If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. John 15:10

Holy God,

In our world,

which preaches the message of autonomy and high self-esteem, 

we confess, 

the idea of obedience makes some of us cringe. 

The word “obedience” 

comes from an old English word, 

“obeisance,” 

which literally means to “bow down.” 

Servants bowed down before their masters. 

Subjects bowed down before the Queen. 

We confess, 

we far prefer to “bow up” 

than to “bow down.” 

And yet, because of the love with which you loved us,

 because we are indeed “charity cases,” 

as we confessed yesterday, 

we can grow in our love of obedience. 

For indeed, this is what our Savior did: 

rather, he made himself nothing

    by taking the very nature of a servant,

    being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

    he humbled himself

    by becoming obedient to death—

        even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:7-8)

Gracious Lord, in Christ’s love, 

by your Spirit, 

you have given us the power to bow down, 

to humble ourselves, 

to make ourselves servants—

of you and of others. 

And as Jesus told his disciples, 

it is this abiding and obedience 

that makes our joy complete (John 15:11). 

Give us this abiding joy.

In Jesus’ loving name. Amen.

Read John 15:1-11.