Charity Autry, Member since 2008, Sunday School Leader, VBS Chair
Ephesians 3:16-19
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Reflection:
Every summer since the early 1970’s, St. Luke’s held Vacation Church School, now commonly known as Vacation Bible School. I have had the privilege of chairing this event with the help of the Children’s Ministry staff and hundreds of volunteers for the past four years. In May, when we knew we would not be able to meet in person, we made the extremely hard decision to postpone VBS. The week of June 8, the week of our scheduled VBS, came and went. This is usually a fun, soul-filling week that we all look forward to every year.  

One of my favorite songs we typically sing during this week is by Andy Wilson, it goes, “How high, how long, how deep, how wide, stretches all the way left and all the way right, from the depths of the sea to the stars in the sky there’s no greater love than the love I have in Christ!”  You must sing it loud with the associated arm movements. Good thing this is not a video testimony. You get it, we are trying to convey the depths of God’s love to the children. But it also reminds us, as adults, his depths of love for us. When the entire Fellowship Hall is dancing, you can feel this love. It is all-encompassing.  

This year, there was no dancing with 600 kids in the Fellowship Hall, no decorations and no laughter filling the church. The Children’s Ministry staff could have given up, let the pandemic win, made excuses. They did not; they persevered, and we took VBS virtual in August. We “made a shift” and found that the love of God was still here and is ever-present. The Knights of North castle poured into the homes of our campers. Christ continued to dwell with us even in a virtual setting.  

In the past few months, many of us have experienced loss far greater than any event.  We have lost loved ones, jobs and much more. We have not been able to mourn these losses with our friends and families. At times you may not feel the presence of God during these difficult times, however, Ephesians teaches us God is always present. All around us and within us. Author Cynthia Herald states, “We are as intimate with God as we choose to be. The only limitations of God’s presence in our lives are the limits we ourselves set—the excuses we set up to avoid being filled to the measure with God.”

So what’s keeping you from experiencing this Love? God’s love for us is available to us at any moment. His love is high, long, deep, and wide just as the scripture and Andy Wilson’s song says. He is an ever-present God.    

Closing Prayer:
God, life is hard. There are small and big things that pull us away from you daily.   Please help us to remember you are all around us and in us. When we feel far away we pray that you remind us how close you truly are. Thanks be to God. Amen.