Monday Matters: Shame and the Gospel

Crocodile Dock is *everywhere.* I just got back from Bermuda, and churches there had the same signs out that I see in our neighborhood. And Group is easy...but then again, the simple fact that they are easy doesn't mean they're always right.

Kids..particularly the ones in the age bracket you describe...shouldn't be forced to feel they are responsible for the death of Jesus, but that focus is a relentless part of the evangelical schtick. It's very Jesus Camp-y, but folks seem unaware of how off-putting that approach can seem to non-Christians or those seeking to understand Christian faith.

I tend to be a curmudgeonly about most VBS curriculum. Most of it, the way it is packaged, is quite age innapropriate. Usually, there are Biblical texts, which are then shoe-horned into a theme, and then that theme gets an overlay of something like a "pirate's cove" or "Robot Planet" or "Safari Adventure". Most of the children in the age group for VBS find it quite difficult to manouver through these symbolic overlays to get to some message, which, even at its heart is often age innapropriate. The games and activities and decorations are fun and perhaps the music is most teachable. But this VBS curmudgeon is....well....curmudgeonly about it all.

Our church is using the Crocodile Dock program as well (we're even sharing resources with several other churches in the area...but I digress).

Group is easy and they literally tell you what to say (in bold...usually). I also have some problems with their theological leanings. Last year, our youth group went on a mission trip run by Group, it was my first of these. I was worried about the "scare tactics" and guilt, but for the most part it was alright, however I did take some liberties while leading the midday devotions.

That is until we got to Thursday night...ie "Cry Night" (term used by Group vets). The whole message was on forgiveness and how you should forgive yada yada yada, but it boiled down to about 250 teenagers crying their freaking eyes out while the adults tried to console them and figure out what the hell was going on.

I will say this, one of my group had a big break through and was able to share some really important stuff, but the fact that the kids that had been there before knew that the focus of the message that night was to "make them cry" ("they go after your family, your friends, they don't stop until you cry." OH from one of my group) was a little disconcerting.

I'm all for meaningful experiences but emotional manipulation is a little much for me.

All in all it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but I had some pretty low expectations.

Greg

this is good to know and to be anticipating....we are taking 5 of our kids to Minneapolis on a group work camp trip in two weeks.