Sullivan church of Christ – Sullivan, MO
Date: August 2, 2009
LET’S KEEP THE “BIBLE” IN VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
Ben Justice
Over the past several years, there has been a dramatic shift of emphasis in Vacation Bible School in many
congregations. There is no denying this, for now we see Vacation Bible School having turned into a great big
party, with a plethora of recreation and entertainment. Only a slight mixture of Bible is thrown in just to be able
to continue to refer to it as “Bible” School. But, such is far from the case. I know growing up as a child that
Vacation Bible School was far different from what it is today in many congregations. We didn’t have all of this
entertainment going on, but now it is everywhere.
It is truly unfortunate that many have postulated the concept that this entertainment is just an expedient to
teaching. I completely deny that such is the case. Where is the authority for dramas, skits, and puppet shows?
These are not expediencies but additions and therefore sinful. A white board or overheard are considered
expediencies, but these things to do not act. You still have just teaching with or without these aids. Not so
with drama shows; you now have an addition — teaching PLUS acting. While there may be teaching in
entertainment, it is still something that is an addition and not an expediency. Dramas and the like direct
attention to those who put on the show rather than to God. I remember several years ago a congregation having
Vacation Bible School, in which there was a skit of Jesus walking on water. I remember seeing this and could
tell that much time and work went into making this skit, with backdrops and the whole works. It was very
elaborate with just the right lightening. Here is what else I remember about that. All people talked about was
not the teaching but the set up and the show. People literally ran down to see it (see what Jesus said about this
in Matt. 6:1ff). One author penned these very interesting words about such productions:
While it is thus true that some teaching tools were occasionally employed in conjunction with the spoken word, the fact remains, nowhere do
we find the primitive church using a dramatic production as a means of propagating the gospel. This is quite significant when one reflects
upon the fact that the ancient Graeco-Roman culture was immersed in the drama motif.
In Paul’s day, Corinth had a theater that seated fourteen thousand people (Murray-O’Connor 1983, 36). Ephesus had a theater that
accommodated twenty-four thousand (Frank 1972, 312). In Rome, it is estimated that there were three thousand actresses (Smith and
Cheetham 1875, 1.16). With the theater aura so permeating that society, is it not remarkable that there is not even a hint in the New
Testament that the primitive saints employed drama to reach their contemporaries? The careful Bible student is impressed with the fact that
the early Christians simply proclaimed the sacred message in a plain and unostentatious fashion. Where is the evidence for Christian
“drama”? The New Testament silence regarding this practice speaks quite eloquently (Wayne Jackson, The Growing Trend of
Performance Worship,” www.christiancourier.com).
How about this: Just stick with what the Bible has authorized and keep the “Bible” in Vacation Bible School.
Foot stomping, hollering, whistling, and hand-clapping have no place in Vacation Bible School but in the world.