes in the middle of Jesus answering questions from religious leaders, some time after his transfiguration and healing a demon possessed boy (in Mark 9). At this point in his ministry, Jesus was officially a big deal, and his disciples had to do some crowd control, organize his appointments if you will, and let people know when he was ready for an audience. The problem is, they had the wrong idea of who Jesus prioritized seeing, and they were turning away parents who brought their children to be blessed by Jesus.
Can you imagine the scene?
Parent: “We’ve come to see Jesus.”
Disciple: “He’s very busy today – is this a religious matter? Do you have questions about applying the law or interpreting the prophets?”
Parent: “Oh, I’ve brought my children for Jesus to bless.”
Disciple: “To bless eh? Well, do they have demons? Are they crippled? Are they dead?”
Parent: [stunned] “No, they are well thank God. We just want his blessing.”
Disciple: “It sounds to me like you’re already pretty blessed. Trust me, we’ve seen some crazy stuff go down. Just be grateful for your happy healthy kids and go your way, Jesus has much more important business. Next!” Continue reading “A Kingdom for Children”