SESSION THREE: LIVING IN GOD’S LOVE
Centering Moment
 How do we live in a world so diverse?
 How do we live as a diverse people of God?
 Should there be any limit to our diversity in thought,
word or actions?
Contemplative Exegesis
 Spend the next 40 minutes exploring the four learning
centers located in the room.
 You may engage the centers in any order you chose.
 If time runs out before you finish encountering all the
centers, do not worry; the centers will stay up until the
end of Session Four!
 Enjoy!
Small Group Activity
 Assemble into small groups of 3-4 persons.
 This exercise will build on the learning center that
asked you to reflect on your story of conflict within
your congregation.
 In your small group, each person is invited to share
their story; just read it aloud.
 Once all the stories have been shared, discuss the
following questions:
Small Group Activity
 What did the stories have in common?
 What unique situations or elements did you hear in
each of the narratives?
 As a group, offer suggestions, comments and insights
regarding each of the narratives.
 You will have 20 minutes for this exercise. Each small
group will be asked to offer a brief report to the groupat-large, so take some notes and decide on a
spokesperson.
A Bit More on I John
 I John 3 wants to contrast sin with justice (or, as the
NRSV translates the word, “righteousness)
 Two groups are mentioned:
 The children of God
 The children of the devil (associated with the condition
of “antichrist”)
 So, how would one know one “child” from the other?
 In short, the children of God love one another.
A Bit More on I John
 I John 3:11-17 makes clear that the members of this
Jesus Movement must love in the concrete, with a
willingness to even die for one another as an
expression of love.
 Since Christ died on behalf of “us” (the members of
the assembly? See verse 16), Christ serves as the
example of sacrificial love… to love until it hurts.
 Such a love appears to be a by-product of possessing a
sense of justice.
A Bit More on I John
 The text mentions Cain, but characterizes him as a
child of the devil (“from the evil one”).
 This interpretation is unique to this text and not part
of the Genesis narrative.
 Apparently Cain murdered his brother because Cain
saw the justice pouring forth in Abel’s actions.
 Likewise, the original audience is told they will also
face hatred and persecution because they show justice
alive in the world through their love of one another .
A Bit More on I John
 Heart language:
 Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in
truth and action. And by this we will know that we are
from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him
whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater
than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if
our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before
God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because
we obey his commandments and do what pleases him. (I
John 3:18-22, NRSV).
A Bit More on I John
 In the ancient world, the heart was considered the
thinking organ.
 In the modern world, we associate the heart with
feelings, especially love.
 But for the author, love is more than a mere feeling; it
is truth and action (:18)
 So, for our purposes, you might replace “heart” with
“mind”. I wonder how this simple substitution might
open the text for us? Let’s see…
A Bit More on I John
 Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in
truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from
the truth and will reassure our minds before him whenever
our minds condemn us; for God is greater than our minds,
and he knows everything. Beloved, if our minds do not
condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive
from him whatever we ask, because we obey his
commandments and do what pleases him. (I John 3:18-22,
NRSV).
A Bit More on I John
 So love, according to the writer, involves knowing
something: in short, what is at stake, the risk of radical
love.
 One makes a rational decision to love others, knowing
that one will be asked to make sacrifices.
 The result: one will both abide in Christ while also
suffering as Christ did.
 And Christ loved and suffered because the origin of
such a profound love is God (see 4:7-21).
A Pondering Moment
 “Things change for you when you hang out with people
and become partners with them. Suppose you are
tutoring children in a low-income neighborhood.
When you begin to see that your pupils are gifted,
bright, talented children, yet realize that many of
them are flunking out of school, it pushes you to
challenge and change the school system. When you
begin to know people’s hopes and fears, dreams and
struggles, you move into the fight for justice.”

Janet Wolf, from “Ministry With All God’s Children,” New
World Outlook, Sept.-Oct. 2000, gbgm-umc.org
CLOSING WORSHIP
Responsive Reading
 Answer me when I call, O God of my right! You gave me room
when I was in distress. Be gracious to me, and hear my prayer.
 How long, you people, shall my honor suffer shame?
How long will you love vain words, and seek after lies?
 But know that the Lord has set apart the faithful for Godself;
the Lord hears when I call.
 When you are disturbed, do not sin; ponder it on your beds,
and be silent. Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in
the Lord.
Responsive Reading
 There are many who say, “O that we might see some
good! Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord!’
You have put gladness in my heart more than when
their grain and wine abound.
 I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you
alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.
Closing Prayer (In Unison)
 O Lord, remember not only the men and women of
good will, but also those of ill will. But do not
remember all the suffering they have inflicted on us;
remember the fruits we have brought, thanks to this
suffering—our comradeship, loyalty, humility,
courage, generosity, the greatness of heart which has
grown out of all of this, and when they come to
judgment, let all the fruits which we have borne be
their forgiveness.

Prayer written by an unknown prisoner in Ravenbrück
concentration camp and left beside the body of a dead child.
CLOSING SONG