OPTION 1: PICK-UP STICKS
This childhood game of dropping a cluster of colorful sticks on the table and then picking them up one at a time without moving any other stick takes a steady hand and some strategy. Eventually it becomes too difficult and another stick is moved because of its connection to the stick you try to retrieve. When an unintended stick moves, you lose your turn to the next person. The individual who ends up with the most sticks wins.
There are multiple spiritual analogies with this game. Our lesson this week shows connections between law and love, as well as the connection between various laws.
There are other versions of this game, such as Kerplunk or Jenga, or the highly physical Twister. If you have a large group, divide them into smaller groups to play simultaneously. You could also do large scale version of pick-up sticks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYgLhDedV_Y or create your own version of Kerplunk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ16GMVBsm4
OPTION 2: REBUS PUZZLES
They say, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” but what if it’s only worth a few words? Rebus puzzles are pictures/artwork that represent a word or phrase. Solving a Rebus puzzle requires thinking in certain ways. You can find all sorts of these online or in books. Click on the button below and you’ll have 10 Rebus puzzles at your disposal.
You can make this a team competition by giving one side five or 10 seconds to get the correct answer and then giving it to the other side. Alternate who goes first. The purpose of this opening activity is to help people think in more than one way. That is important with the topic of “Law and Love Revisited” because reconciling those concepts can be a challenge.
TRANSITION
As we consider “Law and Love Revisited,” be careful that you keep those concepts together. When people carelessly mention how easily they break God’s law, we would do better to see that as diminishing or destroying love. This is true for God’s love and laws, as well as the love and laws/rules we have in relationships with friends and family.