17:6 "I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the
world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept
your word.
17:7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you;
17:8 for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and
they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and
they have believed that you sent me.
17:9 I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the
world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are
yours.
17:10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been
glorified in them.
17:11 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the
world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your
name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.
17:12 While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you
have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except
the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be
fulfilled.
17:13 But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the
world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves.
17:14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them
because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to
the world.
17:15 I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask
you to protect them from the evil one.
17:16 They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to
the world.
17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
17:18 As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into
the world.
17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may
be sanctified in truth.
The Ascending of Jesus takes place primarily in his self offering
through the Father, it is the way toward abundant life. Jesus, does
not go out of sight, he does not leave us, but enters deeply into
the center, core, of the faith community, as intercessor, priest and
victim, and the one who invites us to share his life in the Body of
Christ. The Ascension of Christ is not about a "departure" but about
a pregnant waiting for the Holy Spirit, the renewed presence of the
Advocate who comes to dwell within. In our time we have lost this
contemplative dimension of our faith which must be renewed before we
fully understand the meaning of the life which we share as
Christians for the sake of the whole world.
tom in ga
To our United Church of Canada participants,
If you extend this reading to include verses 20-23 also, you will
find Jesus' wish "that all may be one", which is of course on our
United Church crest, and a very significant foundation of our
denomination's beliefs. Since June 10th is the 75th Anniversary of
Union (the joining of the Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational
churches in Canada, which created the United Church of Canada), I
thought I would add this part of John's gospel and reflect on Jesus'
best hopes for us as his people.
It's early yet, but I can't resist using a text so vital to our
denomination's existence.
SueCan
SueCan, Happy 75th Anniversary to you and the UCC for uniting people
of faith. It is good that brothers and sisters should live, and
worship together in peace. This comes from one in the UCC = the
United Chruch of Christ (in Indiana). We Americans are a little slow
we got around to uniting later than you in Canada. We celebrate 43
years on June 25. We alsohave on our logo "That They May All Be
One." I am sure we probably saw a good thing and borrowed it. The
unity of those in the spirit will be preached in this pulpit this
Sunday and it will be good to share that those in the UCC (in
Canada) have a common goal of coming to unity with others whose
faith is in Jesus Christ. Peace
Fellow Wanderer
I normally do not start thinking of next week's sermon quite so
early, but I have a question that I hope someone can help me with.
What does Jesus mean when he says in verse 19, "I sanctify myself?"
JP in CO
JP in CO, Jesus means he is consecrating himself as the perfect
offering, the Lamb of God, for his disciples. -- Mike in Maryland
Verse 17 of this passage is so wonderful. So that my joy may be made
complete in themselves. That joy comes form the indwelling of the
Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God talking directly to our spirit. The
curtin is torn... the gulf is crossed....the connection is finally
joined. Jesus talked about his Father many time and now we may know
in part the joy of relationship. Relationship to our creator once
again. The joy...the strength...the peace...once again can flood our
souls. This relationship seals our mind and heart. The expression
of, "I KNOW that I KNOW." Can now cross our lips and we too can
testify to our risen Savior Jesus Christ.
The "High Priestly Prayer" has always been a highlight for me. I am
disappointed that the pericope does not include the verses
concerning us in particular. Preaching on this is a tall order,
though. However, I am intrigued by the "being in, but not of"
thought in vss. 16-18. What does it REALLY mean for us in the 1st
world with a standard of living that puts Ancient Egypt and its
oppulence to shame, to be not of the world?? How, indeed, do we, as
Easter people, not belong to the world. If we were bought with the
price of a life, how has that changed us? Comfortable pews,
glittering family life centers, carpeting in sanctuaries that numbs
us into somnolence and quiets all the environment - and we do not
belong to the world. Sounds like it has captured us and we are
loving it. If we have been sanctified - set apart - then set apart
for what and for whom and how?? Questions every congregation must
answer. The death and resurrection of Christ and our baptism into
that have sanctified us for a purpose - a kingdom purpose. How do we
show it, live it, speak it, revel in it?? What is the joy, of which
Jesus spoke last week? And how is that joy linked by love to our
living in the kingdom ushered in by Christ? I am full of questions -
and I am rambling on late at night. Help me you desparate preachers.
And thanks. T in NC
Dear Friends, I am thinking of preaching about Anglican
opportunities in unity. For English Province people there are two
significant developments: the raprochment with the British
Methodists since last year, and the outworkings of the recent
Toronto meeting with the Roman Catholics. This all based on the "may
they be one" prayer of our Lord. I guess the difficulty is in
MOTIVATING your hearers to be passionate about Christian unity! Look
forward to reading what others are preaching about this coming week.
I have been a "silent" participator on this site for some time, but
have finally gotten round to contributing to the fellowship. Paul,
Farnham, UK
Just a quick comment.
I thank you, SueCan,for mentioning the inclusion of additional
verses. That is what I intend to do as well. In my mind this ties us
up together in the very same chain of love and in the very same
mission as the original disciples. And who can resist hearing Jesus
praying specifically FOR US, the church.
This Sunday we are celebrating the end of our "regular" program
year. This is the last day of Sunday School, and even though other
events will continue, we will look back on the year and all the ways
that we have "looked for Jesus' (our Rally Day theme). And in this
text we are reminded that while we were looking for him, he has been
looking out for us, and that WE are now on a mission for the world:
"that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in
you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe..."
And it's not just us, or our church or our agenda, but all of us
together in Christ.
Thanks SueCan for widening the focus.
PDM in Iowa
T in NC -- you will get your chance to preach on vv. 20-26 next
year! Everything comes around in the lectionary sooner or later. --
Mike in Maryland
Perhaps Judas (in Acts) symbolizes the "world" which hates ....
What is interesting is how gentle Peter is as he talks about Judas,
tenderly -- something that we might find hard to do if we had been
betrayed - it all has to do with living in the uniting love of
Christ.
tom in ga
Paul in UK, et al
The issue regarding Unity is timely. Episcopalians will soon vote to
enter into union with the Evangelical Lutherans, and the paper on
"Authority" agreed upon by the Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue will
be open for discussion. It is an exciting time.
But at the heart of unity is our own "awareness" of unity with the
Holy Trinity in the heart or center of ourselves. As we become more
sacramental, more contemmplative, more open to God's Spirit, more
aware of our brothers and sisters in Christian communions beyond our
own, the more we will be drawn into unity in God and one another in
Christ.
tom in ga
Thanks to all for insightful postings. Always enjoy coming here and
hearing all of you. I'm planning on preaching a very simple message
about being "Bonified, Unified & Sanctified." We must be bonified
Christians if we are to be unified. And in our unity we are
sanctified (set apart for sacred use) to spread the Gospel of Jesus
Christ to the whole world. There is no "I" in TEAM & there is no "I"
in CHURCH. We must do it together. Preach on! M in IL
I am going to try to talk on the essence of the whole passage. What
Christ wants for his own. This prayer that is prayed by Jesus to his
Father on our behalf is one that can encourage believers today. We
need the encouraging word today just as much as his first hearers
needed them. ---The encouraging words that he says.--- We belong to
Christ thus we belong to God. Even thought his immediate disciples
were slow in understanding... now they understand and believe and He
ask God to protect them, to unite them, to sanctify them in the
truth, and to place the joy that Jesus has in his heart into theirs.
With all of God’s protection and Christ joy then he commissions them
and sends them into the world as God sent him. It is as if Christ
words jump forward in time and he is speaking directly to us and is
still praying that prayer even today. LPinPA
The High Priestly Prayer is prayed in the abyss of absence ... it is
the silent plea of the Risen One as the early faith community awaits
its rebirth with the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Our whole faith is one of anticipation, awaiting our freedom through
the absolution and forgiveness of our sins; awaiting for the
fulfillment of our lives in God (Eternal life); awaiting to be drawn
out of our loneliness into a community focused on love.
The Sunday after the Ascension holds before us our own hunger for
all that God has promised us.
"Behold I am with you unto the end of time."
Mea Culpa, tom in ga
