Our first craft today was building and decorating Yo-Yo’s. They are a simple reminder that our Christian journey is full of ups and downs, high times and low times. These are normal and they don’t last forever, we just need to wait for the next swing.

Our second craft today is a plastic space ship to remind us of the little alien guys in the claw machine at the pizza planet and their wish and delight to proclaim, ‘I have been chosen!’ We have indeed have been chosen by God, EVERY creature under heaven and earth has been created, male and female, in God’s likeness. (Gn. 1.26) We are that dear expression of God’s love in the world and we have the opportunity to share it with all we meet!

Our final craft today was a toy of yesteryear that is still here today—the paddle- ball! We begin life created in the image and love of God, and it takes practice to hone the skills for sharing peace and seeking justice for all people. This is not instinctual behavior for us. So, just like mastering the paddleball, we need to practice sharing God’s love!

Our final craft of the days was designed by my daughter Eli (pronounced Ellie) and created by me in my shop. It is one of my all time favorite VBS crafts as it represents one of the most endearing toys in Andy’s room—Rex the Tyrannosaurus. Our campers spent part of the morning decorating their Rex marionette. Rex is a reminder that we don’t always have it all together like Buzz; sometimes we are afraid or our arms are to short to push the buttons video controller. And that is why, again, we have each other to rely on and help each other find the courage to seek justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God.

Our crafts today were all about community, inspired by Acts 9.31, “Meanwhile the church had peace and was built up.” The tired and beleaguered people of our world flock to peacemakers like the followers of Christ—those who share the Love of God. Our crafts were about celebrating our working together in cooperation and trust.

Our first craft was to create a setting for play with our little green Army Men. These little guys in the movies were constantly working as a well-oiled machine to serve those who called on them. As a kid I played with these little guys role-playing their trust and heroics; and as an adult, I was blessed with the opportunity to watch US Marines deploy their faithful service when I served them as a Navy Chaplain. It is all about trusting each other and working together for a common cause. When we employ these values in the Church to share God’s love, the world is transformed around us!

Our second craft today was to decorate barrel of monkeys! They too epitomize the sense of working together and are a reminder that we need each other. The Church is called together to celebrate and hand hang onto each in times of great joy like that of a wedding; and in times of great distress, like the loss of a loved one. We are here for each other, all together like a barrel of monkeys!

During Tent Time this morning, our campers decorated their craft box. Counselors and staff will fill these boxes with each camper’s crafts daily so on Friday, each camper will take home a treasure box filled with their crafts. This is helpful in a couple ways: 1. It gives time for gloppy and paint filled crafts time to dry before they get loaded into our cars. 2. In the event that a camper misses a particular day at VBS, which is always a sad event, that camper’s craft materials for the day are placed in her/his box so they can be completed at home.

Our Tent time craft was a simple sheriff’s badge—a sheriff’s mark of authority and labor. It is a reminder of our own mark placed on our foreheads in Baptism—called Chrismation. This is when a priest marks the sign of the cross on the forehead of the newly baptized proclaiming, “You are marked as Christ’s own forever.”

Our final craft was a throwback to my own childhood. One of our favorite family restaurants was an eatery called The Nut Tree just off interstate 80 in Vacaville. Not only did it have a great restaurant and train, but also a fabulous toy store, which sold the last of today’s crafts—a popgun. We invited the campers to remember that when we see injustice and God’s people not being treated fairly in the world, we need to sound off! Or in this case, to pop off! :) The first step in transforming the world into a community of peace and justice in God’s love is to recognize the issues and speak out. Our popguns remind us not to be silent.

Our parents created us in love, and named us to be shining examples of God’s children. My name Mark, for example, means strong defender (it also means war-like as some of my friend’s have noted :) ) So, we decorated wooden blocks with our name on them to remind us that we are called into the world in love to share this great gift.

PS. My daughter Eli decorated my blocks and she went to ASU. I, on the other hand, went to Chico!

Our third craft today was what we call a Buzz Lightyear shooter. On my own Christian journey, when I stray away from the direction and calling God purposed for my life; I often shoot myself in the foot with my own self-centeredness! Since Buzz used a laser to foil injustice, we figured it would be a hard craft to replicate at VBS. So instead, we settled for a classic toy from my childhood—a rubber band gun. (Parents you can decide if you want you child to have any ammo!) It is a simple reminder to keep our eyes on Jesus so we can avoid shooting ourselves in the foot!

Note: I can;t find the decorated one!

The pink bear named Lots-O’-Huggin' (voiced by Ned Beatty—classic!) embodies the iconic human struggle Paul talks about. He knows what to do and wants to do it, but reverts to the pain and hurt he once received, wanting the world to pay as he exacts his revenge!

So today we created a beanbag bear to remind us that when we resort to anger, fear or hurt and do not treat the world like we were created to (i.e., we sin), we need to repent and return to our journey with God.

Our tent time craft today was a little wooden dinosaur. It is a simple reminder that we are to look for our friends to help us out and keep us on the path that leads to sharing God’s love in the world. As Rex found a dino friend to help him play video games with his short arms, we can rely on each other too.

Our final crafts for today have a stewardship theme to them. One craft was to create Mr. & Mrs. Potato heads! They are clearly important characters in the story, so we had to create a craft around them! They are a reminder of how precious food is to our survival, and how many of God’s children go to bed hungry every night. Because of this, we do not want to use our food resources as a plaything, or to waste food. Food is a gift from God and the earth, and demands our careful stewardship and sharing so that all who are in need have what they need.

Our final craft was to create a “Ham” piggy-bank! We could save up our dimes, and spend them on food to be placed in a food donation barrel. Our gifts then can help other children from going hungry. A word of advice: please use dimes, as they are the only coins that will fit through the nose of our Ham! :)

Our tent time craft was a horse doorknob decoration. It is a reminder of the loving devotion of Bull’s-eye, Woody’s faithful horse. Like Bull’s-eye God will carry us and be faithful to us.

The final gift of our Toy Story VBS to our campers was a small back-pack clip-on Buzz. As we return to school and the business of the fall, Buzz reminds us of the devotion and love found in Deuteronomy 7.9: God will be our God to love us unconditionally and be with us to infinity and beyond!