John 17 is what we should rightfully call "The Lord's Prayer." The prayer which we recite every week and call the Lord's Prayer is actually the Disciple's Prayer - the words Rabbi Jesus gave to his followers who yearned for some prayer of their own. But here in John 17 is Jesus' own prayer, prayed on the eve of his betrayal and death, prayed with all the hope and love and intensity and anguish of that moment in his life.

This week's Gospel text focuses on the concluding sentences of this lengthy soliloquy. Having already prayed for himself, Jesus now prays for his disciples and for the church that is to come out of his death. Recognizing that his current disciples are the keys to this future church, Jesus prays especially for these future believers who will never know his earthly self, ask…