Prayer of the Day
Almighty and eternal God, your Son our Savior is with you in
eternal glory. Give us faith to see that, true to his promise he is among us
still, and will be with us to the end of time; who lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Or
God, our creator and redeemer, your Son Jesus prayed that his
followers might be one. Make all Christians one with him as he is one with you,
so that in peace and concord we may carry to the world the message of your love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Acts 1:6-14
{6} So when they had come together, they asked him,
"Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?"
{7} He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the
Father has set by his own authority. {8} But you will receive power when the
Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all
Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." {9} When he had said
this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their
sight. {10} While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly
two men in white robes stood by them. {11} They said, "Men of Galilee, why
do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from
you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."
{12} Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near
Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away. {13} When they had entered the city,
they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and
James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of
Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. {14} All these were
constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including
Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
6: restore the kingdom to Israel: On the tongue of an
Israelite or a Christian Jew this means: "is now the time when you fulfill
your promises to your chosen people." By the end of the second century the
church had become predominantly Gentile and the question began to have different
overtones. The hermeneutical process began to understand "Israel" not
as a national identity, but a spiritual one, and further to characterize the now
generally Gentile Christian church as the "new" Israel or
"true" Israel.
7. It is not for you to know....: See Mark 13:32 and
Matthew 24:36: "But of that day or that hour no one knows...but only the
Father."
8. you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon
you: This is the "power from on high" Jesus promised in Luke
24:49. It will come upon the apostles at Pentecost, Acts 2.
Judea: The southern part of Palestine. The Kingdom of
Solomon in the Old Testament.
Samaria: South of Galilee and north of Judea. In Acts 8:1
Luke tells us that "all except the apostles were scattered throughout the
countryside of Judea and Samaria."
the ends of the earth: See Isaiah 49:6, which is quoted
in Acts 13:46 (see also Luke 2:32).
9. a cloud took him out of their sight: According to Luke
24:51 Jesus had already ascended to heaven. In Luke 9:34-35 Moses and Elijah
disappeared into a cloud from which God’s voice spoke. The cloud is a
phenomenon of God’s presence; Jesus is taken into God’s presence.
10. two men in white robes: Luke 24:2, In Luke 24:23 the
two men are identified as angels.
11. why do you stand looking toward heaven?: In Luke 24:5
the women are asked, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?" The
questions are Luke’s way of keeping our attention focused on what is
happening; God is acting to accomplish his purposes.
This Jesus...will come: The time of the restoration of
the kingdom is unknown, but Jesus’ return is certain. Now is the time for the
development of the church.
12. a sabbath day’s journey: 2000 cubits; approximately
half a mile (Exodus 16:29; Number 35:5).
13. the room upstairs: According to tradition this
"upper room" was also the place of the Last Supper, which other
traditions associated with the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark (Acts
12:12). This may be the place where the apostles were all together on the day of
Pentecost (Acts 2:1).
Peter...James: The order of the names of the apostles is
slightly different from that in Luke 6:14-16. Peter is the spokesman for the
apostles. James was killed by Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:2). Except for John (Acts
3:1ff; 4:13ff; 18:14), the others are not mentioned again in Acts.
14. certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus:
The women are mentioned in Luke 8:2-3 and 23:49. Mary is mentioned only here in
Acts.
his brothers: Jesus’ brothers did not believe in him
prior to his resurrection (John 7:5; see also Mark 3:21, 31ff.). He appeared to
James according to 1 Corinthians 15:6. This is the only reference to Jesus’
brothers in Acts. James who is mentioned several times (Acts 12:17; 15:18;
21:18) is not described as Jesus’ brother. Paul identifies James as "the
Lord’s brother," and an apostle in Galatians 1:19. Mark 6:3 gives the
names of some of (?) Jesus’ brothers.
Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35
1 Let God rise up, let his enemies be scattered; let those
who hate him flee before him. {2} As smoke is driven away, so drive them away;
as wax melts before the fire, let the wicked perish before God. {3} But let the
righteous be joyful; let them exult before God; let them be jubilant with joy.
{4} Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides upon
the clouds -- his name is the LORD-- be exultant before him. {5} Father of
orphans and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. {6} God gives the
desolate a home to live in; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the
rebellious live in a parched land. {7} O God, when you went out before your
people, when you marched through the wilderness, Selah {8} the earth quaked, the
heavens poured down rain at the presence of God, the God of Sinai, at the
presence of God, the God of Israel. {9} Rain in abundance, O God, you showered
abroad; you restored your heritage when it languished; {10} your flock found a
dwelling in it; in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.... {32}
Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth; sing praises to the Lord, Selah {33} O
rider in the heavens, the ancient heavens; listen, he sends out his voice, his
mighty voice. {34} Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over Israel; and whose
power is in the skies. {35} Awesome is God in his sanctuary, the God of Israel;
he gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God!
William F. Albright called Psalm 68 "A Catalogue of
Early Lyric Poems," and understood it to be a collection of fragments from
30 different songs. [1] Others have interpreted it in historical or cultic terms.
For use in the lectionary only selected verses are used which militates against
a coherent interpretation. Images of Yahweh riding on the clouds and marching
through the wilderness before his people make us aware of the majesty and power
of the God of Israel. The references to the rain which Yahweh brought upon the
land is a sign of his favor and of the prosperity of his people as they worship
in the Temple. God’s people rejoice in the majesty and benevolence of their
God.
1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11
{12} Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is
taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening
to you. {13} But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that
you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. {14} If you
are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of
glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you.... {5:6} Humble yourselves
therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time.
{7} Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. {8} Discipline
yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls
around, looking for someone to devour. {9} Resist him, steadfast in your faith,
for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the
same kinds of suffering. {10} And after you have suffered for a little while,
the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will
himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. {11} To him be the
power forever and ever. Amen.
12. the fiery ordeal: "The reference to the events
as a...("burning") probably owes less to the punishment inflicted on
Christians in Rome by Nero than it does to the biblical metaphor of a purifying
and proving fire...a metaphor already employed by our author in 1:7." [2]
13. rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings:
This is the proper response of Christians when they suffer for their faith.
14. If you are reviled for the name of Christ: Peter’s
audience were Gentiles who faced rejection and persecution from all sides.
Christian Jews insisted that they become Jews if they were going to be
Christians, while Gentiles accused them of apostasy and treason for rejecting
the gods of the Empire. What they suffered are equated with Christ’s
sufferings.
[4:15-5:5: These verses encourage the faithful who
suffer to depend on God, exhort the elders to take care of the flock entrusted
to them, and the younger members of the community to be subject to the elders
and humble toward each other. Omitting these verses removes the basis for the
exhortation.]
5:6-11: "...these verses address the behavior
appropriate for Christians in relation to the world outside the Christian
community." [3]
5:8. your adversary the devil: "adversary,"
"designates an ‘opponent’ or ‘plaintiff’ in a lawsuit (Prov 18:17
lxx; Matt 5:25/Luke 12:58; Luke 18:3) or, secondarily, an ‘adversary’
generally." [4]
"the devil," "Used without an article [there
is no article, "the," in the Greek] and therefore virtually as a
proper name, diabolos (from which the English cognate "Devil"
derives) literally means ‘slanderer.’ In the lxx, diabolos
renders...the Hebrew noun satan (18x) referring to a celestial agent who
tests loyalties for the king, with the sense of ‘tester,’ ‘adversary,’
‘opponent,’ or ‘accuser’ of humans. This is the "father of
lies" (John 8:44), who seeks to subvert a Christian by leading them astray
and also by lying to others about Christians.
Like a roaring lion... prowls aroundlooking for
someone to devour: This is the only place in the Bible that the devil is
identified as a lion, a carnivore seeking its prey. In Luke 22:31 a different,
but similar metaphor is used ("Satan has demanded to sift all of you like
wheat.") to describe the danger the Christian faces.
10-11: These verses are the conclusion to the letter
proper. They describe the consequences of resisting temptation and accepting the
suffering of persecution. "Just as God through Christ was responsible for
the new life enjoyed in the present by the readers (1:3)...so at the letter’s
end the readers are reminded that their future is equally in God’s hands, who
will prove as reliable in the future in providing for the Christians as he has
been in the past. It is that knowledge that provides strength to endure whatever
hardships a hostile culture may visit on the Christians." [5]
John 17:1-11
{1} 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, {2} since you have given him authority over all people, to
give eternal life to all whom you have given him. {3} And this is eternal life,
that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
{4} I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. {5}
So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in
your presence before the world existed. {6} "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. {7} Now they know that everything you have given
me is from you; {8} 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. {9} 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. {10} All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in
them. {11} 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.
1. Father: In this Gospel "Father" is used of
God 115 times; "God" is used 73 times and "Lord," once.
the hour has come: The "hour" is referred to in
2:4; 4:23, 52, 53; 5:25, 28; 7:8 ("my time is not fully come), 30;
8:20; 12:23, 27; 13:1; 16:2, 4, 21, 25, 32; 17:1 and 19:27. The "hour"
is the time of "Jesus transition from this world to the glory he had with
the Father before the world was made." [6]
glorify: The Father is asked to vindicate the son,
"Vindicate the Son so the Son may honor the Father." The honor of both
the Father and the Son is at issue. Jesus sees the crucifixion as his
glorification, and the resurrection as his glorification of the Father.
3. this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only
true God: This definition of eternal life has a gnostic sound, but God is
designated in the second person, not the third, making the knowledge personal,
not abstract.
Jesus Christ whom you have sent: Jesus Christ functions
as a proper name indicating later ecclesiastical usage. See also John 1:17
4. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work: Jesus’
earthly work is a part of his glorification of the Father which will be
consummated with his death.
5. the glory that I had in your presence before the world
existed: "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God...we
have seen his glory..." (John 1:1ff).
6. I have made your name known to those whom you gave me:
This is a part of Jesus’ glorification of the Father.
name: Identity, reputation, remembrance, authority,
power, protection.
7-8: An expression of John’s understanding of Jesus’
identity.
9-11: In a new section of the prayer Jesus prays for the
community, those whom the Father has given him, but not for the world which has
not accepted him.
11. I am no longer in the world: Jesus anticipates his
death, and prays that the Father will protect his followers.
Holy Father: Jesus prays that the Father who is holy will
sanctify the believers and make them holy. "This is John’s equivalent of
the Old Testament ‘Ye shall be holy for I am holy’ (Lev. 11:44)." [7]
so that they may be one, as we are one: Jesus is praying
for the community of believers, not for individuals. This unity is expressed by
their love for each other (John 13:34; 15:12).
Reflection
Good Friday has come and gone. The season of Easter is nearly
at an end. Last Thursday we celebrated the Ascension of our Lord. The first
lesson provides an historical link to the Ascension. The story is continued from
verse 15 next year on this Sunday. The apostles are told that when the Spirit
comes upon them they will receive the power they have already been promised
(Luke 24:49). This anticipates the coming of the Spirit and the power that is
given the apostles on Pentecost (Acts 2), which is celebrated next Sunday.
In the Psalm we rejoice with Israel that God has overcome his
enemies and vindicated his honor. The second lesson reminds us that though Jesus
is victorious we are only pilgrims here; we must be prepared to suffer as Jesus
did. It would be "tempting" to make the Devil responsible for human
sin, but the biblical picture is that Satan has power only to tempt and test the
faithful and determine their faithfulness (even Jesus is tested to prove that he
is trustworthy). In Paul’s theology the Law causes us to sin, but that does
not mean that the Law is sinful (Romans 7:6-14). Each of us is responsible for
his/her obedience or disobedience. In Christ we have ample spiritual resources
to defeat any Tempter of Adversary.
The Gospel proclaims our hope and our certainty. Jesus has
glorified the father; the Father has glorified the Son. We know that Jesus has
come from the Father. We are "embedded" in Christ as Christ is in the
Father. We belong to God and he will protects us so that we may be one. We will
face temptations, and suffer when we resist, but though we suffer, God will
protect us and establish us. The sufferings we face are only temporary, the
glory we will receive is eternal.
With One Voice (e.g. 762v), Hymnal Supplement 1991
(e.g. 725s) and LBW (e.g. 32).
E=Entrance; D=Hymn of the Day; I=First Lesson, P=Psalm; II=Second Lesson;
G=Gospel
157 E--A Hymn of Glory
88 D--Oh, Love, How
159 I--Up Through Endless
814s I--Catch the Vision!
756v I--Lord, You Give (748s)
424 P--Lord of Glory,
145 G--Thine Is the
158, 300, 326, 391
P or A: Sisters and brothers, let us devote ourselves to
prayer, asking for the gifts, guidance and grace of God for ourselves and those
in particular need, saying, "God with us," and responding "Hear
our prayer."
A: Enable your church to journey forth in the light of Jesus'
resurrection, disciplining ourselves to keep alert and resist evil. Make our
leaders and pastors examples of this discipline and give them joy in their
service. We pray especially for our synod's bishop _______, and our church's
bishop Telmor. God with us, Hear our prayer.
A: Make us bold as members of our communities to see clearly
and to speak for the weak and the powerless because we belong to the crucified
and risen Christ. And when we are reviled for the sake of Christ let your Spirit
call to our minds that we are blessed. God with us, Hear our prayer.
A: Establish sound government and honest elected leaders
among us for the good of your people and the peace of your church. Bless the
Government and Parliament of Canada, the legislative assembly of this province
and our local government. God with us, Hear our prayer.
A: Extend your healing touch and compassionate embrace to the
sick, especially we remember _______, Strengthen any who have become weak in
faith and steady those whose journey through this earthly life is coming to a
close. God with us, Hear our prayer.
A: We thank you for the prayerful expectation that marked the
days until Pentecost for the chosen eleven, the faithful women, the brothers of
Jesus and Mary his mother. Keep us in the same spirit and hope now and always.
God with us, Hear our prayer.
P: Awaken our hearts so that we may receive and become
answers to prayer. May we work as Christ for the day when all the church is one
as he and the Father are one. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Presider or deacon
In our joys and our sufferings let us give glory to God. And
let us offer prayers for all persons in the world, to keep them in God’s name.
Deacon or other leader
For this holy gathering and all who enter our circle of
faith.
For the newly baptized illumined by the light of Christ.
For our leaders, and all the holy people of God in every
place.
For the leaders of the nations and peace in the world.
For this city and the community around us.
For all in any pain and all who sorrow.
For the dying and the dead.
For ourselves, our families, and those we love.
Lifting our voices with the blessed Virgin Mary and all the
saints, let us offer ourselves and one another to the living God through Christ.
To you, O Lord.
Presider
Blessed are you, Lord our God, who does infinitely more for
us than we can ask or imagine. Hear our prayers for all your creation and gather
us in the embrace of your abundant and life-giving Spirit. Glory to you for ever
and ever.
Notes [1] William F.
Albright, “A Catalogue of Early Hebrew Poems—Ps 68” Hebrew Union
College Annual, 23, I(1950/51) 1-39. [2] Paul J.
Achtemeier, 1 Peter: A Commentary on First Peter. Minneapolis: Fortress
Press, 1996, pp. 305 f.. [3]Ibid.,
p. 336. [4] John H.
Elliott, 1 Peter: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. New
York: Doubleday, 2000, p. 853. [5] Achtemeier, Ibid.,
p. 346. [6] Ernst Haenchen,
John 2: A Commentary on the Gospel of John Chapters 7-21. Philadelphia:
Fortress Press, 1984, p. 150. [7] C. K. Barrett, The
Gospel According to St. John: An Introduction with Commentary and Notes on the
Greek Text. London: S.P.C.K., 1962, p. 423. [8]http://www.worship.ca/text/rcla0102.txt [9]http://www.worship.ca/text/inter_a2.txt [10]http://members.cox.net/oplater/prayer.htm
