Church Stuff part 2

Along with going to Sunday School and church every week when I was a child, I always went to Vacation Bible School every summer. I LOVED hearing Bible stories and doing pertinent crafts. It was at VBS when I was about 4 or 5 that I first learned about The Three Men in the Fiery Furnace. That just fascinated me! I thought about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego standing amongst the flames, unharmed, singing praises to God! Amazing! I never questioned whether the Bible was true or not. And I still don’t.

It was in Sunday School that we had the lesson about Palm Sunday one year, and the activity was to punch out little t-shirts and leaves to paste onto the picture of a roadway for Jesus to walk down as He rode the donkey. I knew about Jesus dying on the cross for my sins when I was very little. Of course I had no idea what a crucifixion entailed, but I did know what death was and meant. And that it probably hurt a LOT. And I was very grateful for His sacrifice. I went to a Lutheran kindergarten and we did a re-enactment of what took place on Good Friday. Three boys were chosen as Jesus and the two robbers. They took their blankets (we all had our own blankets to lay on the floor for nap time) and wrapped them around themselves like loincloths and stood up on the table with their arms outstretched.

One time we also re-enacted a church service, lining up just our chairs in rows. We sang a couple of hymns, and then 2 boys were chosen as ushers to take the offering plates around.

When a child was celebrating a birthday, he/she would come forward and we would all sing a special song. Then the leader would hold out a large papier-mâché birthday cake with a slot in the top and the birthday child would put pennies in it as a thank offering. One penny for each year, and we all would count along. Then there was a basket with trinkets that the birthday child could chose from. I don’t remember how old I was when I chose something very precious to me: a picture of Jesus knocking at the door, with the verse on the back. It was small and in a cheap plastic frame, but that stood on my dresser for years. I still have it.

There was a special 4-page pamphlet with various prayers, Bible verses and hymn verses. Over the years when you felt you had competently memorized something from this, you would recite it to the teacher and you would get a star placed by that passage. I don’t remember how long it took, but the year before I started Confirmation I had completed it all and earned my very own copy of Luther’s Small Catechism personally signed and presented by the Sunday School superintendant. Big stuff. I was so proud that when it came time for me to start Confirmation I didn’t have to buy a Catechism…I had EARNED mine.  

Sunday School wasn’t as much fun when the lessons became more in depth and we didn’t do crafts, but it was still a vital part of my life, and I’m grateful for the learning that took place.

Same with Confirmation, which took place in 7^th and 8^th grades. It’s wasn’t what I would call fun, but I loved Pastor Schwermann dearly, and he made the lessons interesting. AND I got a new dress when I was confirmed!!