Senior High Gangway 2/5/09

Last Thursday was the Ultimate Winter Gangway. We started by opening the patio doors and using an industrial floor fan to blast in some cold air (if you recall the temps outside were cooler than normal). Then we brought the students in for our crazy winter game. Four adventurous students volunteered to participate in the fun. They removed their socks and shoes and stood in pan of ice water. They were instructed to dig (with just their faces) in a pile of snow (whipped cream) to find a piece of bubble gum. The first one to blow a bubble would win. To make the game more like a real winter sport, we handed out small marshmallows to the students watching so they could "make it snow" during the competition. It was a wildly fun and very messy time. In the end, Bethany Sproc came out victorious.
After the mayhem, I shared a story about a Spanish King who used almond trees to show his beloved wife what a snow covered hill looked like. I also shared the story of my engagement. Both stories were meant to introduce the topic of love. I reminded the students of the preeminent theme of love throughout the Bible. Then I asked if true love is a gift or a disposition that we develop. We read Roams 5:5, "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." According to this verse, and many others, love is a gift. Yet, the first phrase after the famous love chapter (1 Cor 13) is "pursue love" (1 Cor 14:1). So love is also something we need to pursue - that is develop.
The application is simple. In our relationships love is a gift but we must also pursue it. We see this first in our most important relationship, or relationship with God. We love God because He first loved us (the gift). But we must also pursue and develop this relationship. We must grow in love and faith for God. That is the first and greatest commandment - to love God. We see this secondly in our relationships with each other. The people God has placed in our lives are blessings. Our love for them and vise versa is a gift. But again we are called to grow that love. Thus the second of the greatest commandments is to love our neighbors. So the challenge then is to pursue love. That means love takes effort and work. It is so worth it though. For God tells us "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Cor 13:13).
This Thursday's Gangway (our Valentine Gangway) we are going to talk about the things that keep us from pursuing love the way God intended.