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Gospel centred sermons, based on the lectionary often in advance.

May 22, 2012

Focus Reading John 17:6-19

Today’s reading from John says a number of things about Jesus which may be hard to get a hold of. There is too much in the short passage we just heard for me to preach on all of it so what I want to do is just pick up on a short section of this passage. Verses 9-11 in particular and quickly refer to verses 14 & 18.

I want to talk about what that might mean for our understanding of God, and I want then to talk about what this might mean for the church and the world and I wanted to do all that in about 10 minutes but it’s going to be more like 12-14.

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This week is The Week Of Prayer For Christian Unity. Instead of a thought for this week I would ask you to pray for unity amongst the churches. This was Jesus’ prayer in John 17:10 which is part of today’s reading.

Life-giving God,
through Jesus’ death and resurrection you have given us hope, and the promise of eternal life.
As we strive for full visible unity of your Church, may our hearts and minds be conformed to the likeness of Christ.
We renew our commitment to participate gladly in Christ’s victory through humble service in the world. 
By your Spirit’s power, may our life in Christ always be open and joyful. 
May we embrace the gifts we receive from and offer to one another, 
and fully witness to your plan of salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Questions for thought and discussion.

What would it mean if the church really was “One”? What impact would we have on the community? What are the risks of being divided? In praying for our unity Jesus prays for our protection. What is the connection between unity and protection?