TSMSS - VBS Joint Worship Pledges

Our church had Vacation Bible School (VBS) this week, and it prompted me to recall the VBS experiences from my childhood, as well as other church memories, in yesterday's Friday Flashback.

One part of VBS that I did not mention is Joint Worship, which is what the daily time when all the classes came together was called in the 1960's and early 1970's.

The VBS classes all lined up outside the sanctuary and then walked in to sit together, with the youngest classes going in first. Then the ones chosen that day to be the bearers of the flags and Bible proceeded to the front. (It was a HUGE deal to be chosen to carry the flags or Bible! Or to be the leader for the day!) Then came the pledges, followed by a song, and the songs were the same every year. Before each pledge, the leader would say, "Attention, Salute, Pledge."

First up was the Pledge of Allegiance:

I pledge allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America,
one nation under God, indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.

My country, 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty
Of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died
Land of the pilgrims' pride
From every mountainside
let freedom ring.

Then the pledge to the Christian flag:

I pledge allegiance to the Christian flag
and to the Savior for Whose kingdom it stands.
One brotherhood, uniting all Christians
In service and love.

Fairest Lord Jesus
Ruler of all nature
O, Thou of God and man, the Son
Thee will I cherish
Thee will I honor
Thou, my soul's glory, joy, and crown.

And finally, the pledge to the Bible:

I pledge allegiance to the Bible,
God's Holy Word,
and will make it a lamp unto my feet,
a light unto my path,
and will hide its word in my heart
that I may not sin against God.

Holy Bible, book divine,
Precious treasure, thou art mine
Mine to tell me whence I came
Mine to teach me what I am.

Raise your hand if you have ever heard of those last two pledges before! They are deeply ingrained in my memory!

VBS has changed a lot since I was a kid, and while I don't think we necessarily need to bring back the pledges, I think it's important to recognize and appreciate our heavenly citizenship and the written Word of God. Here's a newer song that I just love which expresses so well the precious treasure the Bible is.




Don't forget to visit Amy's for more songs!



Flags: stock.xchng
Bible: Google Images

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VBS Memories

VBS starts today at our church. And while I enjoy the various themes each year (this year we're headed to the Outback on the Boomerang Express!), they can't hold a candle to the VBS-es I remember from my childhood.



Memory verses. Decoupages. Crafts made with macaroni, unpopped popcorn, dry beans, and seeds. Bookends with pasta letters. Wastebaskets and lampshades made from magazine pages. Flannelboard stories. Cookies and red punch. Friday night Commencement when your work was displayed and you got your certificate.

Each morning's Joint Worship, when one might be chosen for a coveted turn to carry the American flag, the Christian flag, or the Bible in the daily processional.

The pledge to each flag. I assume you know the Pledge of Allegiance to the US flag. What about the Christian flag?

I pledge allegiance to the Christian flag and to the Savior for Whose kingdom it stands. One brotherhood, uniting all Christians in service and love.

And the pledge to the Bible?

I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God's Holy Word, and will make it a Lamp unto my feet, a Light unto my path, and will hide its Word in my heart, that I may not sin against God.

(I probably haven't said those in more than 30 years, but they are as familiar as my name!)

And while VBS was lots of fun, we also learned a lot. (Soapbox insert: sometimes I think churches are so busy with themes and gimmicks and entertaining kids that the whole point of VBS is minimized or missed entirely.)

I never dreamed I would find the song that we sang to learn the books of the Old Testament "way back when". I have always loved this song because it taught the divisions of the Old Testment as well as the books and their order. (Another thing that doesn't seem to be taught much any more. Sigh.)




Oh, and when I was really young? VBS was TWO WEEKS! Then they cut it to 8 days (M-F plus the following M-W) and eventually to just 5 days.

BTW, did you know the first VBS was held more than a hundred years ago in a saloon?! Check out this brief and interesting article on the origins of VBS!

What VBS memories do you have from your childhood?

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