Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Seventh Sunday Of Easter, (and also the start of Christian Aid Week). Our Church Services today are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11 am at St Thomas'. If you are unable to be with us in person, you will find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "Come Holy Ghost our Souls Inspire"
Today's Gospel
John 17:6-19Jesus Prays For His Disciples
Jesus prayed for his disciples, “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. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; 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. 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.
All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. 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. 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.
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. 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. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.”
Reflection
Prayer is so powerful, both for those who are doing the praying and also those who are being prayed for. It can take many forms, from that of communal prayer in church, or when people feel compelled to pray together for a specific thing or person, such as peace when war had just broken out in Ukraine a couple of years ago.
We are also sometimes drawn together to pray as a community when something tragic happens. I remember our church being opened for people to come and pray after the Manchester Arena bombing, Folk who wouldn’t normally come to church, came to an almost empty silent church throughout the day to light a candle and offer up prayers alongside others who were happy to stand and pray in the street or pray in the quietness of their own space.
There are also the times when we pray personally to God, either as a regular pattern of prayer where we set specific time aside or just ad-hoc prayer because something prompts us spend some time talking directly to God and letting Him know what is on our mind or simply to say, ‘thank you’ to Him.
To have the ability to speak directly to God through prayer is an absolutely remarkable gift that He has given us, with direct access available at any time and the assurance that He listens to every one of our prayers.
It is also something really special when someone tells you that they are praying for you personally. In fact I would go so far as to say it is blessing!
In the passage above Jesus is praying just prior to His arrest. He knows that He will soon be on trial and condemned to be tortured and crucified. Yet, at this dark hour, His focus is on His disciples. How do you think John must have felt when He heard His Lord praying on his behalf at this time? How special must John have felt that the Son of God is praying directly to God to look after John and the disciples?
When Jesus says, “I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name……”, He is aware that He is about to leave them and return to Father in heaven and is praying for His beloved disciples, because he knows what they will be facing. He is aware of the huge sense of loss and grief they will experience. He is also aware of the fear, hard times and persecution they will face when He is no longer around to protect them. He knows how totally vulnerable they will feel.
But Jesus is not only asking for their protection. He is asking for them to be protected from the evil one and also…. so that they may be one, as we are one. He is praying for them to remain steadfast and together in the face of adversity that will befall them once He is gone. There is a well-known phrase, ‘divide and conquer’ which means to diminish your enemy by setting one against another. I read somewhere, that every time there is unrest or argument in the world, then the evil one is laughing his socks off. He’s not bothered what the dispute is about or who is right or wrong, he’s just happy we are all arguing. When we are falling out amongst ourselves, be that personally or at a global level, we are distracted from following Jesus and loving our neighbours.
Finally, in this passage, Jesus asks God to: Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. So what does that mean? To sanctify something is to set it aside as something that is Holy or sacred – something of God. Jesus is praying that His disciples will be sanctified in the truth, and that truth is God’s word, plain and simple. It’s a word that tells us how God loves us, created everything that is and ever will be, and who has sent His only Son to save us, time and again.
It might not be what we may read or watch on Facebook, the internet or TikTok, but it is what you will find in God’s scripture; and yes – you can get several apps for it.
In John 8:31, Jesus says to the Jews who believed Him, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Jesus was praying for His disciples to be one with Him, be protected from the evil one and to be sanctified. I would imagine the disciples should have felt pretty special.
What is even more wonderful is that, in the verses that follow this passage, the very next thing that Jesus does is to say the same prayer for us and all His followers to come. That we might all be one with Him in unity and to see Him in all His glory – the glory that God has given Him and what’s even more wonderful is that Jesus is still praying for us every day.
I don’t know about you but I’m feeling pretty blessed by that. Paul
Our Prayers
Loving Father,
We thank you for your precious Son Jesus,
who continues to intercede on our behalf each day.
Lord, thank you that you choose to sanctify those who believe Jesus,
Help us to share your God-breathed Word of truth with those around us.
AMEN
Today's final hymn is "Will You Come and Follow Me"
Notices
Christian Aid Week - During the week, our volunteers will be out collecting around many of the houses in Lees, so watch out for your Christian Aid envelope. There will also be envelopes in our churches for people who don't live in our collecting area. To find out more about Christian Aid and how to donate, please see - Christian Aid Week 2024
Pentecost (Whit Sunday) - is next week. All are most welcome to join us, please see the poster below for details -
