Have you ever wished to be sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to what he might have to say?  The scripture we just read gives us that opportunity.  Imagine that you have just slipped into the garden in the evening and you see Jesus off in the distance by himself.  As you approach you over hear him praying. As you listen, you realize he is praying for you!  Listen once again….I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that 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 sent me. 

     It is awesome to assume the posture of one who is being prayed for.  Yet each of us here is included in this prayer.  In fact, it is a prayer that makes no distinctions - it seeks to obliterate all that might separate.  This prayer is for those of every generation, every era.  It includes the teachers of church school as well as the students.  It is Jesus desire for the unity of all God’s creatures.  It is larger than any one generation; any one denomination or congregation can experience or perceive. While we have championed being a welcoming congregation we have not begun to experience the expanse of the reality of Jesus’ prayer. 

     It is one thing for us preacher types to preach about “all becoming one” but it remains far from an accomplished reality.  Let me share with you an excerpt from a sermon that was preached in this very spot nearly forty years ago.  Dr. Henry C. Rogers in his farewell sermon on December 27, 1964 said: (And I remind you that the language reflects its historical context.)  But the dream I am asking you to dream with me today is a dream of the church as it ought to be…. Dream with me of a church that is in truth a fellowship of the redeemed.  We need to be more than a congregation who come together on Sunday to worship.  In a modern city with a group of people scattered abroad and who rarely see each other except at church, how shall we have a sense of fellowship?  …. Dream of a church that has room for the odd and the queer, the rich and the poor, the scholar and the unlearned, the cultured and the uncultured, the black and the white, the yellow and the red….   Dream of a church where the people all have a sense of responsibility.  Each member seeks others for membership as he expects the minister to do.

And he goes on:  

We are aware of the difficulties—and we are so entangled in so many things—we are tired!  But when the spirit of God is poured out—“Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, And your young men shall see visions (Joel 2:28) Pray for God’s Spirit and cease not to dream.   (From Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church: 1868 to 1998:An Historical Sketch p. 7D)

     Yes, forty years ago the call was to be a welcoming and affirming congregation.  Forty years ago the call was to be one; that we reflect the oneness of God in Christ Jesus.  And we know all to well that it is a difficult task.  Even as we seek to be open and affirming, as we desire all to experience the generous love of Jesus, we find ourselves having been divided.  Yes, we who have wanted to model the oneness Jesus prays for, find ourselves in a painful split.  The most difficult thing to do at a time like this is to stay open to those who have left.

     The working principles endorsed by the Mt Auburn Session may serve us well at this time.  Number 4 of those Principles states: We are RELATIONAL AND OUTREACHING.  Then it spells that out to say: We will remain in open dialogue with, and act with mutual forbearance and respectfulness toward, the diverse views and positions along the road to more light.  Among individuals, groups, institutions and society, we will treat no one as our enemy.   

     There is no time in which this is needed to be lived out more - than right now!  I have to tell you that when I interviewed for this interim position I had been given this statement along with other materials.  The idea of treating no one as an enemy jumped out at me.  I told the committee that that was one of the things that interested me in coming here.  I wanted to be with people who wanted to live that out. 

     The anthem that was sung today is a case in point.  You may have noted the words are those of Steven Van Kuiken.  To use that today may be troubling for some of you.  I suspect for some it will be wonderful, for others it will be difficult.  But can we hear the words: The important question is not who you are.  The important question is who you are becoming.  We are all on a journey but none of us has arrived.  Can we affirm this?  Are we committed enough to use our principle in a place and with people we never dreamt we have to exercise it with?  We had others in mind when those principles were adopted.  But the principle remains valid for today. 

    Being one in Christ is not simply a sweet and lovely ideal.  It is tempting to make it a feel good sermon.  But it is sometimes gut wrenching.  It is staying open when everything inside is saying don’t be a fool.  Close down, turn your back.

     I know how hard it is to live into oneness.  It was about this time last year that I had a very personal experience with this very idea.  Through my personal devotional time God had pointed out to me that I had a relationship with my brother-in-law that I needed to address. I did not like him.  His treatment of others and his personal perspective of life was painful to me.  But God made it clear to me that I can’t claim to love God if I don’t love God’s children.  And I knew that he was a child of God’s.  I really had to wrestle with myself because I really didn’t want to love him.  I really wanted to separate myself from him.  I wanted to badmouth him.  Well the result was that I found myself writing a letter of apology and reconciliation to him.  He responded in kind and we have agreed to disagree, but to affirm each other as God’s children.  They had rarely ever come to our house for a visit except for special family gatherings, weddings etc.  For the first time in almost forty years they drove from Arizona to Cincinnati to visit us, simply to cement that agreement.  It was - to say the least - a special time. To live out the unity that Jesus prays for is hard.  We don’t always want to do it.  I know from personal experience.       

     This prayer of Jesus says that through their word unity will result, and others will believe in me.  It so much easier to say that through the words of the church school teachers the children will come to believe in Jesus.  Or through the words of our missionaries others will become one with us.  But we are the recipients of Jesus’ prayer.  How will others experience unity with God and with us through our words?  This church will not be able to bear witness to unity if we do not deal with our feelings and our actions regarding those who differ with us, whether that is a difference in strategy or a core difference in principle.  Our task for being inclusive is bigger than it was a year ago.

      We will treat no one as our enemy says we will treat EVERYONE (NO ONE EXCEPTED) as our friend, our sister or brother.  We may not have arrived, but we are ALL on a journey.  How we respond will shape who we are becoming. 

      The prayer we overheard Jesus praying for us concludes I 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.  May that not only be our prayer, but our lifestyle.  It cost Jesus his life.  Are we willing to pay the price?   Hear once again Jesus’ prayer for us: Through their words, that they may all be one.  No I am not suggesting organic oneness, (if a miracle happens and that would occur that would be great.) but we can in our hearts and in our words be one in the Spirit. 

     May the love of Jesus in us empower us to be OPEN, even when it hurts, and AFFIRMING, even of those we would rather shun. Through our words and actions may we treat no one as our enemy.