Acts 1:6-14; Psalm 68:1-10,33-36; 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11, John 17:1-11
The Rev. Drew Brislin
After retiring from teaching for more than thirty years in the Dallas County School System, my dad and my stepmother decided like so many folks to retire to the beach. My dad spent many of those years teaching junior high band at various junior high and middle schools throughout the county school system. He loved music and all kinds of it too. His instrument of choice was the saxophone, but he could play and teach anything. He could listen to a song and be able to write out the music for various parts on a blank sheet of staff paper. Shortly after retirement he had an accident that severely damaged his knees and that affected many of the activities that he could do. What he planned to take up in his retirement was cut short, however, his love of music never ceased. He enjoyed some of the contemporary music that was being played at some of the new non-denominational churches and so when they moved full time to the beach, he and my stepmom, a former elder in the Presbyterian Church in Selma, started attending. My dad loved the music. He often referred to it as Jesus karaoke, because they displayed the words to the songs on big screens at the front of the venue. I won’t forget one particular Sunday, when I was visiting them that I tagged along. The pastor gave a really good sermon about having faith and confidence in Jesus to provide and the music was good and like with many churches and other traditions the pastor then moved into the altar call portion of the service. Having grown up Baptist, I was familiar with this. In fact, my brother and I participated in this when we were younger and wanted to be baptized in the church, we grew up in. Sometimes though no one goes up. This particular pastor on this particular morning though seemed to not want to take no for an answer. I sat there with my head bowed and eyes closed for what seemed like an eternity until finally I looked up to see that my dad and stepmother were no longer sitting next to me. My dad could be funny like that. If he got ready to go, he just left. When I eventually looked up to see that I had been left behind I got up and walked outside to find them waiting in the car. In our Gospel reading this morning, Jesus knows that the time is fast approaching when he will be taken from the disciples and so he begins what has traditionally come to be known as the ‘High Priestly Prayer,’ in which he offers up all manner of prayers to the Father for his followers so that they might be protected, strengthened and encouraged.
In our Book of Common Prayer on page 856 in the Catechism, which is presented in a question-and-answer format, we read ‘Q. What is prayer? A. Prayer is responding to God, by thought and by deeds, with or without word. and immediately after that we read Q. What is Christian Prayer? A. Christian prayer is response to God the Father, through Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit.’ Prayer can take all kinds of forms. Prayer can be read, prayer can be said extemporaneously, liturgical dance is an expression of prayer (don’t worry I’m not going to try it.), prayer can be sung, our liturgy is prayer. I think prayer can be expressed through music or any other number of ways that one might respond to the gift of God in the Holy Spirit. Jesus knows that the world will soon reject him and what pain and suffering he will soon be submitted to and that this same fate awaits those who follow him. Jesus, in our gospel reading this morning, asks of the Father to give them eternal life. He tells us what he means by this when he says “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent. Eternal life is not immortality, it is not about “not dying,” but rather it is found in relationship with God. It is about growing more fully into the life that God has already given us, and it will be found in community. Looking back at our definition of prayer, Jesus seems to be fulfilling this through his petitions and intercessions as he responds to what the Father is calling him do to so that God’s glory, God’s greatness and magnificence, will be accomplished through his suffering and death and resurrection. Jesus further petitions the Father to protect those who followed him that he protected them while he was with them. Jesus knows the fate that awaits them and subsequently offers up this high priestly prayer many prayers in different forms.
I think my dad’s love of music and his ability to share his gift with so many whether it was through the many bands he played with over the years or the many students he taught, served as prayer as he knowingly or not was responding to a call to share a gift. Jesus wants to share a gift with those who follow him that is only realized through relationship with the Father that will be achieved through the Holy Spirit. When I finally opened my eyes, while the pastor was still holding the altar call, and discovered my dad and stepmom had exited, I was caught off guard, but I was never scared. I knew that I would get home and instinctively felt they were just waiting for me outside. Those who follow God, knowing him through the example given us in Jesus will know comfort as well because they will know that they are part of a life-giving community that draws us together in love. As the Easter Season draws to a close, what are those ways in which we feel God is calling us and how are we answering? What relationships give us comfort and encouragement?