NO. 01 GOD IS LOVE (2011)
The idea that God loves EVERY ONE of God’s kids equally – no matter their history, nationality, beliefs, sins, strengths, etc – is profoundly moving to me. For nothing can separate us for the love of God…. And not only do I want to see myself as one of those deeply loved kids, I want to see every single other person I ever meet as my brother or sister, engulfed in God’s bottomless, paternal, and maternal LOVE.
LYRICS
GOD IS LOVE
Oh…God is love.
Oh…God is love.
The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
(Psalm 145:8)
The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of God’s unfailing love.
(Psalm 33:5)
Oh…God is love.
Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.
(Psalm 36:5)
We will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with our mouths we will make Your faithfulness known through all generations.
(Psalm 89:1)
Oh…God is love.
Let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us…
(1 John 4:7-10)
Oh…God is love.
Opening Prayer.
GOD’S CHILDREN | Aaron Niequist
Father of the beaten down
Lover of the strong and proud
God of every class, from the greenest grass to the underpass
You’re the Maker of us all
Father of each citizen
Lover of each immigrant
God of everyone who has ever been an alien
You’re Creator of us all
Animator of us all
Oh—You love your children, Love your children
Every daughter, every son
Oh—You love your children, All your children
Help us see You in each one
Father of the most oppressed
Lover of the least impressed
God of every kid who has ever hid from being hit
You’re the Seer of us all
Loving Weeper for us all
Oh—You love your children, Love your children
Every daughter, every son
Oh—You love your children, All your children
Help us see You in each one
And Jesus spoke, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
(Matt 5:43-45)
You bring the rain down
On the good and bad, The good and bad
On all —— Your children
And You make the Sun shine
On the good and bad, The good and bad
In all —— Your children
Father Richard Rohr writes:
“We live with an inherent dignity – our divine sonship and our divine daughterhood – by reason of our creation. This is a dignity that God has given to us and no one can take from us.
And it has nothing to do with our race or religion or past or sin. Every single person on earth is just as much children of God as we are. Objectively. Theologically. Eternally. Where else do we think they came from? Did some other god create them, except THE GOD? Their divine DNA is the same as ours. We deny our monotheism if we believe anything else.”
We were all once aliens
And we’re all so full of sin
But in Jesus’ name we are welcomed in, as citizens
A brand new family, old and young
From every nation, faith, and tongue
A new creation has begun
From every nation, faith, and tongue
Oh—You love your children, Love your children
Every daughter, every son
Oh—You love your children, All your children
Help us see You in each one
Confession.
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.”
(1 John 3:16)
AND CAN IT BE THAT I SHOULD GAIN Charles Wesley, Thomas Campbell
And can it be that I should gain
an interest in the Savior’s blood!
Died he for me? who caused his pain!
For me? who him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be
that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
He left his Father’s throne above
(so free, so infinite his grace!),
emptied himself of all but love,
and bled for Adam’s helpless race.
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free,
for O my God, it found out me!
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free,
for O my God, it found out me!
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
(Romans 5:6-8)
Oh, God is Love.
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Jesus Christ, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
(Col 1:19-20)
Oh, God is Love.
Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
thine eye diffused a quickening ray;
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
my chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed thee.
No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in him, is mine;
alive in him, my living Head,
and clothed in righteousness divine,
bold I approach th’ eternal throne,
and claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Amazing love! How can it be
that thou, my God, should die for me?
Space to pray.
Amazing love! How can it be
that thou, my God, should die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be
that You would die for everybody
Oh—You love your children, Love your children
Every daughter, every son
Oh—You love your children, All your children
Help us see You in each one
Thank You
Oh… God is love.