An order of service for 17th May 2020

AN ORDER OF SERVICE

Call to Worship*

God of our lives, we thank you that you are never far from each one of us.
We come into your presence seeking you.
We pray that you will reveal yourself to us; dwell with us;
and abide in us.
We live because of you.
We hope because of you.
In the name of Jesus Christ in whom we live,
and the Spirit of Truth who abides in us, Amen.

Prayer of Confession*

Maker and giver of all, forgive us when we are too preoccupied to notice your presence in our lives:
when we walk through this world and fail to see the wonder of you upholding our lives and all creation;
when we walk through our lives and fail to see you abiding with, within,
and around us;
when we walk through holy moments and fail to savor your presence, instead feeling abandoned in the vast sweep of life as each day rushes at us with its demands.
Open our eyes to your presence, God of love, that we may lean on you— for you uphold all of creationin tenderness and power. Amen.

Words of Assurance*

When Jesus left the disciples, he gave us a promise:
“I will not leave you orphaned!”
For we, his disciples, live in him and he in us—
the presence of God within and around all.
What a promise! Take courage! Take comfort!
Blessed be God!

*from: https://www.ministrymatters.com/all/entry/5006/worship-elements-may-17-2020 

From The Abingdon Worship Annual edited by Mary J. Scifres and B.J. Beu, Copyright © Abingdon Press. 

Bible Reading              John 14:15-21

¹⁵ “If you love me, you will keep^[a] my commandments. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,^[b] to be with you forever. ¹⁷ This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in^[c] you.

¹⁸ “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. ¹⁹ In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. ²¹ They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

REFLECTION

Last week’s reading stopped in the middle of Jesus’ farewell speech. After mentioning to the disciples that he was going to be betrayed and then denied and also telling them of his impending death, he talks to them about going away, preparing a place for them and showing them the way to that place, the Father’s heavenly abode.

This week we continue from where that conversation left off. The disciples are still coming to terms with what Jesus had just told them, about him going away and leaving them. They were confronted with a dramatic change in their lives. All that was familiar was going to become unfamiliar. Their routines, their patterns, their familiar order was all going to become chaotic with the departure of Jesus. They were still reeling from this conversation. And seeing this, Jesus continues to comfort them. We learn a vital lesson from this. When we are reeling, we life seems a muddle, when our world seems rocked and shaken, the comforting words of Jesus still ring true -and we can hold fast to those words. So let’s look in more detail at what he said to his disciples, how he comforted them.

The conversation has all the makings of a true farewell speech. He begins by telling them demonstrate their love for Jesus by keeping his commandments: “If you love me, you will keep^[a] my commandments ” (v.15), which he reiterates again a few verse later “They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me” (v.21). It is interesting to note in this regard that in the other gospels where Jesus gives various commandments through his teachings. For example, he says in Luke’s gospel love your enemies (Lk 6:27), turn your other cheek (Lk 6:29), don’t judge others (Lk 6:37a), forgive others (Lk 6:37b), etc. However, in John’s gospel, we see nothing of this. The only command in John’s gospel is the command to love: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another” (Jn 13:34). Therefore, in v.14, it is this command to love that Jesus is referring to. If their love for Jesus is real, then that love would need be expressed in their love for one another. In doing so they manifest Christ’s love.

After exhorting them to love one another, Jesus says to them: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever” (v.16). In other words, his forthcoming absence has a benefit to it, namely, the gift of the Holy Spirit. The word translated here as ‘advocate’ needs some explanation. The Greek New Testament uses a specific word that we may have heard before: ‘paraclete.’ Many translations of the bible translate this word differently, for example, ‘Helper’ (ESV), ‘Comforter’ (KJV), and one bible, the Douway-Rheims version, leaves the word untranslated and just has ‘Paraclete.’ Although the word is translated differently in the different versions, the meanings are essentially the same. So:

Advocate (NRSV) - a person who puts a case on someone else's behalf.

Helper (ESV) - a person who helps someone else

Comforter (KJV) – a person or thing that provides consolation

All of the above words talk about one who supports and helps, the Greek word ‘Paraclete’ literally means ‘one who comes alongside and calls out [encouragement].’ The imagery is that we when are flagging, when we are struggling, when we are feeling alone, a supporter comes alongside of us, and encourages us in a manner that boosts us, and gives us the strength that we need for the journey. Think of a long distance runner, with their support cheering them on, encouraging them on. When we put this meaning in the context of Jesus’ words, when he says I will send you ‘another paraclete’, there are two things that we should note.

Firstly, by using the word ‘another’, it implies that there was a first. This, of course, must be Jesus, for he came alongside us to encourage us, to bring the love and joy and forgiveness of God to us. When we were struggling, when we lose our way, Jesus is near us and brings God close to us. Jesus now ensures that they have ‘another’ helper when he goes away. We are not alone. We are never alone. This other helper is with us forever.

Secondly, he understood the reality of their experience. Jesus did not minimize what his disciples were feeling. They had heard that he was leaving them. They had heard that one of them would betray him and another would deny him. Their simple routines were going to be disrupted and this was not going to be easy. But he acknowledges their sense of loss and feeling of abandonment. Recognizing this, he says to them: ““I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you” (v.16). An orphan is one who has nobody – no parental figure to care for them, provide for them or protect them. Before the disciples could feel all alone in this world, Jesus assure them they were not being left as orphans. He understood what they were experiencing, the reality of their loss and he provided for them by praying to the Father to give them the Holy Spirit, another comforter, another helper, another encourager.

As we begin to hear plan of easing the lockdown both in this country and around the world, as we enter into a new phase, as we figure out how to cope, how to adjust to life, remember that we have ‘another helper’, God’s very Spirit, within us and around us, not temporarily, but forever, holding us in the eternal and unchanging love of the God who never leaves us. This indeed is what the risen Christ promised to his people before he ascended into heaven: “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:20).

Prayers of Intercession*

On this day, we pray:

• for the needs of the world, especially at this time of global pandemic;
• for those who are sick and for all medical personnel and caregivers;
• for research workers and scientists who are working to protect us, provide adequate testing, and to develop a vaccine;
• for essential workers, especially grocers, pharmacists and pharmacy employees, first responders, truck drivers, garbage collectors, delivery personnel, and all who protect us and supply us with our needs;
• for those who are particularly vulnerable to this virus;
• for those who are isolated;
• for those who are anxious;
• for our churches in this time of social isolation;
• for all those who suffer from various other challenges related to the brokenness of our world;
• for all for whom we have been praying in our hearts and minds;
• for those who are dying; and all those who have departed from this life and are at rest.

* © 2020 Church of Saint John the Evangelist (Diocese of Niagara, The Anglican Church of Canada)

Blessing*

Wherever we are, we are in God.
Wherever we are, we are in Christ,
and Christ is in us.
Wherever we are, the Spirit abides with us and in us.
We go forth in peace and hope,
upheld by God in every way.

Let us go forth in faithfulness and trust. AMEN.

*The Abingdon Worship Annual edited by Mary J. Scifres and B.J. Beu, Copyright © Abingdon Press.