Nardmornia? The Lion, the Witch, and the 'Kings and Queens'

It was Narnia in a small corner of Lower Merion for the past five days, as Ardmore Presbyterian Church held its annual communitywide Vacation Bible School. Children did the usual summer camp activities—singing, making crafts, playing games, acting out skits—but did so by connecting two books: the Bible and “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” by C.S. Lewis.

“Lewis wrote the book as a ‘thought-experiment’,” said Pastor James Hodsden. “What would the gospel look like in a world of fairy tales?”

The children—more than 100 of them this year—opened each day with prayer and music, and then went to workshops and classes which connected Narnia with the stories of the Bible. Hodsden credited Kristen Thomas-Clarke, director of Christian education for the church, with recruiting the volunteers (there appeared to be no shortage of help on hand Friday morning) and organizing the events.

The week ended with a covered-dish luncheon.

In the video, Hodsden comments on Lewis' enduring literary allegory of faith, and the kings and queens who were getting ready for some lunch.