Return to Year B: 2008-2009 Resource Index
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
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
Questions for the Speaker