John Ritenbaugh, reminding us that it is again time to recall and renew the commitment we made with our Creator God at our baptism, enabling us to attain priceless spiritual gifts, gifts completely unearned, including becoming offspring of God. Paul used the term Charis (grace) referring to unmerited spiritual gifts numerous times, indicating that Christians are both gifted and favored by God at the same time. God shows His favor by gifting those He favors. We have nothing that we didn't receive. God desires to reproduce Himself, sharing what He has with others having the same character. We should be envisioning living life as God lives for all eternity. God, who has favored us with the opportunity of His calling, will gift us with anything we need to make it into His Kingdom. The broken bread symbolizes Christ's body beaten for us for our healing and the sharing of the body of Christ in communion with other believers. The wine symbolizes the sacrifice of Christ's blood redeeming us, reconciling us with God the Father, enabling us to become children of God. Jesus, in John 17, offers a moving prayer, on behalf us His disciples then and now, to be protected from persecution and temptation of the world. After the Disciples had sung a hymn, they departed into the Mount of Olives.