Weekly Liturgy : May 11-17
- John
- May 11
- 3 min read
John 17:1-11
NRSV
1-5 After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.
6-11 “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.
REFLECTION
from John
This prayer from Jesus comes at the end of his time on earth, after all his work is done, and he knows his disciples will be on their own soon. It’s like when a parent is on their death bed, aware that the end is coming, and they begin to speak with the wisdom of one who knows what is really important about this life… and what is not.
The thing Jesus wants more than anything, it seems, is for the humans he cares about most to experience the same shape of relationship with each other as he experiences with the Father. The same unity. The same reciprocity. The same mutuality. The same Oneness. It’s almost as if Jesus is inviting humanity right into the middle of the Trinity itself. Member #4.
Jesus seems to suggest too, that this Oneness has existed before the time-space continuum. I find that wild and beautiful. As if our participating in it is just a remembrance of our true self. A return to our most fundamental design.
PRACTICE:
Outward Mindset Application
Follow up after asking for input or feedback. For example, tell someone if and when you used their suggestion.
Non-Violent Communication Question of the Week
If you struggle to connect with and name your emotions, try paying attention to the sensations in your body in tense moments. Name those sensations first, then connect them to an emotion word.
To practice, spend 5 minutes in silence paying attention to your body. Start with your toes and slowly move your awareness up to your head. Take a mental inventory of the sensations your notice.
Pathway Toward Center
Contemplation (Loving God in silence and solitude):
Sit for 15-30 minutes in a public place, silently observing the people around you. Try to pay attention with the eyes of God: with awe and love for who you see.
Questions for Reflection
How do you imagine the relationship between God the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ? What flavors and qualities of relationship are present between them?
Where do you experience those flavors and qualities in your own relationships? What do those experiences suggest to you about what it means to be human?
“Liturgy” refers to the habits and practices humans use to form community around shared values and meaning. At Church at the Park, we desire to be a community of practice, becoming people who see the world through the eyes of the marginalized, making meaning through the lens of pain and suffering, and committing ourselves to non-violence in a wounded world. This weekly email is intended to provide pathways of practice for becoming the type of people who embody these values.
Many of our reflections on each week's text come from other sources. If you're interested in reading more of what inspires us, here our our two favorite reflections.
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