The voice of Jesus here in the Gospel reading of John 17 turns from instruction to the disciples, to prayer for the disciples. Often this passage is called the “Farewell Discourse.” It more aptly might be called the “Priestly Prayer.” Priestly prayer is “intercessory prayer.” It is role of the priest to intercede for the needs or joys in the life of another through prayer. Jesus prays not only for the belief of the disciples, but also for those yet to come to believe in the love of God through Jesus. Jesus begins the prayer addressing God the Father: “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” (John 17:20-21a).

Today and yet to the future, Jesus prays that we all would look to the lives of the faithful whom we know to see the love between God the Father and Jesus the Son. This is the type of lived-out self-giving love that exudes from the believer’s life. Such lived-out love draws others to know God’s love from a person’s actions. This goes beyond thinking and doing the familiar refrain we often tell ourselves: “I just want to get through this day.” Although, sometimes this is all we can bear, and our faith is held up by the unfailing love of God. Within the day, what holds us up is what we believe and in that belief we have hope.

We think, pray, say, do and be – because of our love for one another. In my life, I had the faithful witness of my grandmother. Even when she could not read or hear, she asked the nurse to take her to the common room Bible study in the nursing home. What a gift she gave to me in the way she lived her life based on what she believed as a faithful Christian woman! 

There is a saying for parents bringing up children: watch what you say and do because that is what your child will live and do. What a true saying and wise word to us all! The children and youth are noticing what we are doing, whether we are in a long line of stopped cars on the expressway, or waiting in a long line at the grocery store. They look to everyone around them for the example of how to live. We are to be the example of Christian love that is kind, forgiving, and caring without accolade. This is to be just our everyday way of being.

Monday evening, I met with three parents holding babies in arms, including one very active toddler. The parents are bringing their children forward into the life of the church for baptism in the coming weeks. These parents had not met one another before and the sacrament of baptism brought them together. One of my roles as a clergy here is to meet with each family prior to the baptism to talk about the faith questions that are asked of the parents’ faith, and the logistics of the baptism. One of the questions in the baptismal covenant asks the parent to vow to “nurture the child in Christ’s holy church, that by your teaching and example the child may be guided to accept God’s grace for herself, and to profess her faith openly and to lead a Christian life” (United Methodist Hymnal, Baptismal Covenant I, p. 34).

Not only do parents vow to be examples and nurturing parents in Christ’s love, the entire congregation present is asked to vow the same. It is the voice of the congregation, and the voice of believers in all times and places. The congregation is asked: “Will you nurture one another in the Christian faith and life and include this child now before you in your care?” As part of the vow of response the congregation replies: “With God’s help we will proclaim the good news and live according to the example of Christ…We will pray for this child, that she may be a true disciple who walks in the way that leads to life” (p. 35). The self-giving love of Jesus for God, and God’s love for the Son, is the same love that Jesus desires for the believer with God. All believers are called within the life of faith to extend Christian love to all people, everywhere, even when inconvenient or “messy.”  We are to show the world how God’s love embodies all – by nurturing one another, by living the example of this love, and by praying for one another.

It is a powerful experience to hear oneself prayed for by name. It is an awesome responsibility to pray for another person by name. As Jesus prayed to God the Father for the disciples and all who are yet to come, we are also to pray for one another and for ones whose names we do not even know living in this hurting world. We are to pray for people whose lives seem hopeless. Through our action born out of the love between Jesus and God given for us, we are to pray with all humility. Often we wonder for what we should pray. Jesus give us the example in prayer that the love between Jesus and God is the humble and powerful love that Jesus desires would be for all people. We can offer in prayer that there would indeed be a more life-giving day for those who are hopeless, grieving, or suffering in so many ways.

We may have learned growing up in Sunday school or in worship the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples, the prayer we call the “Lord’s Prayer.” Sometimes when a person is unable to fully communicate, it is something like the Lord’s Prayer, or a long-ago learned hymn that is the glory of communication blossoming at a time when no other words can be said. It is a gift to be in the presence of one such person praying or singing with full gusto.

All of us deeply desire to know that we are loved and named by God as one who is loved. Prayer is the link on one’s life-journey through baptism to the passing on into eternal glory. Jesus concludes his priestly prayer in praying: “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.” Let our hearts be open in prayer for one another and our lives lived for one another in the name of Jesus through the love of God.
Amen.