Loading...June 27 through July 1, 2011 was a glorious week for learning that "nothing is impossible with God" and that God chooses unlikely heroes such as "YOU" to lead, and that glorious lesson was delivered by some unlikely heroes and their helpers in the land of Hogwart's School (aka Vacation Bible School).
On a beautiful Monday morning the end of June, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Louisville, opened her doors to over 100 children, youth and adults for the sixth annual Vacation Bible School hosted by Calvary, Christ Church Cathedral, St. Andrew's, St. Mark's and St. Matthew's churches. This year St. Paul's joined the festivities as well as volunteers from The Church of the Advent and St. Francis in the Fields.
The responsibilities for the week were divided with each parish and the cathedral being responsible for one day. Calvary took St. Paul's under her wings and shared Thursday.
Each day had its own special character to the delight of all. None present will soon forget the frightening Professor Snape (the Rev. Mark Feather, St. Paul's), the delightful storytelling by the Rev. Jon Erdman (Calvary), Hermione (Sarah Bourlakas, Christ Church), Ron (James Risley, St. Matthew's) or wonderful Headmaster Albus Dumbledore (the Rt. Rev. David Reed, St. Matthew's) who greeted each child at various times each day.
Children were registered and checked-in each morning in the narthex. Then they were escorted to their house leaders in the church for singing and dancing with Julie Roth (All Saints' Camp music director).
Afterwards, the crowd quieted for just a moment while Monday's host, St. Matthew's, invited everyone into the world of Harry Potter and Hogwart's School through the Episcopal curriculum "Wizards and Wonders," where they would discover that there are so many unlikely heroes. (J. K. Rowlings, the author of the Harry Potter series, is an Anglican.)
Children, youth and adults wandered through halls, up and down stairwells, and all over the church building each day.
The first day began with breakfast at Vernon (Sam Dorr, Church of the Advent) and Petunia (Anne Farra, St. Matthew's) Durnsley's home. Harry Potter (Spencer Crawford, St. Francis) and Hagrid (Michael Risley, St. Matthew's) were soon introduced and after "Owl Delivery" (Kala Hall, St. Matthew's), the group was off and running for a week of games, crafts, Bible stories, learning moments, and, of course, singing and dancing.
After breakfast, Hagrid and Harry led the children on a journey. Shopping in "Diagon Alley" led them to the "Train Station" (created by Lauren Becker, St. Matthew's). Permission had to be granted by Petunia and Vernon in order to go through Platform 9, where they then entered "Hogwart's School."
Tuesday, Christ Church Cathedral, through the direction of Sarah Dewberry, introduced everyone to the game of "Quidditch," and children were moved into one of three schoolhouses through the "Sorting Hat" game.
Wednesday, Callie Hausmann and Barbara Merrick, Christian Formation directors for Calvary and St. Paul's respectively, introduced the group to "The Forest," where Calvary's Laura Blackburn taught about labyrinths. Afterwards, the youngsters had the opportunity to walk one.
Thursday, St. Mark's Marti Taber, Christian formation director, rolled out great crafts day. (Every year, everyone, not just the children looks forward to St. Mark's crafts.)
Friday was St. Andrew's day to host. It was a wonderful day made complete by a closing Eucharist with the Rev. Ben Maas, the homilist, and the Rev. Canon Lucinda Laird, the celebrant. The service included burning - in a cauldron - the misdeeds participants had written on paper to be forgiven and erased and the offering of prayers each child had written.
The Eucharist was followed by a celebration in Collins Hall for participants and parents. Leigh Anne Preston (St. Andrew's) and Juli Duvall (St. Matthew's) could be seen in the kitchen all week making preparations for the next feast.
None of the week would have been possible without the work of so many amazing actors, house leaders, game and craft leaders and youth coordinators, and those who worked before and after to make this week of ministry pure delight.
Special thanks to and gratitude for the people of St. Andrew's and their Christian Formation Director Martha Holland, Parish Administrator Bridgette Hard, and the Rev. Ben Maas, St. Andrew's rector.
The real joy of this week every year is that so many Episcopal parishes work together to present a week to delight children. The relationships built among colleagues and parishioners is something that each of us cherishes. Six years ago t began with some resistance, but questions raised then - "Will our parishioners like that parish better than ours?" "Will some not pull their weight?" - quickly turned into "I can't wait to see my VBS friends." We love our own parishes and we love that bigger tent of working and playing together.
Next year a new Vacation Bible School moves to St. Matthew's.
Joy!
