[media presentation below] GospelThink Saturday, May 20 JOHN 16:23b-28 I will answer your prayers. On your part, you must leave it in my hands. Prayerthoughts a. When I ask for something in the prayer of petition, do I always ask “in Jesus’s name”? Or do I consider only what I want? b. Jesus speaks to me often in “figures of speech.” That is, most probably referring to the parables of the Gospels. Do I try to apply all of the words of Scripture to myself? c. Jesus explains the closeness of the Father and the Son. In the development of theology, the Holy Spirit came to be known as God as well. Have I chosen God to be an important part of what I do everyday? d. Jesus speaks of leaving the world, referring to the fact of his death. As I think of my own “leaving the world,” my death, what are the most important spiritual things that I should have accomplished before my death? (This is the task of the meditation.) e. My prayerthoughts…. Today I will list what I hope to have accomplished (my spiritual “bucket list”) before I die. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  “IN JESUS’ NAME”  + One of the refrains, so to speak in John the evangelist’s recounting of Jesus’ words           – is the phrase “in Jesus’” name, in “my” name           – here: if we ask for anything in Jesus’ name, we will receive it,                      – if we ask in Jesus’ name, the Father automatically listens because the Father and Jesus are so close  + It might be profitable to spend a moment of meditation on that phrase “in Jesus’ name”           – being human, we listen to the statement that we will receive anything we ask for when we ask for it in Jesus’ name                      – and our concentration is not on the “if” statement                                – we are much more interested on receiving the “anything”           – when we do that, we realize right away that we haven’t received everything we have asked for                      – and the problem may lie in the phrase “in Jesus’ name”  + We may simply not be asking “in Jesus name”           – what does that mean?           – I think it implies a couple of things, both of which are contained more or less in today’s Scripture:           – 1 – it implies a true belief in Jesus that is “vigorous” as Apollos was in the Acts of the Apostles reading today                      – that is, it is a belief that expresses itself in action, in thoughts, in words                                – so that others look at us, and say that it is clear that we are different, that we are a person dedicated to Jesus           – 2 – it implies that we are asking for the right thing                      – “in Jesus’ name” always implies the same thing as “whatever is God’s will”                                – and God’s will may not be what we are asking for                                          – the Christian who prays in Jesus’ name will always ask his/her prayer with the condition that if this is what you want, Lord, then it is what I ask for                                          – and we know that God will only give us good  + All of which brings us really to a much clearer understanding of the prayer of petition           – understood spiritually, there is no prayer of petition                      – there is only a prayer of thanksgiving                                – as we pray for whatever, we pray with the knowledge that God is giving us only what is good                                          – we know that, it is a given                                – therefore we pray, knowing that God through the Holy Spirit is in the process of answering our prayer even as we are asking for it                                          – whatever we pray for, providing that it is God’s Will, God is trying to bring it about already in the sense that it will be good for us in some way, and so we thank God for what God is doing. MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: “Enemy” — Imagine Dragons featuring JID BE READY AND BE SHREWD The Gospel MATTHEW 10:16-19 Jesus said, “Behold I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents an simple as doves. But beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moments what you are to say.”

Gospelthink: Jesus tells me not to worry about enemies when I am with him. Do I trust in the Lord completely?

“I’m searching to behold the stories that are told when my back is to the world that was smiling when I turned; tell you you’re the greatest, but once you turn they hate us. Oh, the misery: everybody wants to be my enemy, spare the sympathy, everybody wants to be my enemy. Look out for yourself, but I’m ready. Your words up on the wall as you’re praying for my fall, and the laughter in the halls and the names that I’ve been called, I stack it in my mind and I’m waiting for the time when I show you what it’s like to be words spit in a mic.”

When the Lord sent his Apostles out to preach about the kingdom that he wanted for humankind, he knew that it would cause some problems. Even though they were using powers to heal and cure, they were telling people to admit sinfulness and to change their way of thinking. In general, human beings do not like to do either. But Jesus knew that if his kingdom of peace was to be a part of the world, it would require a real change. Imagine Dragons and JID in their song “Enemy” seem to realize that some changes must be made in the way people approach the person in the song. The person seems to have made some enemies in the past, and one is not certain why. But, it is certain from the song that those enemies are active and intent on creating division and personal mayhem. Sometimes, we make enemies in our world. It might happen because of a message that we give to the world that the world does not like. It might merely be that we are part of a group of people that another group does not accept. For whatever reason, we become enemies of someone. How do we function if we know that we have enemies? Jesus told his Apostles that they should trust completely in him, even to the point of not even preparing a defense. The song says simply that we “be ready,” that we “look out for yourself.”  In general, it means that we be aware that our enemies are “out there,” and that we know exactly the way that we will act and they will act. If we live a life at all, we will have opinions about the way our lives are, and given the world the way it is, we will make enemies because of our beliefs. We must be ready for the division and prepare to work for good order.

PRAYER Good and gracious God,  Your Son had enemies, and He chose people who would help Him who likewise would have enemies. Help us treat the enemies we have in a shrewd way so as to love them but at the same time to be careful with them.  Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme:We must be ready for those who want division instead of happiness. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. What does the song ” Enemy” teach young people? 2. What does the word “shrewd” mean with respect to people? 3. What is the principal problem of the world right now? 4. What is the biggest cause of animosity among young people? 6. What is the biggest cause of animosity among all people? 7. How does a young person make him’herself “ready” for the world? 8. Given our Christian belief, what is the way to treat enemies and why? In general, do Christians follow this directive?