Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one.
Deuteronomy 6:4
This passage, from the Hebrew scriptures, is a statement of unity of belief in the fact that we worship the only true God. In our secular era, the statement is just as important as it was in the polytheistic, pagan culture surrounding ancient Israel. At Mapleview we read this passage first in Hebrew, then in English. "Sh'ma Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Eḥad"
More information about the Sh'ma at Wikipedia.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Deuteronomy 6:5
The next verse is cited by Jesus (Matthew:22:37) as being "the greatest commandment in the Law." "Do this," Jesus says, "and you will live." This scripture decorates our sanctuary to remind us of our focus as we worship.
Love your neighbor as yourself
Matthew 22:39
To the above commandment, Jesus adds what we now call "the Golden Rule," saying that all the law and prophets hang on these commandments. We recite this verse to remind ourselves that being a Christian doesn't end when the church service does - we are called to show love in the world with all we encounter.
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
John 13:34
As he ended his ministry, Jesus admonished his followers to "love one another." We take this as a specific instruction to show love to others within our church family.