I do not know if anybody else grew up going to AWANA every Wednesday night, but these readings really did remind me of the fun Bible verse memorization program. If you think about it, it is entirely fair to say that the early medieval church came up with the idea of AWANA first! The medieval people just decided to take after modern-day homeschoolers and spice-up their tactics with a bit of song! Oh, wait a minute! Maybe the medieval church also influenced homeschooling! Huh, wild!
Regardless, the songs that were sung during church in medieval times were carefully structured so that the early Christians could better remember important Scriptural truths. Similarly, AWANA focused on helping children to hide the Words of God in their hearts. When you boil it down, these two ideals are both highly related to one another. By singing songs that serve as reminders of a higher purpose and memorizing verses that speak about fundamental truths, you are aiding people in improving their understanding of what the Lord has done, continues to do and will do in the future. I find it funny how both medieval and modern church administrators approached the issue of member participation in much the same manner. However, both the hymns and the AWANA program possessed a few pitfalls.
Just as Augustine was explaining in chapter 33 of Confessions, humans have a tendency to listen to Sunday morning worship services and "zone-out" when it comes to really understanding the message of the lyrics. Often times, we become more moved by the mere motions of the music and the voices of the singers. Similarly, in AWANA, it was entirely possible to become consumed by the desire to earn candy, stickers, patches, medals and even trophies as rewards for Bible memorization. While it is important to keep children motivated, it is also necessary to remind the kids of what they are truly supposed to be doing while at AWANA; learning more about the Lord. Just as a child's heart will cause them to turn into a mini gremlin for more shiny prizes, so too do the older Christians allow themselves to be swayed by everything that doesn't really matter.
Edit - Replied to Brooke Hutcheson and Leanne White.
I completely agree with your analysis of how easily it is to get caught up in the prizes of AWANA. I only did the program for a year, but I remember the vests more than the things I did during it. I guess that is why I like Bible Drill better, because event though the goal might be to be first to remember the verse in a competition, you are still solely learning Bible verses.
ReplyDeleteI’ll be honest, I never did AWANA. To be fair though, I’ve never really fit in with the other kids in my church for a variety of reasons (the obvious one is that I was homeschooled). But it is so easy to get caught up in the lyrics and melody and not think about the actual meaning of the words
ReplyDeleteYou just slammed me back to being 8 years old and OBSESSED with Awana! I loved it so much and I was 100% the gremlin who wanted the shiny prizes. I guess not much has fundamentally changed about me in the last decade! Thank you for this eye opening piece about my attitude when it comes to worship and songs!
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