Tag: VBS

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Vacation Bible School…Part 3

How quickly the summer seems to fly by. And whether you’re feeling the heat of the summer months, or enjoying some unseasonably mild temperatures, at the Waterview church of Christ, we’re in high gear preparing for and planning our annual Vacation Bible School. This article concludes a three-part series looking at VBS songs that motivate and encourage the young and the young at heart.

We’ve reminisced on the words of “Joy, Joy, Joy”, “Daniel and Ruth”, “The Wise Man”, “The Lord’s Army” and “Roll the Gospel Chariot.” Though so many more could be explored, we’ll  wrap up with these three oldies; “His Banner Over Us is Love”, “My God is So BIG” and “Wrapped Up, Tied Up, Tangled Up in God.” For many of us, we may not realize the scripture that serves as the foundation of this first ‘VBS’ song. Read Song of Solomon chapter 2 verse 4…then let’s sing!

Share these words and you will be a “Booster” for your Vacation Bible School…
Read the text and remember this classic:

“He invites us into to His banquet table…his banner over us
and His banner over us is love. (repeat 2 times)
His banner, over us, is love!”

“He is mine and I am His…
and His banner over us is love. (repeat 2 times)
His banner, over us, is love!”

“The one way to peace, is the power of the cross…
His banner over us is love. (repeat 2 times)
His banner, over us, is love!”

And this favorite among the little ones…

“My God is so BIG, so strong and so mighty
There’s nothing my God can not do! (repeat 1 time)

The mountains are His,
the valleys are His,
the trees are His handiwork too.

“My God is so BIG, so strong and so mighty
There’s nothing my God can not do!”

wrapped up tied up tangled upA warning to the adults…
don’t pull a muscle on these hand motions!

 

“I’m all wrapped up, I’m all tied up, I’m all tangled up in Jesus.
I’m all wrapped up, I’m all tied up, I’m all tangled up in God.
I’m all wrapped up, I’m all tied up, I’m all tangled up in Jesus.
I’m all wrapped up, tied up, tangled up in God…Oh Yeah.”

 

For centuries, songs have been used to pass down lessons from generation to generation. Think about when you first learned the books of the Bible (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Acts and the letters to the Romans…), or the names of the 12 apostles (Jesus called them one by one, Peter, Andrew James and John…). History is told in verse and many young minds have come to better understand the message by listening, memorizing and singing songs.

Next time you hear about Vacation Bible School being hosted by your congregation, or the next time a sister congregation announces plans for VBS, make every effort to join them. We do more than just ‘boost our Bible School’ when we attend these summer activities. We model an excitement to spreading the study of God’s word. You can show young children that God’s ‘banner over us is love,’ and that your ‘God is So Big’ when you make Him your priority at VBS. So this year get ‘all wrapped up, tied up, tangled up in God’ at Vacation Bible School!

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Vacation Bible School…Pt. 1

VBSFor many of us, summer time brings memories of Vacation Bible School. Whether you rode the Joy Bus, brought cookies or taught a class (or participated in any of the above), VBS was a highlight of the summer months.

So for the next few weeks I’d like to reminisce about the songs we used to sing during Vacation Bible School. Songs like “His Banner Over Us Is Love” or “If You’re Happy and You Know It.”  Perhaps my favorite was the closing song we sang before dismissing for the afternoon (back when VBS was Monday-Friday, 9:00 to noon); I  remember singing, or should I say shouting,“Booster, booster be a booster! Don’t be grouchy like a rooster. Booster, booster be a booster and boost our Bible School!”

This article will be the first in a series of three where we’ll look at some favorite songs from yesteryear and the Vacation Bible Schools we used to participate in. Today consider these two classics:

“I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. (Where?)
Down in my heart…(where?) Down in my heart.
I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. (Where?)
Down in my heart to stay.

CHORUS: And I’m so happy, so very happy, I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart, down in my heart.
And I’m so happy, so very happy, I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart.

I’ve got the peace that passes understanding down in my heart. (Where?)
Down in my heart…(where?) Down in my heart.
I’ve got the peace that passes understanding down in my heart. (Where?)
Down in my heart to stay.

CHORUS:

And if the devil doesn’t like it he can sit on a tack. (Ouch!)
Sit on a tack…(ouch!) Sit on a tack.
And if the devil doesn’t like it he can sit on a tack. (Ouch!)
Sit on a tack to stay.

CHORUS:

I’ve got the wonderful love of the blessed Redeemer way down in the depths of my heart. (Where?)
Down in the depths of my heart…(where?) Down in the depths of my heart.
I’ve got the wonderful love of the blessed Redeemer way down in the depths of my heart. (Where?)
Down in the depths of my heart to stay.”

CHORUS:

And how about this one…?excited boy...not wv

(boys sing) “I want to be like Daniel.
(girls sing) I want to be like Ruth.

(boys sing) I want to be like Daniel.
(girls sing) I want to be like Ruth.

(girls) For Ruth was always good and kind,
(boys) and Daniel was a mighty man.

(boys sing) I want to be like Daniel.
(girls sing) I want to be like Ruth.”

To engage the kids even more in the singing of this song, we have the boys stand while singing their part and the girls stand while singing their part. The catch, you sit when you’re not singing. It’s an exciting way to get everyone involved, especially when you increase the tempo each time you repeat the song. Of course the older we got, the better we were!

Next time in “Vacation Bible School…Part 2,” we’ll look at “The Wise Man”, “The Gospel Chariot” and “The Lord’s Army.” When you consider your vacation plans this summer, look for a good Bible School and get ready to sing!

 

 

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The Day After VBS…

Do you remember your days in Vacation Bible School? 

In my youth, and for years, our congregation hosted a full week (Monday-Friday) of VBS beginning at 9:00 in the morning and wrapping up around noon.  (Just after breakfast and before lunch…smart!)  One of my favorite memories from VBS, a highlight, was the opening and closing service, when everyone came together to sing.

Perhaps you’ll remember, “Roll the Gospel Chariot”, “Deep and Wide”, or an all time favorite, “This Little Light of Mine”.  Could you ever forget “Jesus Loves the Little Children”.  Personally one of my favorites was “Booster, Booster” (more on that in a minute).  What about this one; do you remember…

“Stand up and shout it if you love my Jesus!
Stand up and shout it if you love my Lord!
I want to know, Oh I want to know…Do you love my Lord?”

There’s more to the song and verses are included, but the general idea is for the singer, even the listener, to proclaim their love for Jesus Christ as Lord.  This is certainly an exciting song and one that many song leaders encouraged us to STAND UP while we sang.

But you know we can’t stay in ‘VBS mode’ our entire lives.  There’s a reason we call it Vacation Bible School; it’s held during the summer months while we’re on ‘vacation’.  This wonderful time of our life will eventually come to an end, we’ll grow up and go to work.  We love the ‘mountaintop’ experiences, but we have to come down off the mountain and get back to the grind.  Jesus modeled that behavior to us over and over.  Remember Luke 9:28 and 37, “…He took Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.  … On the next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him.” In like manner, when our ‘vacation’ is over, we ‘grow up’ and go to work.

So we stand up and shout that we love Jesus, and yes, in our lives and in our hearts we should be telling the world (showing the world) that we love Jesus.  But as we grow and mature into men, we need to do more than just stand up and shout it.  Notice what Paul, through inspirations, tells the church in Corinth, “When I was a child, I talked like a child; I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.”  I Corinthians 13:11

Perhaps William Merrill had the right idea when he encouraged the singer, the ‘men of God’, to rise up!  In 1911 Mr. Merrill penned the words to a song that has been sung by godly men across the globe; a message that calls for men of God to do more than just stand up and shout.  It’s a message to rise up and serve, to rise up and give your heart, soul and strength.  It’s a message to rise up and serve the King of kings.  We sing that men of God are to bring in the day of brotherhood and end what is wrong.  As we sing this song we are reminded that the church Christ built is waiting for us to ‘come down off the mountain’ and go to work.  As we sing we remember that we are called to follow Christ walking in His footsteps.  Notice these verses…

Rise Up, O men of God!  Have done with lesser things;
Give heart and mind and soul and strength to serve the King of kings.

Rise Up, O men of God!  His kingdom tarries long;
Bring in the day of brotherhood and end the night of wrong.

Rise Up, O men of God!  The church for you doth wait,
Her strength unequaled to her task.  Rise up and make her great!

Lift up the cross of Christ!  Tread where His feet have trod;
As brothers of the Son of Man, Rise up, O men of God!

In the days of my youth, during the closing session of VBS, we would sing, “Booster, Booster be a Booster!  Don’t be grouchy like a rooster (growing up on a farm, take it from me, roosters can be grouchy).  Booster, Booster be a Booster and Boost our Bible School!”  We left excited and ready for the next day.

Gentlemen, dads, husbands; VBS is over and today is that NEXT DAY.  It’s time we do more than just stand up and shout it; let’s rise up and be…Men of God!