Call to Worship
https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-videos/18-the-science-of-kindness
Song: “10,000 Reasons” Hallelujah Choruses 23-246.
https://samusicindex.com/brass/10-000-reasons-bless-the-lord/10194
Scripture – Responsive Reading
Leader: The Message Bible describes the fifth Fruit of the Spirit as “a sense of compassion in the heart.” It is commonly referred to as kindness.
Response: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law. (Gal. 5:22-23 NASB)
Leader: Kindness is often cited as one of the personality traits which distinguishes believers from non-believers.
Response: Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, which may benefit those who listen. (Eph. 4:29)
Leader: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
Response: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you. (Eph. 4: 29-32 NIV2011)
Leader: It is no coincidence that the Apostle Paul begins his famous definition of love by pointing out that it is related to kindness and the opposite of envy.
Response: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. (1 Corin. 13:4 NIV2011)
Leader: Of course, the greatest example of kindness is the sinless Son of God, Jesus Christ, who, out of his great compassion, came to earth and provided for us a way of salvation.
Response: And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:6-7, NIV 2011).
Song # 618, The Salvation Army Song Book, “O To Be Like Thee”
Kindness Mugs Project
Purchase plain ceramic mugs, which are often available at the dollar store. Use permanent markers (Sharpie® brand works well) and invite the women to write “kindness” phrases on the mugs.
Examples of sayings:
- You are loved. (John 3:16)
- You are a limited edition. (Psalm 119:73)
- You are one of a kind. (Psalm 139:14)
- God is with you. (Isaiah 41:10)
- You are God’s masterpiece. (Ephesians 2: 10)
- Do not fear. God is with you. (Joshua 1:9)
- Smile. (1 Peter 1:8)
- You will still bear fruit in your old age. (Psalm 92: 14)
- All will be well. (Romans 8:28)
- Do the next right thing. (Galatians 6:9)
Once the mugs are decorated, bake them at 350 degrees for 20 minutes to set the marker. Cool completely.
Fill the mugs with candies, a package of hot cocoa, or any other little gift and give them to people in the community, folks in a shelter or the women who could not make it to the meeting that day.
Song: “Mighty to Save,” #26-272, Hallelujah Choruses
https://samusicindex.com/brass?series=Hallelujah+Choruses&title=Mighty+to+Save
Negativity
Scientists talk about negativity bias. Humans are naturally inclined toward negativity. Early humans were better served as a survival mechanism by being suspicious of dangerous situations. If our early ancestors missed something dangerous like an enemy in the camp or a lion in the grass, they might not have survived to live another day.
On the other hand, if our ancestors missed something good like a beautiful sunset, they would at least live to see another beautiful sunset. This negativity bias is even wired into our language. We have one word for the bad, but it’s harder to express the good. For instance, the opposite of “lying” is “telling the truth” and the opposite of “stealing” is “leaving the item where it belongs.” (That’s a mouthful!) Technology has only magnified our negativity bias. We know that the algorithms that power social media cause negative sentiments to get more engagement and spread faster than positive sentiments.
Authentically, it’s hard to be kind. Kindness is not our natural inclination. Kindness takes more time and energy. It is quickly squashed. Even on social media, our kind words and deeds get less attention, fewer likes, shares and views. Struggling with kindness is natural.
Perhaps this is part of the reason that Jesus came to earth and walked among us—to demonstrate genuine kindness, to teach us what it looks like to live counter to the pervasive negativity in our world. Romans 12:21 instructs us, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Jesus went so far as to suggest that when slapped in the face, we literally “turn the other cheek” (Matt. 5:39). Over and over in the gospels, we read of Jesus showing kindness to those in the world who had cast aside. When others tried to silence Bartimaeus, Jesus offered him wholeness and healing (Mark 10:46-52). When the disciples turned away the children, Jesus welcomed them (Mark 10: 13-16). Christ’s example of kindness was passed on to the early church. Paul urged the Galatian believers, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Gal. 6:10). In an unkind world, the Bible challenges believers to be marked by kindness.
Unfortunately, showing kindness is not easy. It takes effort to be kind. The very idea behind kindness is allowing the compassion in our hearts to be expressed in our actions. It is not enough to merely feel for another; we must act on those feelings. Each time Jesus fed the crowds, the Bible records, He “had compassion on them.” (Mark 6:34; Mark 8:2; Matthew 14:14). Jesus put His compassion into action.
The challenge for us is much the same. We must push against the negativity and act in kindness on the gentle nudges the Holy Spirit has placed on our hearts. We must stop and act when tempted to walk away from the needy and hurting. When tempted to spread more negativity, we must push against the darkness with goodness. With each kind of act, we not only emulate our Savior but spread joy and love to a world that needs it.
Over the next week, challenge yourself to act with kindness at least once daily. To help us, we will spend a few minutes brainstorming ways to be kind this week. (Below are some ideas to get your group started.
- Bake cookies for your work crew
- Pay for the meal of the car behind you at a fast–food restaurant or coffee store.
- Write a note of encouragement
- Pick up the litter in your neighborhood
- Invite a friend to a meal
- Post an uplifting verse every day on social media
- Offer someone a compliment every day
- Offer free childcare for an evening
Song: “Living Hope” # 27/288, Hallelujah Choruses
https://samusicindex.com/brass?series=Hallelujah+Choruses&title=living+Hope
Benediction
Colossians 3:12-14 (MSG) “So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.”
