May 29   John 14:15-21, I Peter 3:13-22

When I was a boy, I went to Catholic school and was expected to attend daily Mass. As an altar boy, that was part of the rotation. So, i heard a lot of Bible. When we came to this selection, my little boy's ears heard the untranslated paraclete as parakeet, and I wondered why the picture on the wall had what looked like a dove or pigeon and not a parakeet, one of those birds kept in a small cage.

Recently someone was complaining to a group that we don't hear enough about hell, and we hear too much about a God of love. Maybe so, but our passages this morning don't move in that direction. I Peter offers some hope for him as a possible biblical reference for the descent into hell, but here it means the abode of the dead. The descent into hell shows  the upper reaches of sacrificial love(see Barth, von Balthasar, Lauber, and the Alan Lewis book on Holy Saturday) no where too deep, no where and no one too far gone, no where too dark for the light of God's love to penetrate.

Love's communion knows no boundaries. Even time and space fall in its march toward fulfillment. Jesus offers an incredibly thick description of the relationship of love here. The love of Jesus and the Father, indeed a mutual indwelling, is for us as well. Put more starkly, divine love is made available to us through Jesus. The way is open ot us to have a relationship with God that could approach the one Jesus enjoyed. We have a sense of mutual indwelling in the language of romantic love when we say things like you will always be a part of me, or perhaps in the words of theologian Tom Cruise, "you complete me." Jesus invites us to join a divine community of mutual love, not unrequited love, mutual love.

Jesus knows that goodbyes are hard. He will not leave us orphaned-not alone-not bereft of help. We are not alone. We are accompanied with the presence of God. That presence here is pictured as helpful and encouraging for us to make good decisions for our benefit. We get another preview of Pentecost this morning. paraclete=called along side, on your side (CASA) calling in for help,comfort, guidance, counselor. an advocate (doctor, lawyer-interior design help)Instead of those annoying God is my co-pilot bumper stickers we could have God is my attorney. He says another paraclete will come. I would assume that means Jesus himself continues to be a counselor and advocate for us, as he was on earth for us. God and power of attorney. God is on our side. God looks out for our best interest. God takes a fiduciary responsibility toward us. Our Pentecostal sisters and brothers are right about the presence of the Sprint. They are wrong that it is available to all of us in God radical democracy, in ways that we require not imposed on us. Maybe we could use an image from musical accompaniment. it does not overwhelm the singer, but helps to carry the singer along and fortifies their song.

I am convinced the Paraclete accompanies us in worship. Worship makes furrows deep in the soil of the soul. Years ago, we tried to do Bible Study in a mixed group of dementia clients and the infirm in a nursing home. it did not work, as one would expect. I walked in around Christmas and said that we would start with a different prayer this morning. Let's sing Christmas songs. Almost every dementia patient could sing the first verse of a Christmas song. Memory was discovered like a paraclete called alongside of them to fill in Christmas. after all, in a way a counselor is a wise friend. Jesus said we are no longer disciples but friends, yet another word for paraclete.