Well… it ended with a funeral and a dance party.

Actually, it ended with a funeral, a dance party, a prayer and a promise from a dragon to join us again next year.

It was a Zoom event. It was not a traditional VBS, unless Bible stories, songs, crafts, science and water balloons – shared by children, youth and adults – suggest tradition to you.

The lesson on the final day, shared by Pastor Hannah with help from Kelly and middle schoolers Willa, Clara and Addie, was taken from Luke 7: Jesus sees a large crowd of people leaving the city with a widow and her son, who has died. It is a funeral procession. Jesus feels their pain, feels their loss, and raises the son to life. For the children, it was a lesson in compassion.

For the adults, the final story reflected our VBS journey. On July 8, we cancelled VBS for 2020. It didn’t seem safe to have children gathering at church as the coronavirus lingered. A crowd mourned the loss.

On July 9, Pastor Ryan Kobert of St. Paul’s Lutheran in Sewickley – our partner in the Community VBS - suggested a virtual event. The Spirit was moving. Pamela M. responded with ideas. Jim C. provided us with a Zoom platform. Susie and Beth Z. brought experience with Zoom gatherings. Our youth – Felicity, Genevieve and Grace – brought Zoom dexterity. Sophia G. brought Sparky the Dragon. Lisa J., Laura P., and Laura G. took charge of marketing and registration. The dead had new life.

For three nights in early August, a team of 16 youth and adults shared a Zoom VBS – “Upright: Take action!” - with at least 20 children and a few dogs. It was difficult to get an exact count because little brothers and sisters kept appearing in the Zoom windows, leaving, and re- appearing.

We opened a virtual window and God poured His Light through it. We Zoomed from the Simpson Room and from the Sunday school rooms. We Zoomed from the clock tower, from an SUMC flower garden, and from Jack Moffett’s drum kit in the sanctuary (don’t tell Jack!). We Zoomed from Hannah’s pulpit and found water balloons (Hannah may or may not have knowledge of water balloons in the sanctuary.)

Sparky Zoomed from a castle, and, with Felicity’s help, showed us the differences between Upright and up-wrong.

The children, becoming part of a Zoom generation, returned each night and stayed engaged throughout the experience. They heard Pastor Hannah and Pastor Ryan encourage them, through Bible stories, to “Speak Up” and “Stand Up” and “Reach Out” in compassion for others. The children had a wonderful window into Hannah’s love for Jesus and for families, and she had a screen full of small windows into our children.

Genevieve and Mary S., a high schooler from St. Paul’s, brought music, motion and games each night. Beth and Lisa brought crafts. Jim, Susie and Allizon Z. brought science. The children jumped into all of it, and then jumped into Gen’s dance party on the final night.

Gen chose “Shake,” by MercyMe, as the song for the party. It has bounce, and the children bounced with it. But the song’s lyrics were also appropriate.

“Ain’t no explanation ... how I saw the light ... He found me and He set me free ... and it brought me back to life ... brand new looks good on you, so shake like you’ve been changed.”

Our VBS got shaken. It was upside down and turned around, but, in the end, He brought it back to life. In His Light, it was Upright again. And Sparky made everyone promise to return next summer.