Lectionary for Easter 7
God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 1 John 5:11
Reading. Psalm 1 At the very beginning of the Psalter the psalmist lays out the guiding principle for Israel’s life: Obeying the laws of the Lord will result in a life of fruitfulness. Failure to obey is to live a life without the fulfilment promised by God. The psalmist begins from the premise that the Lord is the Great Creator and therefore all the inhabitants of the world owe their allegiance to the one who brought them into being. Indeed the very final psalm echoes that understanding with the verse, “Let everything that breathes praise the LORD!” Psalm 150:6. With that in mind the psalmist does not see obedience to the law as a chore or an obligation but a normal response of praise for all that the Lord has done. The Creator knows how the creation works and so to obtain the best outcome it is both wise and prudent to follow the instructions that have helpfully been revealed. Any student, when learning to work with wood, quickly recognises that it is impossible to plane wood smooth by working against the grain. In the same way not to attend to the guidance the Lord gives is to run into many hiccups and hurdles. Following the guidance the Lord affords does not mean you will not encounter hiccups and hurdles, it means that when obstacles occur the Lord’s guidance will lead you through to a season of fruitfulness. We live in a era when the individual is most prominent but as we read this psalm we see that as each believer obeys and follows God’s instructions there comes a unity. This obedient unity will fulfil the plan and purpose that God has always had, to be sovereign over an obedient people. My dwelling place shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Ezekiel 37:27. NRSV.
Prayer. Loving Lord God, to you alone belongs all honour and glory. In you alone Lord, is found all truth and justice. May all our endeavours work towards establishing the truth of your rule among all people. May our words and deeds be guided by the knowledge that we are serving you, in your world. We pray for all those who throughout the world are working as missionaries; who through many different means are trying to proclaim the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Keep all such safe from harm and may your protection shield them from the spiritual oppression of the evil one. Grant fruitfulness to all who work in your name, and the joy of knowing your power and presence. This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Reading. John 17:6-19. The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus. This passage precedes the journey into the garden of Gethsemane. In this prayer Jesus draws his disciples into the very presence of God through his own intimate relationship; the disciples are embraced in covenantal relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit through the selfless offering of Jesus on the cross. That is why John in his first letter can say, “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him”. 1 Jn 3:1. NRSV. Through this prayer Jesus has not only drawn his disciples into an amazing relationship with God but has also prayed for their protection as they minister in the world. Like the psalm we read above Jesus is making a clear distinction between those who follow God’s teaching and those who do not. It is true that Jesus was sent into the world not to condemn but to rescue, (John3:16-17.) However it follows from that statement that those in the world were in need of rescue and so those who follow Jesus and live trusting in God’s rescue are those who are the beneficiaries of Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer. It is important to remember that the prayer is not exclusive but is indeed inclusive, in that all who believe in Jesus and follow in obedience are drawn into unity with God the Father. Once more we see that God is claiming back His world and through Jesus is offering a renewed and better life. It is because of Jesus’ Prayer that we can pray with confidence “in Jesus’ Name”. 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. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” John 3:16–17. NRSV
Prayer. Merciful God, you have prepared for those who love you, riches beyond imagination. Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we loving you above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen {Uniting in Worship}
Collect. O God, the inexhaustible fount of life, you accepted the offering of your Son, sacrificed for the salvation of the world. Consecrate us in that unity which is your Spirit’s gift, that we may abide always in your love and become witnesses of the resurrection. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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God, holy Father, you gather us together in Christ’s name, and you send us out as people of good news to announce your word; give us courage, and strengthen us in your Spirit; we ask this for the sake of Jesus our Saviour. Amen.
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