Glimpses of Glory and Unity
Glimpses of Glory and Unity
“The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I 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. Father.”
Between this sermon and the reports to come, you’ll have certainly heard enough from the leadership of this parish church by the end of our Annual Meeting. And hopefully we leave space for your questions. So from the circular Gospel reading today, perhaps what we need to hear from Jesus today are the words I just quoted. If I may be so bold, here’s my amplified version:
And the glory you have given me [in this human nature] I have given them [those here and those to come], that they may be one just as we are one: I in them and you in me [that through me] they may become completely one, so that the world outside may know that you sent me, and have loved them just as you loved me.
Every Sunday we glimpse the glory of the incarnate Son of God made present in our Holy Eucharist, the recalling of his passion and resurrection, so that he is as present with us as with his first disciples. And feeding us with his very self, Jesus Christ makes us “living members” of his Body and of each other. Then having become one body we disperse into the world, sent by God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to a world that too often seems intent on covering up the infinite love in which we were created, and reconciled.
Seem daunting? According to Jesus, we don’t have to be “completely one. We have to “become completely one.” Becoming completely one is a lifelong process of growth, repentance, and reconciliation. As a parish church that is “becoming completely one,” it’s good to have an opportunity once a year to do a wellness check on that process.
According to our By-Laws, this is the time of year in which we gather for the formal business of the parish, to elect your representatives to the Vestry, to see the budget they have prepared, which is based solely on what God has provided through your giving of time, talent, and treasure, to hear reports from the lay and ordained leadership of this parish, and by all means to ask the questions that need to be asked.
As you glimpse the glory of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in our worship, I pray that we may glimpse our unity as a church in the Annual Parish Meeting, that we recommit ourselves to “becoming completely one,” and that those we meet in the world outside may glimpse the glory, the unity, and the love of God in Christ Jesus.
7th Sunday of Easter
June 1st, 2025
The Rev. David Kendrick