The Greatest Commandment
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series II, Cycle B
Celebrating God's Presence And Power
Pastoral and Congregational Invitation (Pastor and Ministers)
A statement from the African-American church is this: "You pass the entrance exam when you enter the sanctuary." So, welcome to all of you who have passed the exam. Are you ready to hear the Good News, which, in the beginning, may appear as bad news? If so, here we go:
P: Jesus, called the Christ, offers us a way of being fully human.
M: Jesus, called the Christ, presents a new style of life based on love, peace, and justice for all persons, yes, for all persons, even the ones we do not know, even the ones we do not like.
P: He invites the saints, ministers, priests (that's all of us) to declare this way of life to a world writhing in agony.
M: We are the church at worship, so we will be the church in mission to the whole world of people, nature, animals.
P: I invite us to celebrate life in Christ.
M: We are! We do! Amen! Be it so!
Hymn of Commitment
"Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken," John Newton, 1779; alt.; Franz Joseph Haydn, 1797; desc. Michael E. Young, 1979.
Prayer of Praise
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, we rejoice in our creation, sometimes, and we rebel at other times. Sometimes, we appreciate our bodies, feelings, minds; and sometimes, we do not. In these moments, focus us, center us upon you, the Creator, and upon ourselves and each other, created in your image and likeness -- not for the purpose of self-indulgence and self-centered introspection; but for the purpose of discovering our true identity, our true destiny, as people called into being, sustained and empowered by your Living Presence -- so that, in your name, we will have a potent influence on this community, for Christ's sake.
Response
"God Reigns O'er All the Earth," Jane Parker Huber, 1981; Franklin L. Sheppard, 1915.
Celebrating Our Forgiveness
Call to Confession
Do any of us believe that the Ten Commandments and the Great Commandment are passé, out-of-date, no longer viable for the twenty-first century? (Pause for thirty seconds.) If not, think about the amount of time, energy, money, and attention we give to the world's gods. We have a variety from which to choose, which is no different from our ancestors, except that we give them new names: Mars -- god of war; Minerva -- god of the intellect; Venus -- goddess of sex; Vulcan -- god of the industrial civilization; gods of nationalism, socialism, Marxism, capitalism; gods of success, social standing, popularity, economic power. Did I miss any? Of course, we sift these down to two basic gods, either the God of the Bible, or some form of self, or the extended self. Which of these occupies most of your life? Write it down. (Two minutes of silence.)
Response
Confess our involvement, entanglement, entwinement with our lesser gods. Conclude with "Jesus Wept." (See All Saints' Sunday.)
Call to Pardon
God gave the commandments, not to choke, smother, suffocate us; but rather, to bring us life. Remember that we never break God's law; we only break ourselves on the law. The law of health, gravity, relationships still stand even when we choose to disobey them. The essence of the Great Commandment is this: "If you love me, you won't steal, kill, commit adultery, bear false witness, and so on." Any comments? (If none, say nothing for thirty seconds.)
Response
"Lord, I Want to Be a Christian." American folk hymn, from Folk Encounter. (See Appendix I for address.)
Celebrating The Word
Message with the Children of All Ages
Ask if they have ever heard of the Great Commandment. Ask if they know what it means. (Give them time to respond.) Read the Commandment, slowly and deliberately. Ask them to repeat after you, using this model: I (name), love the Lord my God ... I (name), love my neighbor, as I (name) love myself. Point out the meaning of love as an action; make certain that they understand that when we break them, God does not stand over us with a club to bash us, but that God has given us this Commandment as a healthy and helpful way to live our lives. Combine the Gospel with the Children's Message.
Proclamation of the Good News
In scripture, love is an active verb, not a passive noun. Love is neither a feeling nor an emotion; it is a commitment. That is, we take action on behalf of the other, because God in Christ has taken action on our behalf. Such action, the Bible calls justice toward one's neighbor (that is, anyone in need). It springs from God's active love for us.
Celebrating Our Obedience
Stewardship Challenge
"The manner of our giving is worth more than the gift, for many of our gifts are fish hooks" (Author unknown).
Hymn of Commitment
"Take My Life," Frances Ridley Havergal, 1874; H. A. César Malan, 1827.
Charge to the Congregation
Invite the people to repeat this after you: "I, (name), do love the Lord, my God, with all my heart, soul, strength, mind; and I, (name), love my neighbor, as I, (name), love myself." Repeat it two or three times.
Response
"Pass It On," words and music by Kurt Kaiser, from Folk Encounter. (See Appendix I for address.)
Meditation
"In no way can we repay God for the gifts of life and new life. What we can do, and what the Bible calls us to do, is to be good stewards of the whole creation. Not one penny that we give to Christ's mission gets us one inch closer to heaven. One penny, and every dollar we give, we give out of thanks for God's inexpressible gifts of love (agapé) for the whole world" (WHK).
Note
If you want a delightful "tongue-in-cheek" parody of Moses and Aaron about the Ten Commandments, see if you can find "M. R. and the Ten Commandments," by George L. Hunt, which appeared in the Christian Century (December 4, 1957). M. R. stands for "Motivation Research."
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: "Andante," C. P. E. Bach.
Hymn of Praise: "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty." See Trinity Sunday.
Response to the Pardon: (Adult choir) "He Comes to Us," Jane Marshall.
Response to the Message with Children: "A New Creature," words and music by John F. Wilson, from Folk Encounter. (See Appendix I for address.)
Response to the Proclamation: "Magic Penny," found in Singing the Lord's Song. (See Appendix I for address.)
Offertory: "What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love," popular song.
Hymn of Commitment: "God of Grace and God of Glory," Harry Emerson Fosdick, 1930; alt.; John Hughes, 1907.
Response to the Benediction: "Ho, Ho, Ho, Hosanna."
Ho, Ho, Ho, Hosanna;
Ha, Ha, Halleluia;
He, He, He, He saves us,
And we have the joy of the Lord.
(Sing three times and faster each time.)
Music for Dismissal: "Who Will Answer?" made popular by Ed Ames.
Pastoral and Congregational Invitation (Pastor and Ministers)
A statement from the African-American church is this: "You pass the entrance exam when you enter the sanctuary." So, welcome to all of you who have passed the exam. Are you ready to hear the Good News, which, in the beginning, may appear as bad news? If so, here we go:
P: Jesus, called the Christ, offers us a way of being fully human.
M: Jesus, called the Christ, presents a new style of life based on love, peace, and justice for all persons, yes, for all persons, even the ones we do not know, even the ones we do not like.
P: He invites the saints, ministers, priests (that's all of us) to declare this way of life to a world writhing in agony.
M: We are the church at worship, so we will be the church in mission to the whole world of people, nature, animals.
P: I invite us to celebrate life in Christ.
M: We are! We do! Amen! Be it so!
Hymn of Commitment
"Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken," John Newton, 1779; alt.; Franz Joseph Haydn, 1797; desc. Michael E. Young, 1979.
Prayer of Praise
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, we rejoice in our creation, sometimes, and we rebel at other times. Sometimes, we appreciate our bodies, feelings, minds; and sometimes, we do not. In these moments, focus us, center us upon you, the Creator, and upon ourselves and each other, created in your image and likeness -- not for the purpose of self-indulgence and self-centered introspection; but for the purpose of discovering our true identity, our true destiny, as people called into being, sustained and empowered by your Living Presence -- so that, in your name, we will have a potent influence on this community, for Christ's sake.
Response
"God Reigns O'er All the Earth," Jane Parker Huber, 1981; Franklin L. Sheppard, 1915.
Celebrating Our Forgiveness
Call to Confession
Do any of us believe that the Ten Commandments and the Great Commandment are passé, out-of-date, no longer viable for the twenty-first century? (Pause for thirty seconds.) If not, think about the amount of time, energy, money, and attention we give to the world's gods. We have a variety from which to choose, which is no different from our ancestors, except that we give them new names: Mars -- god of war; Minerva -- god of the intellect; Venus -- goddess of sex; Vulcan -- god of the industrial civilization; gods of nationalism, socialism, Marxism, capitalism; gods of success, social standing, popularity, economic power. Did I miss any? Of course, we sift these down to two basic gods, either the God of the Bible, or some form of self, or the extended self. Which of these occupies most of your life? Write it down. (Two minutes of silence.)
Response
Confess our involvement, entanglement, entwinement with our lesser gods. Conclude with "Jesus Wept." (See All Saints' Sunday.)
Call to Pardon
God gave the commandments, not to choke, smother, suffocate us; but rather, to bring us life. Remember that we never break God's law; we only break ourselves on the law. The law of health, gravity, relationships still stand even when we choose to disobey them. The essence of the Great Commandment is this: "If you love me, you won't steal, kill, commit adultery, bear false witness, and so on." Any comments? (If none, say nothing for thirty seconds.)
Response
"Lord, I Want to Be a Christian." American folk hymn, from Folk Encounter. (See Appendix I for address.)
Celebrating The Word
Message with the Children of All Ages
Ask if they have ever heard of the Great Commandment. Ask if they know what it means. (Give them time to respond.) Read the Commandment, slowly and deliberately. Ask them to repeat after you, using this model: I (name), love the Lord my God ... I (name), love my neighbor, as I (name) love myself. Point out the meaning of love as an action; make certain that they understand that when we break them, God does not stand over us with a club to bash us, but that God has given us this Commandment as a healthy and helpful way to live our lives. Combine the Gospel with the Children's Message.
Proclamation of the Good News
In scripture, love is an active verb, not a passive noun. Love is neither a feeling nor an emotion; it is a commitment. That is, we take action on behalf of the other, because God in Christ has taken action on our behalf. Such action, the Bible calls justice toward one's neighbor (that is, anyone in need). It springs from God's active love for us.
Celebrating Our Obedience
Stewardship Challenge
"The manner of our giving is worth more than the gift, for many of our gifts are fish hooks" (Author unknown).
Hymn of Commitment
"Take My Life," Frances Ridley Havergal, 1874; H. A. César Malan, 1827.
Charge to the Congregation
Invite the people to repeat this after you: "I, (name), do love the Lord, my God, with all my heart, soul, strength, mind; and I, (name), love my neighbor, as I, (name), love myself." Repeat it two or three times.
Response
"Pass It On," words and music by Kurt Kaiser, from Folk Encounter. (See Appendix I for address.)
Meditation
"In no way can we repay God for the gifts of life and new life. What we can do, and what the Bible calls us to do, is to be good stewards of the whole creation. Not one penny that we give to Christ's mission gets us one inch closer to heaven. One penny, and every dollar we give, we give out of thanks for God's inexpressible gifts of love (agapé) for the whole world" (WHK).
Note
If you want a delightful "tongue-in-cheek" parody of Moses and Aaron about the Ten Commandments, see if you can find "M. R. and the Ten Commandments," by George L. Hunt, which appeared in the Christian Century (December 4, 1957). M. R. stands for "Motivation Research."
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: "Andante," C. P. E. Bach.
Hymn of Praise: "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty." See Trinity Sunday.
Response to the Pardon: (Adult choir) "He Comes to Us," Jane Marshall.
Response to the Message with Children: "A New Creature," words and music by John F. Wilson, from Folk Encounter. (See Appendix I for address.)
Response to the Proclamation: "Magic Penny," found in Singing the Lord's Song. (See Appendix I for address.)
Offertory: "What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love," popular song.
Hymn of Commitment: "God of Grace and God of Glory," Harry Emerson Fosdick, 1930; alt.; John Hughes, 1907.
Response to the Benediction: "Ho, Ho, Ho, Hosanna."
Ho, Ho, Ho, Hosanna;
Ha, Ha, Halleluia;
He, He, He, He saves us,
And we have the joy of the Lord.
(Sing three times and faster each time.)
Music for Dismissal: "Who Will Answer?" made popular by Ed Ames.
