I know that you will find this hard to believe but Lula and I are Baby Boomers (both of us were born in 1946).  Our generation put quite a strain on the institutions in the late 50’s and early 60’s.  New schools were constructed to handle the increased student population, churches experienced dramatic growth, everything needed to be updated, expanded, or constructed.  I have fond memories of the rural church that our family attended (Ash Grove Christian Church).  Worship was on the main floor while Children’s Ministry (Sunday School and Youth Groups) were held in the basement.  The basement was also where church dinners and potlucks were held.  We’re talking about farmer’s wives prepared meals with lots of desserts.  Yes, fond memories indeed!

            Sunday School resources consisted of, among other things, flannel boards.  A piece of flannel cloth stretched across a board which became the back drop for the bible story of the day.  As the lesson was taught, various characters and props were added to the flannel board.  Noah’s ark, with animals, would be joined on the board by the rainbow as we progressed to God’s visible reminder that the world would not be destroyed by a flood again.   From one bible story to another, we learned of God’s love for His people.  Each time, another scene from the bible would appear on the flannel board, a visual reminder of God and His story.  We learned, as have generations of children, the basics of the gospel message from the stories taken from the bible.  It has been said that the gospel is simple enough for a child to accept but the greatest minds can’t fully comprehend it.

            One of the favorite bible stories, especially of the boys, was Zacchaeus.  Boys liked the idea of climbing a tree and his size resonated with them.  Zacchaeus’s story is only found in Luke’s gospel and it is the last encounter Jesus has with people before entering Jerusalem for the last week of his earthly ministry.  It is a story about a small man who was a big sinner and after meeting Jesus gave radical evidence of salvation.  Sunday, we will visit Zacchaeus, Jesus, and the crowd.  Let’s go and climb a tree!