Life after high school

Homiletic summary of John 17:1-11

This is a week that for many of us passes unnoticed. But for others this week marks a significant milestone in their child's life; high school graduation. It signifies the end of one phase of life and the beginning of a new life. High school is fraught with ups and downs - it serves a training ground not simply for academic achievement but for for living in community. As someone said to me recently, "community is hard." Of all the trials I watch my own daughter wade through in her high school years, the navigation of community is by far the most difficult. But the experience of high school has life-long effects; somewhere deep in our psyches are the scars of finding our way, our voice, our place within the social strata of high school. And though we adults, recall and appreciate the struggles experienced in that place and time, in hindsight what we know for certain is that it is a mere primer for what lies ahead.

It may seem at first a hard thing to reconcile high school graduation within the context of the life of the church, but scratch around just a little in the Gospels and a connection will soon become apparent. Take this Gospel lesson from John for instance: Jesus' words to his disciples in preparing them for a new life; ultimately a much harder life without him. Jesus has come to the end of a long speech directed to his disciples. He breaks off and looks up to heaven and begins to pray. It is a dense prayer to say the least; hard for us to fully understand. The words are not clearly set forth, leaving us to say to ourselves: What did he just say? or What does that mean? In the most simple and general terms, Jesus is commending the disciples into the care of God. But he begins by asking God to give to them 'eternal life.' We use this phrase in our liturgical life quite a bit. Because we take things in the most literal sense, we might think that we are praying for immortality. Not to disappoint, but that is not exactly what Jesus has in mind for us.

So what does he mean by 'eternal life'? Thankful we need not guess, he explains it clearly for our understanding. He is asking God to give to his disciples is a life shaped by the knowledge of God as revealed in his person. Said another way, eternal life is to have the fullness of a good and rich life assured of the presence, fidelity and covenential love of God made known to us through the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. To know Jesus is to know God; to allow one's life to be shaped by God is eternal life. The conforming of our lives to God's will for us, that is to put our relationship to with God before all things and our love of neighbor as the underlying guide for all we do, creating a relationship between us and God that death cannot conclude. It is a relationship that we believe will survive and grow beyond the confines and boundaries of what is possible in this life.

Given that this was Jesus' deepest desire for the disciples whom he loved, then it is as fitting that we ask this also for those we love and admire; those in whom the future of the world has been entrusted. Let this then be our prayer for graduating seniors: that they may have eternal life; that their lives be so shaped by God in Christ, that the bond between the two will be so strongly forged as to withstand any defeat, any hardship, any burden.

On this day, June 5, we celebrate the graduation of Eric England. At his baptism and again at his confirmation this believing community of which he has been a part since birth vowed to assist in the shaping of his life as a Christian. It is now time for us to entrust him, once again, to God as he moves from the bounds and safety of life in high school into the wider world in which he will need to find his way, his place. But he will not be alone, for the conditions of our vows to him do not end here. His faith community will be here to support him and his parents and family as he continues to find his way in the world. To Eric and all those graduating from high school this week, let us pray that their lives be commended into the care of God and shaped by love and mercy in the goodness of eternal life.