If you will, ARM is a continuation of Reformation, an American Reformation in unique political, religious context. Consistent with stress on Scripture, changing life and faith through enlightened understandings.

For integrated vision of continuous renewal, reflect on Jesus' prayer in John 17. Profound, deep, never fathom. Paddle in shallows. Never scale heights, only climb foothills. Nevertheless, must persevere Here is temple of Scripture, inner sanctum, access to mind and heart of God. Eavesdrop on communion of Son with Father. Take off shoes-holy ground.

Remind as begin that Jesus prays first for self (1-5), then for apostles (6-19), finally for whole church, both present and future (20-26). All who will believe through apostle's teaching. Concentrate on second and third aspects.

Jesus does not begin prayer for people until end of v. 11. For 5 1/2 verses he describes the people he is going to pray for. Elaborate description, and although it refers primarily to apostles, delineates them rather as ordinary disciples. Three things:

These three things are true of all his people, even us.

This threefold orientation--to Father, Son, World, makes us the holy people we are, distinct. Have unique mission as a result of this orientation.

Jesus prays for their, and our, protection (11b, 15). The holy Father should keep us holy, protecting, preserving. More particularly, Jesus prays that we might have four characteristics which serve to keep us, renew us, restore us. Namely--truth, holiness, mission, unity.

I. TRUTH
11b, keep them in your name. What mean? Keep those you have given me true to your name. Enclosing wall of truth, keep us. Inner sanctuary. God's name is who he is, his being, char, ID. Revealed to son, then to us. v. 12, during earthly ministry, JC kept apostles in this name. About to leave the world. Prays for loyalty, unity as JC and Father are one. Major means to unity will be loyalty to God's truth as revealed in and thru JC.

Truth = first concern. Revelation, disclosure by him of God's otherwise hidden name. Longed for people to be loyalty to this truth. Unity on common faithfulness. Too many today guilty of serious unfaithfulness to God's word. Some brashly deny fundamentals of history or Xn faith and trad Xn morality. Blushingly unsure of self and beliefs.

No renewal until church is renewed in faith, commitment to God's truth in JC, biblical testimony. No chance of church recovering authentic unity until has genuine basis for unity, which basis is truth.

II. HOLINESS
Not only kept true to his name, kept from the evil one (15). Preserved from error and in truth, kept from evil and in holiness. Reflects Eph. 5:27. Final destiny = holiness. Way of holiness. How? What mean?

Throughout history, church tends to extremes. To be holy, withdraw from world and lose contact with it. Or, conform to world and become virtually indistinguishable from it. Christ's vision of holiness is neither of these.

The Pharisees withdrew. Imagined mere contact with evil would contaminate. This Christian pluralism or separatism has lingered. Passionate longing for holiness, zeal to preserve Christian culture in our society/nation. Hermits fled to desert in 4th century. Medieval monasticism. Despite these noble motives, to withdraw from world is a betrayal of Christ. So is the modern piety which imprisons Christians in ghetto-like fellowship and effectively cuts us off fr non-Christians. Although Jesus prays for protection from evil one, specif prays that we not be taken out of world (15).

If withdrawal was approach of Pharisees, even more the Essenes; and conformity was way of Sadducees. Wealthy aristocracy. Collaborated with Romans, maintain political status quo. Compromised trad. Again, motive can be good, break down barriers between church and world, be friend of publicans and sinners, but Jesus was also set apart from sinners in his values and standards.

In place of either of these extremes, JC calls us to live in the world (11), while not of the world (14). Not belong to world, nor imitate its ways. Ours is a holy worldliness. Double ID. Neither give in or opt out. Stay in, stand firm.

III. PURPOSE
Mission, 15 references to "world" in this prayer. Concern is how we relate to world. Worlds in conflict = Johannine theme. Given to him out of world (6), not to be taken out of world (15), not to be of world (14b), hated by world (14a), sent into world (18). Multi-faceted rel of ch to world--living in it, not belonging to it, hated by it, sent into it.

How grasp this? In place of withdrawal and conformity, wrong attitudes toward world, is right one--mission. Ch's mission to world only possible, church finds renewal only if avoids two false tracks. If withdraw, mission is obviously impossible. If conform, also impossible for we lose a cutting edge. Although in world, sent into world. Christian people living in world may have no share in Christ's mission. Presence not sufficient. Presence, proclamation of truth, persuasion of lifestyle. Couple logic-lifestyle, doctrine-duty, plea-practice.

Prayer here is that we be sanctified thru truth, like X (17,19). What mean? If it is the same as X participated in? How can sinless X have sanctified himself? Answer is two complementary aspects of sanctification--pos and neg. Separated fr evil, what we usually mean. Avoidance. But sanctification = set apart for particular ministry, this sense = of Jesus. Pursuit. Seek and save lost. We are also set apart for mission in world. Sep fr world to be of service to world.

18, Jesus draws deliberate || between his mission and ours. How is his mission the model of ours? Substantial diff, of course. He = incarnation and atonement. But we are sent into the world like he was, shapes our understanding of our mission. Under authority of Christ, we are sent, not mere volunteers. Renounce privilege, safety, comfort, enter other's worlds, humble self, be servants. bear pain of hatred and hostility. Share good news.

IV. UNITY
Now are where most begin. How will future generation, never seeing X in flesh, believe (20)? What does Jesus desire for all believers? Three times--21a, 22b, 23b--be one, be one, become perfectly one (RSV). Well-known petitions. Not well known or understood is nature of this unity.