Jesus' long, powerful prayer for his disciples in John 17 has been referred to as the "high priestly prayer." In it he sums up the "table talk" presented in chapters 14-16. Having spoken at length with his followers, Jesus now turns his heart and words toward God in prayer. The common lectionary recognizes both the beauty and power of this prayer, as well as its soothing, sonorous quality. Thus, while the entire text of Jesus' prayer is part of the designated lectionary readings, only a portion of the prayer is read each year.

As this year's section of the great prayer begins, Jesus reminds God of the obedience both he and his disciples have shown thus far. Already implicit in verse 6 is the theme of unity that underlies this whole section. The disciples belonged to God, but were given to …