This week has been Vacation Bible School at our church. At last count there were nearly 400 children hanging out for some undersea adventures. The theme this year was “going deep with God” and there are scenes from the ocean everywhere! We even have an octopus named Ocho that hangs out and sounds a little like a he was raised in Forrest Gump’s household. The big challenge this year was to raise money for cows in Katosi Uganda and the kids/families are responding in HUGE ways!
I always loved VBS. I loved it as a kid and then as a Middle/High Schooler when I was allowed to volunteer and help out. Even this year, as I sit in the sound booth pushing buttons and making sure sound is working fine, I find myself getting wrapped up in the excitement that’s going on around me. I remember the fun, the crafts, the friends, the focus that a week called VBS always seemed to promise. I also remember hating when it was over – always felt like a let down.
It’s been a really busy two weeks, but I think that when VBS is over this week, I’ll have that let down feeling once again. When I was a kid it was because the week after usually offered me nothing to do. Having nothing to do is certainly not the case now – there is always a long checklist laying around under some pile that needs my attention. I think what’s different is the unity that’s a part of VBS. Everyone coming together to share in a common goal – there’s great power in that.
It reminds me of one of the less fantastic stories in Scripture – Babel. The known world had experienced catastrophe and upheaval. A new founding family was commissioned to start over and that they did. The family grew and set down roots. Generations came and went and humanity/creation was once again flourishing. There was one problem – they became very comfortable with where they were.
After the flood, God gave Noah and his children clear instructions – keep moving outward. It wasn’t a command that could be accomplished on day one, but one that was more of a ongoing way of life for the
families of Ark. It was a command to refuse complacency. It was a invitation to refuse becoming lazy and stay connected to the Godhead.
If you’re familiar with the Babel story, you know that the people didn’t follow God’s command. They not only stayed and ignored God’s command to spread out, but they also decided that dependence on God wasn’t really important. In fact, they thought that by sticking together they could, in effect, overtake God’s seat. So, they started building a tower to “reach the heavens”. Scientifically, we know this to be impossible, and I’m pretty sure they realized the futility of this grandiose plan. But I don’t think it was solely about “reaching heaven.” It was more about making a name for themselves. God was not cool with that – God rarely is.
This is why I love VBS and will miss it when it’s gone – VBS is an opportunity to have focused attention on a God who invites us to enjoy being together but to continually spread out. It’s a reminder that we don’t have to be the center of the universe (there’s way too much pressure when we try that). And all this got me to thinking, are there ways, or places, in my life where I’ve gotten to comfortable? Places where I know God’s once called me to reach and spread out but I’ve gotten comfortable? Maybe I’ve gotten comfortable with my familiarity with God, maybe it’s comfortable to not stretch and live my faith in the world around me, maybe it’s complacency that there is a world beyond my little tower that I vainly try to build up everyday?
What about you? Do you need a little VBS reminder today? When was the last time you heard the God who has rescued us say “hey, spread out, share what you know and go and engage the world around you.”? Will you join me in not only reflecting on our own potential complacency, but also in finding the joy of stepping out from our own Ark? Will you join me in realizing that God’s desire is for us to LIVE and not settle?
Grace and Peace