With hearts invested

By Pastor Norma Malfatti

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:34 NRSV)

This past week I had the great joy of being the pre-school leader at Vacation Bible School (VBS) on the Farm. This week-long summer project was a collaborative experiment of the synod’s Southwest Conference, River of Hope Lutheran Church in the Southwestern Minnesota Synod, and Cristo Obero, one of our synod’s new start congregations and the organization that spearheaded the event.

Nearly 200 children registered to participate and about half that number of adults and teenagers volunteered for this new adventure. Like any VBS, we sang songs, learned Bible stories, made new friends. Also, like most similar events, the adults, at times, lost their minds as they counted and recounted heads to make sure all the children in their group were present and accounted for.

“The farm animals and fun aside, one of the most incredible parts of the week was the commitment made by the adults and youth helpers.”

Unlike my previous VBS experiences, VBS on the Farm was also bilingual. Pastor Hans Peterson from River of Hope, Hutchinson, and part of the band Dakota Road, translated some of his songs for us to sing. Each day we learned part of our Bible story en español; and we started and ended the day reminding each other of God’s love:

God loves me, Dios me ama
God loves you, Dios te ama

The farm animals and fun aside, one of the most incredible parts of the week was the commitment made by the adults and youth helpers. We all gave up a week of work or did VBS and still worked, used up vacation time or summer break, or just had to set aside chores so that we could support the elementary and pre-school kids as they grew in relationship with God, creation, and one another.

Jesus’ words, “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” took on a whole new meaning as I reflected on this long, hot, and glorious week.

 

THERE IS NO DOUBT in my mind that the adults and youth who participated in this week have a deep love for children and community, treasuring their presence and growth, valuing them as God’s beloved, because we spent hours upon hours of our treasured and limited time in the holy chaos that was VBS on a Farm. When the week drew to a close, parents began talking about how we could grow this next year and already were looking to book this week for vacation so that they could be even more engaged.

It was seeing Jesus’ words come to life with the passion and commitment of the servants Jesus goes on to talk about in Luke 12, who are at the ready and waiting for what’s next.

As Churchwide Assembly meets this week, I am reminded of Bishop Elizabeth Eaton’s challenge for the ELCA to reach out to one million new, young, and diverse people.  While financial resources may be needed for this audacious venture, I think taking a page from Cristo Obrero, River of Hope, and the Southwest Conference may be a more helpful place to start – using our treasure of time and compassion to invest in the young people already in our lives and communities.

It doesn’t have to be as grand an undertaking like VBS on the Farm, the community listening efforts of the Faith Practices & Neighboring Practices congregations have shown that building relationships with our neighbors do not need to be complicated. It does, however, require an investment of time and a willingness to grow as relationships grow. And, as Jesus intimated, we may just find out that when our hearts are invested, it doesn’t feel like a sacrifice to use our treasure.

To view a two-minute video of the week’s activity: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_HriCrqnLkAOLceuMUecCLBiEc7A5zWv/view?usp=sharing