Time With Sharon: Jesus Loves Me, This I Know . . .

June 2008

I love glitter. As a kid, it was great fun to drizzle glue here and there, sprinkle a dash of glitter (or a pound of it!) and transform my messy projects from drab to dazzling, with color and light. And the only place I remember getting to use that glue and glitter combo was at Vacation Bible School. VBS leaders are brave people, don’t you know.

I have great VBS memories. When I was a little girl, our church hosted it in the mornings, and I remember learning about how much Jesus loved me through music, stories, games, and those messy projects. I don’t remember wondering why Jesus loved me…only that he did. And knowing that, brought me a deep comfort that has stuck with me always. Jesus loves me…and he loves you. That’s the most important thing I think I ever learned anywhere, and I learned it at Vacation Bible School.

I also met new people, and they became my friends. We laughed, and learned, and shared lots of ice cream. The church grown-ups took care of me, and made me feel special. Yep, I looked forward to that week every summer. I hope many of you have some good memories of Vacation Bible Schools from your early days too.

Lafayette Park UMC continues to carry on that wonderful tradition of welcome and care for the children of our church and neighborhood. This year, from June 23-29, Monday through Friday evenings, we will be exploring the Serengeti in Africa together, where kids are WILD about God! We will start off the evenings at 6:00pm with a family snack supper, and the adults are welcome to stay, eat, play, and visit together. There will be wonderful stories, music that makes your feet dance, and crazy games that tucker everybody out. But best of all, in my humble opinion, will be the messy crafts, those glue and glitter, yarn and bead, paint and popsicle stix creations that give our artistic hearts a chance to express the glory of God that lives deep in our souls.

Our lessons will teach us to Know, Talk, Tell, Love, and to Work for God. This is the whole gospel in one week! But when we are finished, I hope what the kids remember is that God is just crazy about them, and will be with them for always. June 23-27, preschool through Senior High…officially. But it’s a lesson we all need! So YOU are invited too. Come and help us make new Vacation Bible School memories.

See you then, and bring your friends, cousins, and neighbors!
Pastor Sharon