Give As God Gave

Megan Chang

With each new week came a new discipline to learn; the week for the discipline of service had come and gone. From reading to second graders to cleaning the gym bathrooms to running chapel, the 12th grade Spiritual Disciplines class got to experience firsthand what it truly meant to serve others. For three days, students signed up for various tasks that teachers on campus needed assistance with.

“It was so fun reading to second graders. I was surprised to see how excited my kid was to learn about rocks,” said Kylie Toh (12). About half of the students in the senior Bible class headed over to the second grade classroom to read non-fiction books and play math games with them. They did the activities in pairs—one senior and one second grader. The one-on-one interaction allowed them to bond together and get to know each other better. Toh went on, “By the end of the day, she [Toh’s second grader] still recognized me.”

On the other hand, a few other students busied themselves with preparations for the chapel service. The chapel service incorporated some of the things the students did in another discipline, the discipline of worship. While helping Pastor Ronzheimer run chapel, the students also showed how they each glorified God in their own way. Benjamin Mauger, who shared a poem he wrote, said, “I absolutely loved the experience. It was a way to give back to God and use the qualities that God has given me. It also showed me what praise was.”

On the third day, the whole Bible class and Mrs. Allen helped clean the gym bathrooms. This proved a new experience for a lot of students as some of them had never cleaned a bathroom before. Instead of behaving reluctantly, the students went all out and scrubbed every nook and cranny until the whole bathroom smelled fresh of soap. Toh said, “I never thought I would clean the school bathrooms, especially not the boys’ gym bathroom. However, it was actually not as bad as it sounds.”

Other services included picking up trash, making graphic designs, stapling drama programs together for Mr. Sasse, and helping Mr. Edman out on Upper Field. The students did not expect recognition or a reward for their service. They served purely with an open heart and for the love of God. As Philippians 2:3-4 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”