Ah! Summer!
When you were a kid, did you count down the days until school would be over and the freedom of summer was in front of you? I hoped for days at the beach, a family vacation, time with friends, and the joy of catching fireflies at night.
One event that I always looked forward to was Vacation Bible School. Kool-Aid, animal crackers, wearing shorts in the sanctuary, and hearing the stories of Jesus. I loved it!
At St. John UMC, we held VBS in June, right after Annual Conference, and the excitement of planning, decorating, and praying for the children who would attend brought back those precious memories of my own childhood.
While in Greenville at AC, I received a phone call from a devastated mother. Her only child, a son, 36 years-old, had died. I’ll call him John. He was one of the many people I walk alongside who struggle with substance use disorder. Addiction is a beast, and John so longed to be freed from its deadly grip. I was heartbroken.
The next week as VBS began, we loved on John’s two young children, who came to us with shocked and saddened faces in the wake of losing their daddy.
New York Times journalist, Nicholas Kristof, recently stated in an interview that every two and half weeks, more Americans die from drugs, alcohol, and suicide than died in the twenty years of the Iraq War. [1]
At John’s packed funeral, someone counted at least five mothers in attendance who had lost a child to drugs. (Not counting those in the parking lot who couldn’t even enter the crowded church for the service.) I preached the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I preached that those struggling with substance use disorder need compassion and help, not judgment or condemnation. I preached as followers of Christ, we are not called to the grave but through it, and that in baptism, John put on Christ, so in Christ may John be clothed with glory.
How can our churches address substance use disorder? Many of us have Blessing Boxes or as St. John has, a Tiny Food Pantry. Why not stock it with Narcan (which can reverse a drug overdose) or Fentanyl test strips? Check with your County’s Health Department for resources. Our churches need to be open to AA, Al-Anon, Nar-Anon, therapists, and most of all to those who are hurting and are in need of the love of Christ.
VBS is a wonderful ministry for our young people. Let’s keep them engaged throughout the coming year. Check out our three amazing camps in our Conference: Camp Chestnut Ridge, Camp Don Lee, and Camp Rockfish. Participate in events such as Pilgrimage, Breakaway, Kaleidoscope, ACS, and World Vision. Become known as a congregation that loves and serves your community. Be the church folks call in their time of need because they know you are a church that truly cares.
Godspeed John, save me a seat at the table.
In His grip,
Gina
[1] Kelly Corrigan Wonders July 16, 2024 interview with Nicholas Kristof on How Things Get Better.
photo credits – Gina Miller