This week, The Church at Avenue South hosted its inaugural Vacation Bible School. Previously, due to the limits of our previous property (and us not owning but leasing it), we’d held multiple backyard Bible gatherings. But this year, we had all the kids in one place for the first time ever.

I was privileged to be a part of the very first service of the very first day, volunteering to do graphics. Plus, I ran the video for the songs the kids were learning that day. I now get why VBS volunteers end up with the songs stuck in their heads for a while.

I got a kick out of watching the various ages trying to learn the choreography for the songs. The younger they got, the less inclined they were to actually follow the teacher but do their own moves (which mainly involved a lot of random jumping around and waving of arms).

I love that this is an outlet for these kids to hear the gospel. My own salvation story began at a Backyard Bible Club, so these are near and dear to my heart. Even if these kids don’t pray to receive Christ, at least the seed was planted that will hopefully grow into faith one day.

I just hope they avoid serving the kids any red kool-aid. I have memories from a VBS I served at during a mission trip in college where someone thought it was a grand idea to give the kids kool-aid with that particular red dye in it. They went from mostly calm in the morning to berserk in the afternoon. I think the rest of the day was like trying to herd cats.

God willing, this is the first of many more to come. I think we can do nothing better than point our children to Jesus. Many parents are determined to have their children get into the right schools or to have them excel in sports or music, but far fewer are as concerned about their eternal destinies. If we as American families teach our kids everything but the way of Jesus, we have failed.

So I’m praying for this 2024 VBS. I hope the next two days will be just as fun and exciting and the first three. Above all, I hope God does a mighty work in the lives of these kids (and their parents). I can’t wait to see what happens next.

That’s one of my favorite promises. I mean I get that all God’s promises are great, but this one seems to be one I need more these days.

God’s mercies are new every single morning.

I’m not exactly sure what that means, but I think of those delicatessens that bake their bread fresh each day. Every morning when you walk in, there’s that wonderful aroma of whole grain baked bread hitting your olfactory senses. To me, that’s heaven.

God never recycles His mercies. Each one is new. Brand new. Each one is meant specifically for you like a tailored glove is meant to fit exactly your hand and no one else’s.

I’m thankful for new mercies and old promises that are still coming true every day.

“I know You’re able and I know You can
Save through the fire with Your mighty hand
But even if You don’t
My hope is You alone
I know the sorrow, and I know the hurt
Would all go away if You’d just say the word
But even if You don’t
My hope is You alone” (Bart Millard / Ben Glover / Crystal Lewis / David Garcia / Tim Timmons).

That’s a big difference.

I can speak from the fear side of things. I can’t tell you how many “what if” scenarios have played out in my mind over the years. Most of those didn’t end well at all, and almost none figured God into the outcome. Mostly, it was me thinking it was up to me to work it out (and fail miserably).

But as I found out at a funeral, even if speaks volumes where what if speaks half-truths and deceit. I saw a widow raising her hands in worship in front of her husband’s casket. I saw a couple today who have held strong to faith even after losing their 13-day old baby to a rare infant syndrome.

“Even if” starts from a place of trust where “what if” begins with doubts, as in “What if God really doesn’t come through?”

“Even if” says that if all God ever did for you was to redeem you and rescue you from your sin to a guaranteed future in heaven and did not one single solitary thing more for you, it would still be enough. You would still have reason enough to raise your hands in worship, to live out your worship each day as a declaration of God’s goodness.

“Even if” means that at the very worst possible outcome, you still have God, and God will always be enough. No matter what, nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Nothing can defeat you or destroy you. There is nothing you will ever face that Jesus hasn’t already defeated on the cross.

Ultimately, to live is Christ and even to die is gain. Everything else good is a bonus.

In light of the last few elections, I thought this was a timely and humorous message that would help liven up the current mood. Or should I say it’s humourous. I suppose I’d better get used to spelling it that way. You’ll understand if you keep reading:

“A MESSAGE FROM THE QUEEN

To the citizens of the United States of America from Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

In light of your failure in recent years to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. (You should look up ‘revocation’ in the Oxford English Dictionary.)

Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except North Dakota, which she does not fancy).

Your new Prime Minister, David Cameron, will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections.

Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.

To aid in the transition to a British Crown dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

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1. The letter ‘U’ will be reinstated in words such as ‘colour,’ ‘favour,’ ‘labour’ and ‘neighbour.’ Likewise, you will learn to spell ‘doughnut’ without skipping half the letters, and the suffix ‘-ize’ will be replaced by the suffix ‘-ise.’ Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up ‘vocabulary’).

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2. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as ”like’ and ‘you know’ is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as U.S. English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter ‘u” and the elimination of ‘-ize.’

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3. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.

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4. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you’re not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you can’t sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you’re not ready to shoot grouse.

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5. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. Although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.

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6. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.

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7. The former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it.

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8. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.

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9. The cold, tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. South African beer is also acceptable, as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of the British Commonwealth – see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat’s Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.

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10. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialect in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one’s ears removed with a cheese grater.

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11. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies).

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12. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.

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13.. You must tell us who killed JFK. It’s been driving us mad.

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14. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty’s Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).

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15. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 p.m. with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season.

God Save the Queen!

PS: Only share this with friends who have a good sense of humour (NOT humor)!”

PPS: I suppose now we say “God save the King” since King Charles III is on the throne instead of Queen Elizabeth II.