Okay, time for some nostalgia! How many of you remember that popular series on ABC from the mid-70’s to mid 80’s called “The Love Boat?” I bet most of you do because even if you were too young to see the original episodes it’s been in syndication forever. And I’m betting a bunch of you are already humming the Love Boat theme. How did that go? Let me help you out
Love, exciting and new Come Aboard. We're expecting you. Love, life's sweetest reward. Let it flow, it floats back to you. Love Boat soon will be making another run The Love Boat promises something for everyone Set a course for adventure, Your mind on a new romance. Love won't hurt anymore It's an open smile on a friendly shore. Yes LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE! It's LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE!
That’s not all of the song, but you’re remembering it now! Remember Captain Stubing? Your Ships Doctor played by Bernie Kopell? And then there was Gopher, played by Fred Gandy who went on to be a Congressman from Iowa. And of course “Your Cruise Director” Julie McCoy played by Lauren Tewes. Every week there’d be some guest stars on the show as well. The list was endless; every week a group of recognizable stars would be on the show playing some character or other. What drove the series besides all that star power was that every one of those characters would have a “love problem” of some sort that would get “solved” by the crew by the end of the episode. Do you remember that? How things always ended well?
So after all that nostalgia here comes the payoff and the point. If you think about it, other folks, right along with all of us, come to Cherokee quietly hoping Cherokee will be a Love Boat. Stick with me here! Folks come to Cherokee hoping to find love, hoping to find an answer to some life problem. And we have the answer—okay we don’t, but God does, and so every week our “job” as both passengers and crew on the Love Boat called Cherokee, is to point folks toward God and the love that makes all things new again.
Now you are ready for the Love Boat Challenges!
First, as a crew member on Love Boat Cherokee I challenge you to love someone everyday this week before Valentine’s Day. Make a conscious effort. Find someone who could use a little extra love, and do something that says, “You are loved.” It could be anything, from doing something special for your spouse, to making a phone call to someone you know is going through a hard time. One day it might be giving some extra dollars to help out in Haiti. Just open your mind and heart each day, and let God’s loving Spirit direct you.
Second, I challenge you to invite a friend aboard Love Boat Cherokee. Invite them to join you for worship at Cherokee on Valentines Day. We’ll make it fun. I may even figure out a way so that we can all sing the Love Boat song! And of course I’ll be talking about love in a sermon entitled The Loving Heart. I’ll see you on Valentine Sunday. In the meantime, I’m on a “cruise” to Albuquerque to love that new grandchild of ours.
Love, exciting and new Come Aboard. We're expecting you. Love, life's sweetest reward. Let it flow, it floats back to you. Love Boat soon will be making another run The Love Boat promises something for everyone Set a course for adventure, Your mind on a new romance. Love won't hurt anymore It's an open smile on a friendly shore. Yes LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE! It's LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE!
That’s not all of the song, but you’re remembering it now! Remember Captain Stubing? Your Ships Doctor played by Bernie Kopell? And then there was Gopher, played by Fred Gandy who went on to be a Congressman from Iowa. And of course “Your Cruise Director” Julie McCoy played by Lauren Tewes. Every week there’d be some guest stars on the show as well. The list was endless; every week a group of recognizable stars would be on the show playing some character or other. What drove the series besides all that star power was that every one of those characters would have a “love problem” of some sort that would get “solved” by the crew by the end of the episode. Do you remember that? How things always ended well?
So after all that nostalgia here comes the payoff and the point. If you think about it, other folks, right along with all of us, come to Cherokee quietly hoping Cherokee will be a Love Boat. Stick with me here! Folks come to Cherokee hoping to find love, hoping to find an answer to some life problem. And we have the answer—okay we don’t, but God does, and so every week our “job” as both passengers and crew on the Love Boat called Cherokee, is to point folks toward God and the love that makes all things new again.
Now you are ready for the Love Boat Challenges!
First, as a crew member on Love Boat Cherokee I challenge you to love someone everyday this week before Valentine’s Day. Make a conscious effort. Find someone who could use a little extra love, and do something that says, “You are loved.” It could be anything, from doing something special for your spouse, to making a phone call to someone you know is going through a hard time. One day it might be giving some extra dollars to help out in Haiti. Just open your mind and heart each day, and let God’s loving Spirit direct you.
Second, I challenge you to invite a friend aboard Love Boat Cherokee. Invite them to join you for worship at Cherokee on Valentines Day. We’ll make it fun. I may even figure out a way so that we can all sing the Love Boat song! And of course I’ll be talking about love in a sermon entitled The Loving Heart. I’ll see you on Valentine Sunday. In the meantime, I’m on a “cruise” to Albuquerque to love that new grandchild of ours.
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