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Amy Jones,
Agape Coordinator
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Dear God, we come to worship you today.
We come to pray, and listen.
You always hear us.
Help us to hear you. Amen
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John 17:20-26
20 ‘I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, 21that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, 23I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
25 ‘Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. 26I 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.’
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This weekend my neighbor invited me to her son’s engagement party. This summer she had her house painted, she got a new deck, she fixed up her landscaping and on Friday morning she decorated the whole house and backyard with orange flowers and lights under a massive tent. She told me that they were planning to have a prayer service before the party, and though we were welcome to attend it, it would be 90 minutes long and we weren’t likely to understand much of it. She is Hindu and the prayers would not be in English. Instead, she recommended that we stop in at 8:30 when dinner would be served.
We watched out the window to try to discern when worship might be over. Around 8:45pm we decided they looked like they might be getting ready for dinner, so we quietly walked over. When we got there, we discovered that a woman was giving an impassioned testimony about her experience with her guru, or religious leader. She told us all about how difficult her life was before she became more intentionally religious. She told us that she had no idea how much more god wanted for her life until she started working with a guru. She encouraged all of us to take 5 minutes every day to give thanks for our blessings. She asked us to think about how we could “tune into” the divine energy that is swirling all around us all the time.
It definitely wasn’t what I expected, but it was lovely to hear someone express their faith from another perspective. I do not know anything about her tradition or the details of how she lives her faith, but hearing this was a warm reminder of the kind of intimacy God welcomes us to.
I think people often hear this scripture and think that Jesus is praying for us to help people believe in God in an evangelistic kind of way. Evangelism has its place, but it has also historically been misplaced, causing harm and running roughshod over cultures and traditions. I think what Jesus is praying for is the kind of intimacy with the divine that the woman at the Hindu ceremony was describing. He is interceding for us, on our behalf, so that we can find our way to the divine energy surging all around us, so that we can feel the love of God coursing through our veins, and know the Holy Spirit with each divine breath we take. Jesus wants us to know God and know God’s presence the way Jesus knows it. That is pretty profound.
Can you find five minutes today to be grateful for your blessings? What resources do you have to dip your toe in the current of God’s love that is all around you? Could you take a moment to try and see what difference it makes?
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Creator God, you gave us breath and life. Help us to grow closer to you. Give us an everlasting joy that attracts those around us to you. Amen
Amy Jones
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Amy Jones, Agape Coordinator |
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Amy Jones our Agape Coordinator is an ordained deacon in the United Methodist Church. In this tradition, deacons are ordained clergy who bridge the ministry of the church with the needs of the world, and vice versa. In more than 15 years of ministry, she has worked in churches, in children and family ministry, higher education, and nonprofits. In each setting, her focus has been on matching the resources of the church with the needs of the world. Agape Community Kitchen is exactly the type of work she was called to do.
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The Presbyterian Church in Westfield continues to burn as a light in the darkness as our community weathers this fearsome storm of illness. Our reach of care continues to extend far beyond our immediate borders. You can help us make a real impact in the lives of others by joining in our work through your time, your talents, and also in the fruits of your labors. |
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Please watch your email, our church website and Facebook page
for updates on the ways in which you can worship at home!
We are so excited for worship using Facebook Live Sunday morning at 10am, as well,
and we hope you can tune in!
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