Spoken Resources

Litany

Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, your mind and your soul.

We will love God with an intensity
such that no substitute will suffice,
the very mention of God's name will be precious
as we cleave to our time of communion with the sacred.

Love your neighbor as yourself.

We will respect the wisdom of our elders.
We will protect the lives and the reputations of those around us.
We will cherish the relationships entrusted to us.
We will not take what is not ours.
We will learn the value of enough.

Love the Lord your God.

Amen.

~ Copyright © 2002 Katherine Hawker. Posted on her Liturgy Outside website.
http://liturgyoutside.net/

Contemporary Responses to the Ten Commandments

Our society talks about personal autonomy.
Newspapers and films are filled with the notion
that we don’t need God to set us free—we are our own masters.
And God spoke all these words:
I am the Lord your God,
who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

Always ask yourself, “What’s in it for me?”
Remember, you’re number one.
You shall have no other gods before me.

Try to make as much money as you can
and spend all of it on improving your standard of living.
You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything.
You shall not bow down to them or worship them,
for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.

Don’t worry too much about swearing, because it’s just a habit.
Swearing makes you look tough.
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God,
for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

Sunday is just another day in which you can do whatever you want to.
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
Six days you shall labor and do all your work.

Don’t pay any attention to your parents.
They’re old-fashioned and they spoil your fun.
Honor your father and your mother,
so that you may live long
in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

You are entitled to hate people who are nasty
or who in any way make life unpleasant for you.
You shall not murder.

When your marriage gets dull, it’s OK to have an affair or two.
You’re only human.
You shall not commit adultery.

If you have to take what doesn’t belong to you,
make sure you don’t get caught,
because then you have to face the music.
You shall not steal.

Don’t miss out on any gossip about people.
When you put other people down you feel better about yourself.
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

Try to keep up with the Joneses.
Why should other people have more than you do?
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s spouse,
or their hired help, their car or their farm equipment,
or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.
The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous.
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey, then honey from the comb.
By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

~ written by Bert Witvoet, and posted on the Reformed Worship journal website.
http://www.reformedworship.org/author/bert-witvoet

The Ten Commandments: Intergenerational version

You may not love anyone or anything more than you love God.

You may not worship, or put more importance on any person or thing, other than God. You must worship only the Lord, not your parents, not a friend, not a movie star or a sports hero, not a car or boat or skateboard. Nothing.

You may not swear. Use God’s holy name only in a loving way, never to express anger or frustration.

One day of your week should be set aside for rest and the worship of God. Work six days of the week only. You need a special day set aside to relax, to enjoy God’s world, and to meet with other Christians.

Be respectful to your parents. Love them, and the Lord will reward you with a long life.

You may not hate other people; don’t ever think of hurting someone else in any way.

Keep your thoughts and actions pure. Sex is a gift of God to married couples.

You may not take and keep anything that doesn’t belong to you.

You may not tell lies, especially when that lie will hurt someone else.

You may not be jealous of what others have. You may not be jealous of your friend’s new toy or clothes or the big house your neighbor lives in. Be satisfied with what you have.

~ Adapted from the NIV Adventure Bible (Zondervan) by Ron Rienstra. Part of Lifelong Learning, June 2002, posted on Reformed Worship website.
http://www.reformedworship.org/