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Woship Resources 2008-2009 — Year B: Be a Sanctuary of Christ's Peace
Return to Year B: 2008-2009
Resource Index
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Love One Another
Fifth Sunday of Easter
Scriptures: Acts 8:26–40; Psalm 22:25–31; I John
4:7–21; John 15:1–8;
Mosiah 2:22–29; Doctrine and Covenants 162:5, 8c
For the worship center, display several long pieces of ivy or other
artificial or natural vine clippings. Prepare pieces of paper cut in shapes of
fruit, one for each worship participant. Use appropriate colors for the fruit
shapes. Have a supply of paper clips and pens available.
Prelude
Hymns of Praise:
“This Is God’s Wondrous World” R-1
“Creator of Sunrises” HS 186
Welcome and Sharing of God’s Love
Invite the congregation to greet each other with handshakes, hugs, and
other signs of God’s love.
Call to Worship: How Do We Love One Another?
You may prefer to use multiple readers of various ages for this reading.
Leader: Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God;
everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.—I John 4:7
Congregation: This is love, that he loved us and sent his son as a
sacrifice for our sins.
Leader: Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one
another.—I John 4:11
Congregation: If we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is
perfected in us. —I John 4:12
Leader: He has given us his Spirit. Testify of the Savior of the world
and the glory of him that created you.
Congregation: We will teach our children to love one another and to serve
one another.—Mosiah 2:27
Leader: Seek the unity imperative to the building of the kingdom. Break
down the walls that hide love.
Congregation: We labor in love so the Spirit of truth will prevail.—Doctrine
and Covenants 162:5c
All: We love because he first loved us. Amen.
*Hymn of Invocation: “May Thy Presence Be Ours” HS 102
OR “Come, Holy Spirit, Come” NS 6
*Response
Prayer for Peace see
page 27
Story
Read the story of The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn, published by
Tanglewood Press (ISBN 978-1933718002). Editions are available to
order online, or it can be found at local libraries. This story demonstrates how
we can share our love with each other on a daily basis.
OR
Drama
Share the drama “About My Neighbors,” a short, humorous monologue wondering
how we can share love with our neighbors. Available by subscription at
www.dramaministry.com.
OR
Film Clip
Show a film clip from the movie Tuesdays with Morrie, Touchstone
Pictures, 1999, written by Thomas Rickman (based on the book Tuesdays with
Morrie by Mitch Albom). Begin at 1:10:54 and end at 1:12:24. The theme of
the clip is that we must love one another or die. (It requires a CVLI license
for public viewing; see page 26.)
Apparently there has been some confusion with
permissions for Tuesdays with Morrie, as ABC Productions are not
included in the CVLI producers group license.
It is my understanding the Worship Resource
calls for playing a clip of approximately two minutes. This would seem
to fall under the Fair Use Exception to copyright law:
Notwithstanding the provisions of sections
17 U.S.C. § 106
and
17 U.S.C. § 106A,
the fair use of a copyrighted work . . . for purposes such as criticism,
comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for
classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of
copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any
particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall
include:
1.
the purpose and character of the use, including whether such
use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
2.
the nature of the copyrighted work;
3.
the amount and
substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work
as a whole;
and
4.
the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value
of the copyrighted work.
A rule of thumb for
excerpted fair use is no more than 10%. Since the two minute excerpt
represents about 2% to 4% of a feature length movie, and is being used
for educational purposes, our congregations do not need to obtain a
permission for the envisioned use.
Scripture Reading: John 15:1–8
Hymn: “Rain Down” R-8
OR “Gather Your Children” SP 3 OR “My Children, ‘Hear Ye Him,’ My Word”
HS 205
In response to the story, the scripture from John, and the hymn, ask the
worship participants to write on the shapes (described in the worship center
notes) a “love note,” a promise of how they will demonstrate love to
someone, or a prayer request. Have the participants bring their shapes
forward and paper clip them to the vines in the worship center.
Message
Based on I John 4:7–21
Hymn: “Help Us Accept Each Other” HS 171
OR “Let Us Pray for One Another” HS 312
Disciples’ Generous Response
Each Sunday, as part of the Disciples’ Generous Response, we ask you to
integrate the message of “share equally” between Local and World Ministries
Mission Tithes. Generosity stories are provided to keep the church in touch
with how contributions to Mission Tithes spread the peace of Jesus Christ.
Please use the stories, testimonies, and up-to-date contribution information
as part of your offertory ministry. Visit
www.CofChrist.org/generositystories to print a copy, or contact your
pastor, congregational financial officer, or worship coordinator for a copy.
If your congregation observes Mother’s Day (USA) during this worship,
consider supporting with a special offering a local shelter for
women/mothers who have left situations of abuse and fear. Or take on a
project through Outreach International that supports women in their local
communities. Create an offering statement related to the group you choose.
Blessing and Receiving of Mission Tithes
*Closing Hymn: “O Jesus, Master, When Today” HS 422
OR “We Are One in the Spirit” HS 466
*Sending Forth: Doctrine and Covenants 162:8c
*Response
*Postlude
Sermon Helps
Scriptures: Acts 8:26–40; Psalm 22:25–31;
I John 4:7–21; John 15:1–8
Exploring the Scriptures
While there is controversy regarding the authorship of I John, there are
similarities to dominant themes in the Gospel of John. In particular are the
images of living in the light and love of Jesus Christ. Some biblical
authorities believe that the disciple John composed a first draft of the Gospel
and his followers completed the current version. Sequentially, I John may have
been written some time between the draft of the Gospel of John and the
subsequent letters of
II John and III John. Each of the writings emphasizes God’s immeasurable gift of
love as expressed in the life, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus
Christ.
The writer of I John 4:7 addresses the reader as “Beloved” and calls us to
love one another. We are able to love one another because of the love of God.
God loving us does not define God. Rather, love is of God. Love is not God;
rather, it is God who defines love. In response to the blessing of God’s love
for us we express our response by loving others.
Our response to God’s gift of love requires action. Perhaps one of the more
difficult challenges Christians face is the expectation to return God’s love
with love for others. It is much easier to judge others. Yet, the true response
to God’s loving gift of Jesus Christ is to love one another. When we actively
love one another, we express our commitment to follow in the path of Jesus. We
also grow in faith by expressing our response to God’s love through active love
for others.
I John 4:17 affirms our ability to be perfected in love. When God’s love is
within us, we respond by being love for others. When we love others, we can
boldly stand before God on judgment day. We can be assured that our response of
love for all others is acceptable to God. In addition, we are assured that
perfect love casts out fear.
The writer of I John also emphasizes that if we cannot love our brothers and
sisters whom we can see, hear, and touch, then we cannot truly love God who is
invisible to us. When the church body commits to express God’s love through
loving relationships, the fellowship boldly expresses and responds to God’s
infinite gift of love. The only way to return God’s gift of love is to express
our love for and with others. A spiral of love is expressed through this
guidance: God shares love with each one. Each one receives God’s love. Gratitude
for God’s gift is further expressed through our loving others. Because we love
others, God’s love grows within us. The overflowing blessing of God’s love then
empowers us to be more loving.
Central Ideas
- God is love and expressed love by sending Jesus into the world as an
example of unconditional love.
- When we accept God’s love, we are compelled to love others.
- If we cannot love our brothers and sisters who we can see, we cannot
love a God who we cannot see.
- Faith in God’s love, expressed through Jesus Christ, is our call to
action as loving Christian disciples.
Questions for the Speaker
- When have you experienced God’s gift of love in your life?
- How have you overcome prejudice and misunderstanding by loving another?
- Where have you seen love in action? How has it changed lives?
- Why is it essential that faithful disciples learn to express love?
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