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Weekly text: Matthew 5:43-48
Faith focus: Love everyone.
Other texts: 1 John 4:7-12, 20-21; Romans 5:6-11
Visuals: white (and/or blue) worship cloth, open Bible, heart symbol
Call to worship: “We worship you” (Together, page 6) or SJ 121
Opening prayer: “May your sun shine” (Together, page 6)
Song suggestions:
“Jesus A Nahetotaetanome (Jesus Lord, How Joyful You Have Made),” HWB 9
“Come Let Us All Unite to Sing,” HWB 12
“O Prince of Peace,” HWB 15
“There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy,” HWB 145
"I Bind My Heart This Tide," HWB 411
"Rain Down," SJ 49
“Open My Ears, Open My Eyes,” SS 5
“Woza Nomthwalo Wakho (Come, Bring Your Burdens to God),” SS 50
“Lord, I Lift Your Name on High,” HS 1026
Children’s time:
Welcome the children and introduce the summer worship theme. Say, “There are many, many things that make for peace. Over these summer months we will discover how we can follow God’s way of peace. Can each of you think of one thing that brings you peace? (Listen to their ideas.) Peace is many different things. Peace is something we feel inside us with God. Peace is how we live with others, and peace is working to bring harmony in our world.”
Read a book about peace, such as The Peace Book, by Todd Barr (Little, Brown Young Readers, 2004); What Does Peace Feel Like?, by Vladimir Radunsky (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2003); or Somewhere Today: A Book of Peace, by Shelly Moore Thomas (Albert Whitman & Company, 1998). Invite the children to look at the worship table and discover the symbol for today (a heart). Remind them to love everyone, especially those hard to love. Explain that each week a new symbol will appear to remind us how to be peacemakers.
Together sing “Peace Is the World Smiling” (Gather ’Round CD). The lyrics are on page 5 in Together. Add actions, if you wish.
Pray together. Ask the children to place their hands on their hearts as you pray. They may repeat these phrases after you if they wish: “Loving God, help us bring peace by loving others. Fill our hearts with your love. Thank you for loving us. Amen.”
Give children a red chenille wire (pipe cleaner) as they return to their seats. They may create a heart symbol to remind them to love everyone.
Scripture reading: Matthew 5:43–48. Invite four readers to read this scripture litany from Together, page 10.
Sermon seeds: In this passage following the Beatitudes, Jesus reinterprets and radicalizes the Law. He teaches his disciples to love everyone, especially those who are difficult to love. God sends rain and sunshine on good people and those who have not done good things. If people only love those who love them, anyone can do that. Jesus asks us to do the hard work of enemy love. This is possible when we remember that we were once enemies of Christ but have been reconciled with God. In times of war, we hear the message to love our neighbor and hate our enemy. How can we live Jesus’ message to love and pray for our enemies? Whom do we find hard to love? How can we move out of our comfort zones and share God’s love with others? How can we love with a more whole, complete, and perfect love?
Song of response: "What Wondrous Love is This," HWB 530
Offering
Sending Song: “The Lord Lift You Up,” SJ 73, or “Come, Holy Spirit,” HS 1049
Benediction: May God’s perfect love flow through you. Love everyone, those who are easy to love and those who are difficult. Go in peace. Amen.
