Easter 7 - Year A - June 1, 2014
Texts: John 17:1-11
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"There's a wideness in God's mercy
like the wideness of the sea."
In the name of God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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The Christian Church is so blessed with this wonderful hymn
"There's a wideness in God's mercy." (Hymn 470)
As Christians we proclaim God's love to all creation.
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On every Sunday morning,
as we gather for the Holy Eucharist,
we say in our prayer,
"Holy and gracious Father:
In your infinite love you made us for yourself;
and, when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death,
you, in your mercy, sent Jesus Christ, your only and eternal Son..."
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Christians over the centuries proclaim,
"For God so loved the world
that He gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in Him
may not perish
but may have eternal life." (John 3:16)
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Love,/ eternal life /
light and darkness/ and the Holy Spirit/
are the themes of the Gospel of John.
When we read the Gospel
we may see in it
the reflection
of the faith of the early Church.
The gospel expresses
what went on in the hearts and minds of the first century's Christians,
particularly the Jewish Christians,
who suffered rejection and persecution.
Jesus is divine;
he is the Christ,
the Son of God.
Jesus has come to save those who believe,
so that they may know of God's love
and may have eternal life.
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The gospel passage that we read this morning
is a prayer.
Jesus prays to God like a high-priest who represents his people.
This prayer concludes the "farewell discourse,"
in which Jesus teaches his disciples to love.
The intimate conversation with God
in the prayer is actually
a message to the believers.
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Standing out in this prayer is the word "glory."
Jesus says, "I glorified you on earth
by finishing the work that you gave me to do."
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On our Sunday service bulletin there is a line for flower dedication,
which reads, "The flowers on the altar today are to the glory of God."
In the liturgy for Holy Communion we pray,
"...in remembrance of his blessed passion and precious death,
his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension."
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An English dictionary defines glory
as something that is a source of honor,
fame, or admiration --
a distinguished ornament
or an object of pride.
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To the ancient Greek people,
the word "glory" speaks to the idea of
weight, repute and fame.
Fame can shine, and glory can be seen.
Glory is when a musician receives standing ovation
following a successful performance.
Glory is when a politician and his or her supporters celebrate a won election,
or when the soldiers return to their home towns
celebrating their victory over their enemies.
Members of a large Christian congregation
may find glory in their huge church building,
with inspiring preaching and music.
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Success brings glory.
The sound of applause is always pleasant.
Many people spend their whole lives
seeking such pleasure.
Peter, James and John must have perceived
the glory of being Jesus' disciples,
especially when Jesus performed miracles.
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Power and glory go together.
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What does glory mean to God?
Jesus said to God in the prayer,
"I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do."
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Does God see it as glory
when he gets more people
to know about Him and to praise Him?
Would God see it as glory when,
like in the Book of Revelation,
he sits in the throne,
surrounded by the many elders in white robes
and the angels with wings,
and hears them say "holy, holy, holy" relentlessly,
days and nights?
That is certainly boring, even to us, isn't it?
I don't think God really enjoys that kind of glory.
Jesus never pursued the praise of the people around him.
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In the Gospel of John,
the glory of the Father and the Son
is associated with the cross
and with the coming of the Holy Spirit.
God is glorified for his love,
which is "broader than the measure of the [human] mind." (Hymn 470)
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In the Good Friday liturgy,
Page 281 of the Book of Common Prayer,
there is an Anthem that reads,
"We glory in your cross, O Lord,
and praise and glorify your holy resurrection;
for by virtue of your cross
joy has come to the whole world."
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God revels in seeing God's love being appreciated.
God finds glory in love.
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We will never understand fully God's love.
Our love toward God and others is
but a reflection of God's love.
Our love is not perfect,
and at times we fail;
yet God calls us to continue to learn after Jesus,
striving to love the way Jesus loves.
If we find ourselves failing to love,
we should repent and try again.
Love is God's glory,
and it is God's love that invites to us eternal life.
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We are called to embrace the truth
that we are God's beloved,
and to behave accordingly.
How are we doing
in reaching the eternal life that Jesus spoke about?
There may be some obstacles in our way toward it.
There may be some people for us to forgive
and some for us to apologize to.
This insight about God's glory and love
compels us to change.
The promise of eternal life belongs to
those who choose to follow Christ
and find God's glory in the cross --
the pain we are willing to endure
because of love.
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In the Name of God:
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
- This Sunday, June 8th, the Rt. Rev. Shannon S. Johnston, Bishop of Virginia, will visit Saint Patrick's at 2:00 PM. There will be baptism and confirmation. Please note that we will not worship in the morning, and please bring food for the potluck!
Boomer Camp -- Shrine Mont -- July 12-15, 2014. 