In order to maintain some sanity during the summer we have signed our kids up for multiple vacation Bible schools and it is interesting to see the differences in how the different denominations approach them.
The first vacation Bible school was at a Methodist church and it was focused a lot on mission. On doing the work and being good people. The second one was at an Episcopalian church and the kids got to be warriors play acting on being divided into tribes and helping David capture Goliath. That church also claimed to have produced all their own material but one of the music videos they showed had the Santa Monica pier in the background. It honestly explains a lot about the members of that church I have interacted with. They themselves exist in tribes and are people that were born on third base and think they hit a triple.
Next week the kids are doing the vacation Bible school at our church, and they get to be detectives. Which is very fitting. For example; at the second vacation Bible school’s closing ceremony they showed a video naming the books of the Bible, and before they did their leader asked the kids how many books are in the Bible. There answer was 67 and our church’s answer would be, “It depends.”
Presbyterians are Christians that were taught to think for themselves and ended up believing in God. It is why Pat Robertson hated us so much and called Presbyterians the anti-christ.
I am grateful my kids get to experience all these different ways of viewing the same religion. Everyone that goes to all these churches has some shared experience with everyone else, but there are subtle differences. It is important to learn and appreciate the differences in others while still seeing the underlying similarities. My kids probably don’t see that. They just see the fun toys they get to make with friends.
David Huzzard Writes 