Sunday Worship
Welcome to our Worship on the Seventh Sunday of Easter. Our services are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes', and 11.00 am at St Thomas'. If you are unable to be with us in person, you can find a Bible reading, a short reflection and some prayers below.
Our first hymn this morning is "Lord, For The Years"
Today's Gospel
John 17: 20-26 Jesus prays for all believers
Jesus prayed for his disciples, and then he said. "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, 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 that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
"Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."
Reflection
Despite our accumulated knowledge as a race of beings, there are some concepts that seem just too hard to fully understand because our capacity is limited to what we experience in our day-to-day life. I will give you two examples. Firstly, ‘infinity’. In maths we can define it as, “a number greater than any assignable quantity or countable number”. But what does that mean, and how can something be infinite and just keep going on and on with no end? Secondly ’time’. Again, by definition time is endless. We sometimes hear the phrase that something stretches as far back as ‘the beginning of time’ - which begs the question, so what was before the beginning of time?
Try as we might, some things are beyond our capacity to fully grasp. Similarly, to us as mere humans, the Holy Trinity is hard for us to fully comprehend. Jesus understood how difficult it would be for us to ‘get our heads around’ this. He also knew that his time on earth was limited and that his betrayal and crucifixion was imminent. And so, he prays to the Father. He prays for his disciples and also for everyone who will believe in Him through His Word. He is not just praying for those who are around at the time, but for all generations into the future including us.
Jesus, knows the Father and is one with the Father. His ministry has been about enlightening us with the knowledge and word of the Father,”… so that the world may believe that you have sent me”. He is setting down the foundation for the Church. A church based on faith, belief and love. Jesus’ church is not built of bricks and stone, it is built on those who believe in him. As disciples of Christ, we also are all tasked with making the Father’s name known and taking opportunities to spread his word and love in the hope that others will also believe. We all have the opportunity to be evangelists.
I recall a conversation I once had with a member of the clergy who asked me what my view was of people who did not believe in Jesus? My response was along the lines that I would share the reasons why I believed in Jesus and encourage an open discussion. I was then asked, ‘what if they don’t want to believe in Jesus or they have another religion?’ This made me think a little deeper.
My initial assumption had been that the person didn’t believe in Jesus because they hadn’t had the opportunity or time in their busy lives to explore their beliefs. It hadn’t immediately occurred to me that some people might not want to believe or accept Jesus into their lives. However, looking at the question from this new angle, I think the response would still be the same, it is our duty as disciples to try to enlighten people who do not believe.
That said, it is not our duty to go around converting disbelievers. As disciples we can only attempt to give people an opportunity to make an intelligent choice of whether to receive or reject Jesus Christ. Our task, as believers in Jesus Christ, is not to save the world. Rather it is to bring an awareness of who Jesus is and open the door. When people have an awareness of Jesus, they have two choices: they can either accept him, walk through the door and be saved, or they can reject him, reject his love and his promise of His kingdom to come where we will see Him in glory.
In closing, let us reflect on our roles as disciples. How will you shine God’s glorious light in the next week and how might you bring hope and love into someone else’s life? Paul
Our Prayers
Merciful Father, your Son Jesus prayed for us,
Strengthen our faith
So that, through our belief in your word,
We may become one with you and Him
And see your eternal glory.
AMEN
