November 2024
The following is a possible framework for the Witnessing of the Word. It can be personalised or altered: its purpose is to serve as an example of how this Saying might be used primarily in the context of a Prayer Group, but it may be used by individuals too. It is not intended to be definitive. In the context of a group: the periods of silence should be appropriate for your group - probably not less than 5 minutes, or more than 15 minutes.
Saying for the month: ‘I, when I am lifted up ... will draw all people to myself’. John 12:32 (NIV).
To begin the exercise, first spend a short while in relaxation and preparing to be still; you may want to relax your way through your muscles or you may find it helpful to become aware of the sounds around you and then put them aside as you offer this time of prayer to God.
Say this introductory invitation to prayer, then keep a further minute or two of silence: ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11.28).
Introduction to the first silence - a preparation for listening with the mind:
‘I, when I am lifted up … will draw all people to myself’.
This chapter 12 of St. John forms the end of the first part of his Gospel. Throughout it, the glory that belongs to Jesus has been shown by a series of great miracles – or signs as St. John calls them, each one associated with one of the great ‘I am’ sayings. When the 5,000 are fed with the loaves and fish, Jesus says: ‘I am the bread of life which I will give for the life of the world’ (John 6.51).
When Lazarus is raised from the dead, Jesus says: ‘I am the resurrection and the life’ (John 11.25). The blind man is healed and Jesus says: ‘I am the light of the world’ (John 8.12).
The whole Gospel has, up to Chapter 12, offered itself as an amazing fabric of text shot through with references back to St. John’s Prologue:
The Word has come to his own home and his own people have received him not … Yet to all who have received him, who have believed on his name, he has given the power to become the children of light. The Word has become flesh, we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son of the Father (John 1. 9-14).
So far then, the glory of Jesus has been shown in signs, but in the second part of the Gospel, beginning with the washing of the disciples’ feet at John 13.1, the glory of Jesus is revealed. He is the reality behind everything that the signs have been pointing towards. The Gospel leads us to the ultimate glorification of Jesus on the Cross, and to the resurrection and the ascension. As we read the Passion in John, what comes through is that the Cross is a throne for the King.
‘I, when I am lifted up ... will draw all people to myself’. The words ‘lifted up’ are surely deliberately ambiguous, referring both to the elevation of the cross and to the exaltation in glory of Jesus.
The final words of John 12 are an amazing climax as Jesus cries out in a great prophetic voice – the Greek word that is used is ‘krazein’ and even the force of the word implies a great shout. Jesus cries out that he is pointing all the time towards his Father: ‘He that believes and trusts in me does not believe and trust in me, but in the one who sent me, and he who looks at me, is looking at the one who sent me’. (John 12.44-46).
These are strong words.
Just at that dramatic close to the first part of the Gospel, Jesus hides – the text says: ‘When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself’ (John 12.36). He hides himself from the crowds in order to be with his disciples. The presentation of that absolute choice between light and darkness is almost completely overwhelming – and so he hides.
It is as if Jesus was saying something like this: ‘You will be with me and I with you. Have faith in me as I am lifted up – then the light will shine in your hearts and you will become children of light’.
‘I, when I am lifted up … will draw all people to myself’.
We take this Saying into our minds, allowing the saying to speak to us: ‘I, when I am lifted up … will draw all people to myself’.
A time is now kept for silence of the mind – perhaps between 5 and 15 minutes. The silence concludes with a short thanksgiving, and/or feel free to repeat the Saying.
The first silence ends with the words: Father, we thank you for the gift of your Word.
Introduction to the second silence - a preparation for listening with the heart:
‘I, when I am lifted up … will draw all people to myself’.
In this second silence we take this word into our hearts, as we allow Jesus’ words to speak in us, to let them touch us and let them work more deeply upon our lives.
We come now to receive this saying deep in our own lives. The focus is on Jesus himself – ‘I, when I am lifted up .’ We look at him and as we do so he draws us to himself.
There is no force, no compulsion, no strong-arm tactics – the draw is simply love. Like a magnet lowered into a bowl of pins, we are drawn to him – one by one, one by one. We look at him on the cross and see there his love for each one of us – for all of us.
We see there his forgiveness for the soldiers who are crucifying him: ‘Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing’ (Luke 23.34).
We see his compassion for the penitent thief who is being crucified alongside him on Golgotha: ‘Today you will be with me in paradise’ (Luke 23.43).
We see there his love for his family and his friend – for Mary and for John, drawing them together to care for each other.
The King, lifted up and reigning in our hearts, is the one who has opened the way to God again through his sacrificial love. There was no other way and no other route by which this could have been achieved.
And so we listen now deep down in our own lives and in our hearts to Jesus speaking to us from the cross:
‘I, when I am lifted up … will draw all people to myself’.
A time is now kept for silence of the heart – perhaps between 5 and 15 minutes.
The second silence ends with the words: Father, we thank you that your Word is alive and within us.
Introduction to the time of intercession – taking God’s word outwards into the world.
‘I, when I am lifted up … will draw all people to myself’. In this final part of the exercise we offer these words of Jesus to the whole world.
Say the name of a person or a group of people, and after a short pause, repeat the saying. For example:
‘Alison and your family ‘I, when I am lifted up … will draw all people to myself’.
As we allow the word to speak through us we might direct Jesus’ word towards those people and situations where there is suffering, hurt and an absence of joy and where abiding in Christ would bring comfort. Conclude this time of intercession with words of thanksgiving: Father, we thank you that your Word has gone out through us to those for whom we pray.
The Conclusion
Feel free to use the Fellowship Prayer (below) or another closing prayer to conclude your time of contemplative prayer:
Loving Heavenly Father, we thank you for all your unsearchable riches which pour forth from you as light from the sun, in boundless profusion and generosity, whether received, ignored or rejected. And now we offer to you, in so far as we are able, as an emptiness to be filled with your divine fullness, ourselves, our souls and bodies; all that we are, all that we have and all that we do. Amen
You may wish to say the Grace together before departing.