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Sunday, November 1, 2009
Love God, Love Neighbor, Love Self

Scriptures: Ruth 1:1–18; Psalm 146; Hebrews 9:11–14; Mark 12:28–34/12:33–39 IV; III Nephi 5:89–91; Doctrine and Covenants 154:7b

Prelude

Welcome and Announcements

Responsive Call to Worship: Come to the Table of the Lord

Leader: Come to the table of the Lord; eat and drink with him.

People: We come hungry and thirsty.

Leader: All are invited to come.

People: We come to the Lord’s table:

the rich and the poor, the good and the bad,

the old and the young, the happy and the sad,

the humble and the proud, the whole and the lepers,

the saint and the sinner.

Leader: Come to the table of the Lord

where he will wash your feet,

wipe tears from your eyes,

take your burdens away,

and give you peace beyond measure.

People: We accept the invitation to “Come!”

Leader: Come proclaiming your Lord Jesus Christ.

People: We come proclaiming our love of God, love of neighbor, love of self.

          We come and we follow;

where you go, we will go;

where you lodge, we will lodge;

your people will be our people

and your God our God.

Welcome!

—Ruth 1:16 adapted

*Hymn: “Brothers and Sisters of Mine” HS 388
OR “Companions on the Journey” NS 7

*Invocation

*Response

Disciples’ Generous Response

Hymn: “I Have Called You by Your Name” R-10
OR “Put Peace into Each Other’s Hands” R-15
OR “Let Your Heart Be Broken” HS 377

Communion Message

Prayer for Peace see page 27

Hymn of Preparation: “If Suddenly upon the Street” HS 389
OR “Eat This Bread” NS 8

Silent Prayers of Thanks for God, Neighbors, and Self

Blessing and Serving of Bread and Wine

Hymn: “Santo, Santo, Santo” NS 43
OR “Take My Gifts”

Pastoral Reflection

The Carpenter

Once upon a time, in a land far away but very similar to this land, two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in their relationship after forty years of farming side by side. They had shared their machinery, traded their labor and their goods as needed, and worked well together without a problem.

Then one day, their long collaboration fell apart. It began with just a little thing, really. It was a small misunderstanding, but it grew into a major difference and finally was followed by weeks of silence.

One morning there was a knock on the door of the elder brother John’s homestead. He opened his door to find a man with a carpenter’s toolbox.

“I’m looking for a few days of work,” the man said. “Perhaps you have a few small jobs here and there I could help with? Or could I help in some other way?”

“Yes,” said John, “I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That’s my neighbor. In fact, it’s my younger brother! Last week there was a meadow between us. Then he took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I’ll do him one better. See that pile of timber by the barn? I want you to build me a fence—a three-meter fence—so I won’t need to see his place or his face again.”

The carpenter said, “I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the posthole digger, and I’ll be able to do a job that pleases you.”

John had to go to town that day, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then was off for his day in town.

The carpenter worked hard all day—measuring, sawing, and nailing. About sunset, John returned, just as the carpenter had finished his job. John’s eyes opened wide; his jaw dropped. There was no fence there at all. It was a bridge—a bridge that stretched from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work, handrails and all! And the neighbor, John’s younger brother, was coming toward them, his hands outstretched.

“You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I’ve said and done,” the younger brother said. The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle, taking each other’s hand. They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox onto his shoulder.

“No wait! Stay a few days. We have lots of other projects for you,” said John.

“I’d love to stay on,” said the carpenter, “but I have many more bridges to build!”

—Author Unknown

*Hymn: “Weave” NS 51
OR “Jesus Is Calling” HS 391

*Benediction

*Sending Forth: III Nephi 5:89–91 OR Doctrine and Covenants 154:7b

*Postlude

Scriptures: Ruth 1:1–18; Psalm 146;
Hebrews 9:11–14; Mark 12:28–34/12:33–39 IV

The interchange between Jesus and the Jerusalemite scribe is the last in a series of four encounters in the temple on Jesus’ second day in Jerusalem (beginning with Mark 11:27). In the three previous encounters, Jesus faced hostile questioners trying to discredit him or trap him: the chief priests, scribes, and elders; the Pharisees and Herodians; and the Sadducees. On those three occasions, Jesus answered their question with a sharp counterquestion that put them on the defensive and garnered credibility in the eyes of the people.

In today’s scripture the questioner is not hostile, and the question posed was one commonly debated in the rabbinic schools: “Which commandment is the most important?” Through the years, Jewish leaders had shown two tendencies concerning the law. One was to expand the given laws into a complex system of rules and regulations to cover every occasion. The other tendency was to seek a way to summarize the whole law into one sentence that could provide an overall principle for life. Various answers had been given by different authorities and some pointed to scriptures such as Micah 6:8; Isaiah 66:1, and Habbakuk 2:4.

Jesus answered without hesitation and without turning the question back on the questioner. He quoted two scriptures from the Torah. Deuteronomy 6:4–5 is the great affirmation at the heart of Judaism known as the Shema—“Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” The Shema opened each service in the Jewish synagogue. It was included in the small boxes called phylacteries worn on the hand and forehead during prayer. It was also placed in a small box at the door of each Jewish house to remind them that God watched over their comings and goings. It functioned as a creed and was the verse most well-known to the Jews.

Jesus quoted the Shema as the most important commandment of all. The “heart” in first century Judaism was a symbol that combined both emotion and thought and represented the total personality. The heart understood, provided wisdom, and was the center for making decisions. Similarly, “soul” referred to the totality of a person’s body and spirit. “Might” was the power one had over persons and physical resources. Thus Jesus affirmed that the most important commandment was to devote all of one’s emotions, thoughts, decisions, life, power, relationships, and resources to God.

But Jesus didn’t stop there. He went on to quote Leviticus 19:18, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The Israelite understanding of “neighbor” was a fellow Israelite, but later, in Leviticus 19:34, the law required Jews to treat alien residents as if they were citizens: “You shall love the alien as yourself.” The scribe who posed the question recognized and affirmed the wisdom of Jesus’ answer, adding that caring for a neighbor was, indeed, more important than temple sacrifice. Jesus approved the scribe’s response and publicly honored him with praise. “You are not far from the kingdom of God” implied both that the scribe had found favor in God’s eyes, and that the principles they had been discussing were the foundation upon which that kingdom was built.

The Gospel writer tells us the answer Jesus gave silenced his opponents. When one loves God and loves their neighbor as much as one’s own life, there is no rebuttal. This three-part way of loving is at the heart of the Lord’s Supper. In partaking together, the believer responds to God in the context of the congregational community. The unity experienced in this fellowship shows how love of God, love of self, and love of others are inseparably connected.

1. The challenge of discipleship is to center our emotions, thoughts, decisions, relationships, and resources in the love of God and others.
    
2. These two principles lie at the heart of bringing forth the kingdom of God.
    
3. Sharing together in Communion expresses love for God and for others.

1. What prevents you from dedicating your life, decisions, relationships, and resources to God?
    
2. What would your congregation be like if each member were to truly love God with all their heart, soul, and might?
    
3. What does it mean to “love your neighbor as yourself”? What would it mean to “love your neighbor as himself or herself”? What is really at the heart of this commandment?

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