Shema and Response

A call to worship and act of corporate confession based around the Shema (Hebrew for "Hear..."), which is the call to worship in Jewish Synagogues (Deuteronomy 6: 4-5), and Jesus' incorporation of this in what he described as the 2 greatest commands in the Law.

Hear, O Israel
the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Which is the greatest commandment in God’s Law?
'Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your strength
and with all your mind'
The second is?
Love your neighbour as yourself.
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
There is no commandment greater than these.

From Matt 22:36-40, Mark 12:29-31 and Luke 10:27-28

Response

O Lord our God, the one and only
We confess before you our lack of love.
We have not loved you as we should.
We have not loved others as we love ourselves.
We have been self-centred and self-satisfied.
Yet out of your eternal love for us you sent your son
To show us how to love and to reunite us with you.
In his name we ask your forgiveness
And pray that you would fill us with his spirit
So that we may truly love and serve you
Loving others as you have loved us
Loving not just those who love us, but those who count us as enemies.
Through your reconciling love forgive us and help us to forgive others.
Write these laws of love upon our hearts.
In Jesus name.

Amen.

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