Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, April 6, 2023)
Welcome to Thursdays at All Hallows. The best description of All Hallows Murray is an online gathering place for Christians and those exploring the Christian faith. The services of praise, proclamation, and prayer that are offered on this blogsite are not intended to replace those of a local church but are offered for the benefit of those who are unable to attend a local church for any reason, who may be traveling, or who wish to test the water before taking the plunge, or who otherwise may benefit from them.
DRAWING NEAR TO GOD
Gathering Song:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen’s “Sing Out, Earth and Skies!”
1 Come, O God of all the earth;
come to us, O Righteous One.
Come and bring our love to birth;
in the glory of your Son.
Sing out, earth and skies!
Sing of the God who loves you.
Raise your joyful cries,
Dance to the life around you.
2 Come, O God of wind and flame;
fill the earth with righteousness.
Teach us all to sing your name;
may our lives your love confess.
Sing out, earth and skies!
Sing of the God who loves you.
Raise your joyful cries,
Dance to the life around you.
3 Come, O God of flashing light;
twinkling star and burning sun.
God of day and God of night;
in your light we all are one.
Sing out, earth and skies!
Sing of the God who loves you.
Raise your joyful cries,
Dance to the life around you.
4 Come, O God of snow and rain;
shower down upon the earth.
Come, O God of joy and pain;
God of sorrow, God of mirth.
Sing out, earth and skies!
Sing of the God who loves you.
Raise your joyful cries,
Dance to the life around you.
5 Come, O Justice, come, O Peace;
come and shape our hearts anew.
Come and make oppression cease;
bring us all to life in you.
Sing out, earth and skies!
Sing of the God who loves you.
Raise your joyful cries,
Dance to the life around you.
Sing out, earth and skies!
Sing of the God who loves you.
Raise your joyful cries,
Dance to the life around you.
I give you a new commandment, says the Lord, ‘that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.’ (John 13:34)
We are gathered together as the family of God
in our heavenly Father’s presence
to offer praise and thanksgiving
to ask forgiveness of our sins
to hear and receive God’s holy Word
to pray for the needs of the world
and to seek God’s grace
that through Jesus Christ our Lord
and in the power of the Holy Spirit
we may give ourselves to God’s service.
Prayers of Penitence and Forgiveness
Return to the Lord, who will have mercy:
to our God, who will richly pardon. (Isaiah 55:7)
A time of silence is kept, followed by this Kyrie
Open this link in a new tab to hear Ted Kim and Cindy Rethmeier’s “Kyrie Eleison”
For the things we’ve done and left undone
For the ways we’ve wandered from your heart
Forgive us, we pray
Forgive us, we pray
For the idols we put on Your throne
For the loves we choose above Your own
Forgive us, we pray
Forgive us, we pray
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us, on us
in our heavenly Father’s presence
to offer praise and thanksgiving
to ask forgiveness of our sins
to hear and receive God’s holy Word
to pray for the needs of the world
and to seek God’s grace
that through Jesus Christ our Lord
and in the power of the Holy Spirit
we may give ourselves to God’s service.
Prayers of Penitence and Forgiveness
Return to the Lord, who will have mercy:
to our God, who will richly pardon. (Isaiah 55:7)
A time of silence is kept, followed by this Kyrie
Open this link in a new tab to hear Ted Kim and Cindy Rethmeier’s “Kyrie Eleison”
For the things we’ve done and left undone
For the ways we’ve wandered from your heart
Forgive us, we pray
Forgive us, we pray
For the idols we put on Your throne
For the loves we choose above Your own
Forgive us, we pray
Forgive us, we pray
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us, on us
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us, on us
For the lies that we clutch to our chests
For the fear that wants to steal our breath
Forgive us, we pray
And give us Your grace
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us, on us
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us, on us
For the lies that we clutch to our chests
For the fear that wants to steal our breath
Forgive us, we pray
And give us Your grace
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us, on us
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us, on us
Bridge:
Forgiving God, forgiving us
Forgiving God, forgiving us
Forgiving God, forgiving us
Forgiving God, forgiving us
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us, on us
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us, on us
After the Kyrie, a short silence is kept before saying
May the Lord forgive what we have been,
help us to amend what we are
and direct what we shall be,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymn of Preparation:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’s “Not for Tongues of Heaven’s Angels.”
1 Not for tongues of heaven's angels,
not for wisdom to discern,
not for faith that masters mountains,
for this better gift we yearn:
May love be ours, Lord;
may love be ours.
May love be ours, O Lord.
Love is humble, love is gentle,
love is tender, true and kind;
love is gracious, ever patient,
generous of heart and mind:
May love be ours, Lord;
may love be ours.
May love be ours, O Lord.
Never jealous, never selfish,
love will not rejoice in wrong;
never boastful or resentful,
love believes and suffers long:
May love be ours, Lord;
may love be ours.
May love be ours, O Lord.
Soon will fade the word of wisdom.
Faith and hope be one day past;
When we see our Savior clearly,
Love it is alone will last.
May love be ours, Lord;
may love be ours.
May love be ours, O Lord.
May love be ours, O Lord.
The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.
Let us pray.
Silence
Holy God, source of all love,
on the night of his betrayal
Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment,
to love one another as he loved them:
write this commandment in our hearts,
and give us the will to serve others
as he was the servant of all,
who gave his life and died for us,
yet is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
HEARING GOD’S WORD
Scripture Reading:
A reading from the New Testament (John 13: 31-35)
As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, “The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will give his own glory to the Son, and he will do so at once. Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
Silence
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
For disciples of Jesus what are the major implications of the new commandment he gave his first disciples, the commandment to love one another? This is a question that all who seek to follow Jesus’ teaching and example are bound to ask not just once but many times in their faith journey. I have identified what I believe are six major implications of this commandment for long-time disciples, new disciples, and those who are exploring the Christian faith and way of life. Let's take a look at these implications.
The first major implications of Jesus’ commandment to love one another is to take a interest in our fellow Christians. We are friendly to them. We behave in a pleasant and kind way toward them. We try to be helpful in whatever way that we can.
By taking an interest in them, I don’t mean being overly intrusive, affecting them in a way that annoys them and makes them feel uncomfortable. We respect their personal boundaries. These boundaries will vary with the individual.
Respecting someone else’s personal boundaries can be challenging if that person does not communicate their boundaries to us. In our eagerness to get to know them better, we may inadvertently overstep one or more of their personal boundaries.
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us, on us
Bridge:
Forgiving God, forgiving us
Forgiving God, forgiving us
Forgiving God, forgiving us
Forgiving God, forgiving us
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us, on us
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us, on us
After the Kyrie, a short silence is kept before saying
May the Lord forgive what we have been,
help us to amend what we are
and direct what we shall be,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymn of Preparation:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Dudley Smith’s “Not for Tongues of Heaven’s Angels.”
1 Not for tongues of heaven's angels,
not for wisdom to discern,
not for faith that masters mountains,
for this better gift we yearn:
May love be ours, Lord;
may love be ours.
May love be ours, O Lord.
Love is humble, love is gentle,
love is tender, true and kind;
love is gracious, ever patient,
generous of heart and mind:
May love be ours, Lord;
may love be ours.
May love be ours, O Lord.
Never jealous, never selfish,
love will not rejoice in wrong;
never boastful or resentful,
love believes and suffers long:
May love be ours, Lord;
may love be ours.
May love be ours, O Lord.
Soon will fade the word of wisdom.
Faith and hope be one day past;
When we see our Savior clearly,
Love it is alone will last.
May love be ours, Lord;
may love be ours.
May love be ours, O Lord.
May love be ours, O Lord.
The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.
Let us pray.
Silence
Holy God, source of all love,
on the night of his betrayal
Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment,
to love one another as he loved them:
write this commandment in our hearts,
and give us the will to serve others
as he was the servant of all,
who gave his life and died for us,
yet is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
HEARING GOD’S WORD
Scripture Reading:
A reading from the New Testament (John 13: 31-35)
As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, “The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will give his own glory to the Son, and he will do so at once. Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
Silence
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
A New Commandment
For disciples of Jesus what are the major implications of the new commandment he gave his first disciples, the commandment to love one another? This is a question that all who seek to follow Jesus’ teaching and example are bound to ask not just once but many times in their faith journey. I have identified what I believe are six major implications of this commandment for long-time disciples, new disciples, and those who are exploring the Christian faith and way of life. Let's take a look at these implications.
The first major implications of Jesus’ commandment to love one another is to take a interest in our fellow Christians. We are friendly to them. We behave in a pleasant and kind way toward them. We try to be helpful in whatever way that we can.
By taking an interest in them, I don’t mean being overly intrusive, affecting them in a way that annoys them and makes them feel uncomfortable. We respect their personal boundaries. These boundaries will vary with the individual.
Respecting someone else’s personal boundaries can be challenging if that person does not communicate their boundaries to us. In our eagerness to get to know them better, we may inadvertently overstep one or more of their personal boundaries.
Loving one another requires honest and open communication between Christians. We need to tell each other what we consider to be the limits of acceptable behavior where we are concerned. We cannot expect others not to overstep our personal boundaries if we do not communicate our boundaries to them. We cannot expect them to read our minds.
This is best done directly and not through a third party. Third parties can miscommunicate boundaries and expectations. They can embroider on what we said, or they can communicate to the other person their understanding of what we said, which may be entirely different from what we meant.
Psychologists call this form of indirect communication triangulation, or triangular communication. Rather than resolving an issue or improving communication, it can make a situation worse. It is far better to have a straightforward conversation with the other person. In this way we can ask for clarification if and when we need to.
As well as being clear in communicating our boundaries to our fellow Christians, we also need to be clear in communicate our expectations of them to them. This includes asking them what they understood us to have said. As in the case of personal boundaries a straightforward conversation with the other person works best. This gives them an opportunity to raise objections if they believe that our expectations are unreasonable and to negotiate more realistic expectations with us. It is always a mistake to assume that the other person knows and understands what we expect from them. If we are genuinely seeking to obey Jesus’ commandment to ;love one another, it is incumbent on us to make sure that they do know and understand our expectations of them.
Loving one another involves getting past our personal feelings toward a fellow Christian or our lack of feelings for them. We may not find a particular individual agreeable—pleasant or pleasing. But we love them despite the things that we dislike in them. We do not let our personal feelings toward them or our lack of feelings for them interfere with our relationship with them as a Christian.
We do our best to understand that individual. We avoid making negative assumptions about them. We choose to believe something good about them, rather than something bad when we have the possibility of doing either.
It is also important to remember that people are not going to know what we dislike in them and do something about it unless we tell them. They may not realize that they are doing something that people may dislike. They cannot read our thoughts, and we should not expect them to guess what we are thinking.
Expecting a child to read a parent’s mind, psychologists tell us, is a form of emotional abuse. If our parents had that expectation of us and we internalized it as a child, we may expect other people to read our minds. This expectation, however, is a distorted way of thinking.
This leads to a second major implication of Jesus’ commandment to love one another. Christians need to cut each other some slack! We need to allow our fellow Christians some leeway in their conduct. We need to ease up on them and give them more time or more of a chance. In his teachings Jesus warns his disciples about judging others too severely.
A third major implication of Jesus’ commandment to love one another is that no one in a particular group of his disciples such as a local church is exempt from obeying this commandment. Everyone is expected to do their best to keep it. Everyone is expected to behave in a pleasant and kind way toward the other members of the group.
Communicating this expectation clearly to the group conveys the importance of this commandment to their common life together. Jesus said that his disciples would be known by their love for one another. He also said that those who loved him would show their love by obeying his commandments. Whoever obeyed his teachings were his disciples. He further taught that his disciples should be merciful like God is merciful and should be kind and forgiving.
A fourth major implication is that all members of a local church have a responsibility to help each other develop those qualities of character that will enable them to live Jesus’ commandment to love one another. These qualities include being approachable—friendly and easy to talk to; kind—generous, helpful, and caring about other people; considerate—thoughtful of other people’s feelings; forgiving—letting go of anger and resentment and not hold things against others; patient—not easily angered or displeased; honest—not hiding the truth, misleading others, telling only a part of the truth, and other similar things; compassionate—showing sympathy with the suffering of others and exhibiting a desire to help; empathetic—understanding the feelings of others and putting ourselves in their place; and the like.
A fifth major implication is that all members of a local church should avoid harmful behavior like saying false and unpleasant things about their fellow members; spreading rumors intended to harm or upset them; having conversations with other church members about a particular church member’s private life that are unkind, disapproving, or untrue; not speaking to a particular church member or speaking very little to them; reacting in a very angry way to something that a fellow church member says or does; being extremely unkind and unpleasant to a fellow church member and causing them pain intentionally; annoying or upsetting a fellow church member with unwanted or offensive sexual attention, suggestions, or talk; bullying a fellow church member; trying to turn other church members against a particular church member; and otherwise doing what they can to make life miserable for that person. None of this behavior fits with Jesus’ commandment to love one another. They also do not fit with John Wesley’s general rule not to do harm and to avoid all forms of evil.
A sixth major implication of Jesus’ commandment to love another is that members of a local church who are not on good terms or friendly terms with each other should be encouraged to forgive each other and reconcile with each other. When a bad situation festers, it becomes worse because it is being ignored. It can affect other relationships in the local church over time and interfere with the common life of the church.
Holding onto anger and resentment toward a fellow Christ is spiritually and psychologically harmful to the person who is experiencing the feelings of anger and resentment.
People express anger differently. Some express anger directly; others, indirectly. Those who express anger indirectly often act out their angry feelings in ways that can hurt or do harm to themselves as well as the person with whom they are angry or upset. While we generally think of anger hurting or doing harm to someone when it is expressed in the form of verbal abuse or physical violence, it can also be damaging when it is expressed in indirect ways. For example, a parent who is angry or upset with a child may withhold all attention from the child to the extent that the child’s life is in danger.
In 1 John 3: 15 the apostle John uses very strong language in warning about the danger of hanging onto angry feelings to the point that they turn to intense dislike, or hatred. He writes:
“Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.
John goes on to write:
“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?” (1 John 4: 20 NLT)
In Matthew 5: 21-22 Jesus equates anger with the desire to kill someone. “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment!” Feelings of anger and resentment are not feelings that we want to nurse in our hearts. Rather we need to verbalize them and then let them go.
Loving on another is not just how we behave toward our fellow Christians, what we say and what we do. It is an attitude and a way of thinking. We do not go looking for their faults, for their mistakes, for their weaknesses in character. We do not pounce on any slip they make. When we cannot find any failings, we do not imagine them. Rather we do our best to see our fellow Christians as God sees them. We make allowances for them. We consider mitigating circumstances. We do not jump to conclusions or rush to judgement but take the time and make the effort to understand people and situations.
Loving one another means being genuinely at peace with each other. It means living and working together harmoniously without having any unresolved bad feelings coming between us and our fellow Christians. . Loving one another also conveys to an unbelieving world that we indeed take the teaching and example of Jesus seriously and Jesus is truly the most important influence in our lives. Jesus is indeed our Lord.
Silence
Hymn of Response:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Micael Joncas’ “God Is Love.”
God is love, and all who live in love
abide in God, and God abides in them.
God is love, and all who live in love
abide in God, and God abides in them.
1 The love of Christ has gathered us as one:
In him let us rejoice; in him let us be glad.
Let us revere and love the living God.
With heart and mind and soul now let’s love sincerely.
God is love, and all who live in love
abide in God, and God abides in them.
God is love, and all who live in love
abide in God, and God abides in them.
2 Therefore as now we gather into one,
Let discord find no place, nor hatred rule our hearts.
Let evil deeds and bitter words now cease,
Christ stay in our midst and dwell with us forever.
God is love, and all who live in love
abide in God, and God abides in them.
God is love, and all who live in love
abide in God, and God abides in them.
3. Then with the saints let us behold your face,
A light with glory, Christ, our brother and our God.
And may this joy, unbounded and immense,
Fulfill our hearts' desire through ages without ending.
God is love, and all who live in love
abide in God, and God abides in them.
God is love, and all who live in love
abide in God, and God abides in them.
PRAYING FOR GOD’S WORLD
Concerns and Prayers:
A short pause for silent prayer may be made after each response. The bidding in brackets [ ] may be omitted.
Let us implore the all-holy and ever-blessed Trinity to show mercy and grace to us and to all people.
O God the Father, have mercy upon us:
O God the Father, have mercy upon us.
O God the Son, have mercy upon us:
O God the Son, have mercy upon us.
O God the Holy Spirit, have mercy upon us:
O God the Holy Spirit, have mercy upon us.
Stretch out your hand upon us, O Lord, and save us; raise us up and defend us.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for the peace that comes from above, and for the salvation of our souls.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for the peace of the whole world, and for the welfare and unity of the Church of God.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for the conversion of those who do not yet believe or have fallen into error.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for our country, for this place [or city], for this district, and for all that live in it.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for all Christian people throughout the world.
Lord, have mercy.
[Let us pray for all Christian princes and governors, especially our Sovereign Lord, King Charles.]
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for all in authority in this land, especially those in this county [or city or place].
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for all who minister in Christ's Church, especially for N. our pastor.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for all who are traveling by land, sea, or air.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for steadfastness in the faith for our brothers and sisters in other lands.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for all who are sick or suffering, in mind, body, or state of life.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for quiet, peaceful lives, free from temptation and sin, and for a joyful reunion with all our loved ones in heaven at life’s end.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray that we may faithfully represent Christ in the world and to the world.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for the faithful departed.
Lord, have mercy.
(Other biddings may be added here.)
Lord, you have given us grace to agree in these prayers, and you have promised that when two or three ask together in your name you will grant their requests. Fulfil now, Lord, our desires and prayers as may be best for us. Grant us in this life, knowledge of your truth and in the age to come, life eternal. Amen.
And now as our Savior Christ taught us, we are bold to say:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
GOING OUT TO SERVE
Closing Song:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen’s “We Are Many Parts.”
We are many parts
We are all one body
And the gifts we have
We are given to share
May the spirit of love, make us one indeed
One, the love that we share
One, our hope in despair
One, the cross that we bear
God of all, we look to You
We would be Your servants true
Let us be Your love for all the world
We are many parts
We are all one body
And the gifts we have
We are given to share
May the spirit of love, make us one indeed
One, the love that we share
One, our hope in despair
One, the cross that we bear
All you seekers great and small
Seek the greatest gift of all
If you love, then you will know the Lord
We are many parts
We are all one body
And the gifts we have
We are given to share
May the spirit of love, make us one indeed
One, the love that we share
One, our hope in despair
One, the cross that we bear
Benediction:
May the Lord bless us and keep us,
May the Lord make his face to shine on us and be gracious to us,
May the Lord look on us with kindness and give us peace. Amen.
This is best done directly and not through a third party. Third parties can miscommunicate boundaries and expectations. They can embroider on what we said, or they can communicate to the other person their understanding of what we said, which may be entirely different from what we meant.
Psychologists call this form of indirect communication triangulation, or triangular communication. Rather than resolving an issue or improving communication, it can make a situation worse. It is far better to have a straightforward conversation with the other person. In this way we can ask for clarification if and when we need to.
As well as being clear in communicating our boundaries to our fellow Christians, we also need to be clear in communicate our expectations of them to them. This includes asking them what they understood us to have said. As in the case of personal boundaries a straightforward conversation with the other person works best. This gives them an opportunity to raise objections if they believe that our expectations are unreasonable and to negotiate more realistic expectations with us. It is always a mistake to assume that the other person knows and understands what we expect from them. If we are genuinely seeking to obey Jesus’ commandment to ;love one another, it is incumbent on us to make sure that they do know and understand our expectations of them.
Loving one another involves getting past our personal feelings toward a fellow Christian or our lack of feelings for them. We may not find a particular individual agreeable—pleasant or pleasing. But we love them despite the things that we dislike in them. We do not let our personal feelings toward them or our lack of feelings for them interfere with our relationship with them as a Christian.
We do our best to understand that individual. We avoid making negative assumptions about them. We choose to believe something good about them, rather than something bad when we have the possibility of doing either.
It is also important to remember that people are not going to know what we dislike in them and do something about it unless we tell them. They may not realize that they are doing something that people may dislike. They cannot read our thoughts, and we should not expect them to guess what we are thinking.
Expecting a child to read a parent’s mind, psychologists tell us, is a form of emotional abuse. If our parents had that expectation of us and we internalized it as a child, we may expect other people to read our minds. This expectation, however, is a distorted way of thinking.
This leads to a second major implication of Jesus’ commandment to love one another. Christians need to cut each other some slack! We need to allow our fellow Christians some leeway in their conduct. We need to ease up on them and give them more time or more of a chance. In his teachings Jesus warns his disciples about judging others too severely.
A third major implication of Jesus’ commandment to love one another is that no one in a particular group of his disciples such as a local church is exempt from obeying this commandment. Everyone is expected to do their best to keep it. Everyone is expected to behave in a pleasant and kind way toward the other members of the group.
Communicating this expectation clearly to the group conveys the importance of this commandment to their common life together. Jesus said that his disciples would be known by their love for one another. He also said that those who loved him would show their love by obeying his commandments. Whoever obeyed his teachings were his disciples. He further taught that his disciples should be merciful like God is merciful and should be kind and forgiving.
A fourth major implication is that all members of a local church have a responsibility to help each other develop those qualities of character that will enable them to live Jesus’ commandment to love one another. These qualities include being approachable—friendly and easy to talk to; kind—generous, helpful, and caring about other people; considerate—thoughtful of other people’s feelings; forgiving—letting go of anger and resentment and not hold things against others; patient—not easily angered or displeased; honest—not hiding the truth, misleading others, telling only a part of the truth, and other similar things; compassionate—showing sympathy with the suffering of others and exhibiting a desire to help; empathetic—understanding the feelings of others and putting ourselves in their place; and the like.
A fifth major implication is that all members of a local church should avoid harmful behavior like saying false and unpleasant things about their fellow members; spreading rumors intended to harm or upset them; having conversations with other church members about a particular church member’s private life that are unkind, disapproving, or untrue; not speaking to a particular church member or speaking very little to them; reacting in a very angry way to something that a fellow church member says or does; being extremely unkind and unpleasant to a fellow church member and causing them pain intentionally; annoying or upsetting a fellow church member with unwanted or offensive sexual attention, suggestions, or talk; bullying a fellow church member; trying to turn other church members against a particular church member; and otherwise doing what they can to make life miserable for that person. None of this behavior fits with Jesus’ commandment to love one another. They also do not fit with John Wesley’s general rule not to do harm and to avoid all forms of evil.
A sixth major implication of Jesus’ commandment to love another is that members of a local church who are not on good terms or friendly terms with each other should be encouraged to forgive each other and reconcile with each other. When a bad situation festers, it becomes worse because it is being ignored. It can affect other relationships in the local church over time and interfere with the common life of the church.
Holding onto anger and resentment toward a fellow Christ is spiritually and psychologically harmful to the person who is experiencing the feelings of anger and resentment.
People express anger differently. Some express anger directly; others, indirectly. Those who express anger indirectly often act out their angry feelings in ways that can hurt or do harm to themselves as well as the person with whom they are angry or upset. While we generally think of anger hurting or doing harm to someone when it is expressed in the form of verbal abuse or physical violence, it can also be damaging when it is expressed in indirect ways. For example, a parent who is angry or upset with a child may withhold all attention from the child to the extent that the child’s life is in danger.
In 1 John 3: 15 the apostle John uses very strong language in warning about the danger of hanging onto angry feelings to the point that they turn to intense dislike, or hatred. He writes:
“Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.
John goes on to write:
“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?” (1 John 4: 20 NLT)
In Matthew 5: 21-22 Jesus equates anger with the desire to kill someone. “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment!” Feelings of anger and resentment are not feelings that we want to nurse in our hearts. Rather we need to verbalize them and then let them go.
Loving on another is not just how we behave toward our fellow Christians, what we say and what we do. It is an attitude and a way of thinking. We do not go looking for their faults, for their mistakes, for their weaknesses in character. We do not pounce on any slip they make. When we cannot find any failings, we do not imagine them. Rather we do our best to see our fellow Christians as God sees them. We make allowances for them. We consider mitigating circumstances. We do not jump to conclusions or rush to judgement but take the time and make the effort to understand people and situations.
Loving one another means being genuinely at peace with each other. It means living and working together harmoniously without having any unresolved bad feelings coming between us and our fellow Christians. . Loving one another also conveys to an unbelieving world that we indeed take the teaching and example of Jesus seriously and Jesus is truly the most important influence in our lives. Jesus is indeed our Lord.
Silence
Hymn of Response:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Micael Joncas’ “God Is Love.”
God is love, and all who live in love
abide in God, and God abides in them.
God is love, and all who live in love
abide in God, and God abides in them.
1 The love of Christ has gathered us as one:
In him let us rejoice; in him let us be glad.
Let us revere and love the living God.
With heart and mind and soul now let’s love sincerely.
God is love, and all who live in love
abide in God, and God abides in them.
God is love, and all who live in love
abide in God, and God abides in them.
2 Therefore as now we gather into one,
Let discord find no place, nor hatred rule our hearts.
Let evil deeds and bitter words now cease,
Christ stay in our midst and dwell with us forever.
God is love, and all who live in love
abide in God, and God abides in them.
God is love, and all who live in love
abide in God, and God abides in them.
3. Then with the saints let us behold your face,
A light with glory, Christ, our brother and our God.
And may this joy, unbounded and immense,
Fulfill our hearts' desire through ages without ending.
God is love, and all who live in love
abide in God, and God abides in them.
God is love, and all who live in love
abide in God, and God abides in them.
PRAYING FOR GOD’S WORLD
Concerns and Prayers:
A short pause for silent prayer may be made after each response. The bidding in brackets [ ] may be omitted.
Let us implore the all-holy and ever-blessed Trinity to show mercy and grace to us and to all people.
O God the Father, have mercy upon us:
O God the Father, have mercy upon us.
O God the Son, have mercy upon us:
O God the Son, have mercy upon us.
O God the Holy Spirit, have mercy upon us:
O God the Holy Spirit, have mercy upon us.
Stretch out your hand upon us, O Lord, and save us; raise us up and defend us.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for the peace that comes from above, and for the salvation of our souls.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for the peace of the whole world, and for the welfare and unity of the Church of God.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for the conversion of those who do not yet believe or have fallen into error.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for our country, for this place [or city], for this district, and for all that live in it.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for all Christian people throughout the world.
Lord, have mercy.
[Let us pray for all Christian princes and governors, especially our Sovereign Lord, King Charles.]
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for all in authority in this land, especially those in this county [or city or place].
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for all who minister in Christ's Church, especially for N. our pastor.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for all who are traveling by land, sea, or air.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for steadfastness in the faith for our brothers and sisters in other lands.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for all who are sick or suffering, in mind, body, or state of life.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for quiet, peaceful lives, free from temptation and sin, and for a joyful reunion with all our loved ones in heaven at life’s end.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray that we may faithfully represent Christ in the world and to the world.
Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for the faithful departed.
Lord, have mercy.
(Other biddings may be added here.)
Lord, you have given us grace to agree in these prayers, and you have promised that when two or three ask together in your name you will grant their requests. Fulfil now, Lord, our desires and prayers as may be best for us. Grant us in this life, knowledge of your truth and in the age to come, life eternal. Amen.
And now as our Savior Christ taught us, we are bold to say:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
GOING OUT TO SERVE
Closing Song:
Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen’s “We Are Many Parts.”
We are many parts
We are all one body
And the gifts we have
We are given to share
May the spirit of love, make us one indeed
One, the love that we share
One, our hope in despair
One, the cross that we bear
God of all, we look to You
We would be Your servants true
Let us be Your love for all the world
We are many parts
We are all one body
And the gifts we have
We are given to share
May the spirit of love, make us one indeed
One, the love that we share
One, our hope in despair
One, the cross that we bear
All you seekers great and small
Seek the greatest gift of all
If you love, then you will know the Lord
We are many parts
We are all one body
And the gifts we have
We are given to share
May the spirit of love, make us one indeed
One, the love that we share
One, our hope in despair
One, the cross that we bear
Benediction:
May the Lord bless us and keep us,
May the Lord make his face to shine on us and be gracious to us,
May the Lord look on us with kindness and give us peace. Amen.
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