Holy Week: Wednesday

Tonight we've got Life Together, our monthly meeting where we have time for more in-depth worship, for discussions, and for more prayer, all around tables with pudding and coffee. Tonight's theme is The Experience of Gethsemane, thinking about times of difficulty, when God doesn't feel near. It's 7.15pm at Mistley Church.

So today, amongst other things, is the day when Mary Magdalene washed Jesus' feet in her tears, and poured incredibly expensive perfume over Him. I'm not going to expound some theological thoughts on this: the internet is at your finger-tips. 

Instead, let's do something. Get a tissue, and put a good amount of something strongly smelling on it. Preferably something pleasant. It could be perfume. Olbas Oil would work nicely. Put a decent amount on the tissue, then carry it around with you. I appreciate this might not be doable if you're hanging out with people who are, say, allergic to perfume, so please be considerate and feel free to leave your strongly-smelling tissue in your car. Boy, will that smell when you get back in there...

The point is, Jesus was anointed by someone who valued Him. She faced derision and questions about what the heck she was doing, because she thought He was worth it. 

And Jesus would have carried the scent of her worship for days. Have you every considered that every action of Good Friday, every mark made on Jesus' body would have just released more of that perfume back into the air? I think by the end of Good Friday I would never want to smell nard again.

So today, carry perfume with you. Remember how Mary valued Jesus. And remember how He valued her for doing it. 

Holy Week: Tuesday

Trying to sort the events of Holy Week into real-time days, I've found that Tuesday is a bit of an issue. Jesus appears to spend the whole day teaching. From Mark 11:20 to 13:37, all he does is talk. And occasionally walk. There is nothing I can artistically write over a hipster picture that sums up the day, when he swings from paying poll-tax to the destruction of the temple, to the most important commandment, to the legitimacy of John's baptism...it goes on and on. Except reading it again, there is something that stands out.

Mark 13:3-4

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”

New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® 

Jesus has spent all day saying provocative things to powerful people. His disciples, spending the day with Him, must have seen the faces of the Chief Priests. They must have noticed that questions are posed in the hopes of trapping Him. They must have been tempted to bundle Him out of there and go and sit somewhere quiet where He can't say anything outrageous, and then, just as they finally get Him out of the temple, and think they're on safe ground discussing architecture, Jesus tells them that all of the buildings will be destroyed to nothing.

I can picture this so clearly. I can see myself there, wincing. Part of me is properly annoyed that He couldn't just appreciate the columns. Part of me wants Him to stop saying those things. And part of me is with Peter, James, John and Andrew, getting in a quiet corner and asking what He's talking about, maybe so that I'm ready. Maybe so that I'm nowhere near.

Holy Week is hard. My Lent readings have had me already read about Good Friday, so I can tell you from experience: walking this road is brutal, and I wasn't even there.

Here's the other thing: Jesus knew what was coming, and He kept teaching.

He knew what was coming, and He kept saying the things that would get Him in trouble.

He knew what was coming, and He kept saying the hard things. The true things.

He knew what was coming, and He kept walking the road.

These middle days are important, not least because of just that: Jesus told us to follow Him. If Jesus walked this road, fully knowing everything that was going to happen, who am I to wimp out now?

Holy Week: Monday

So on the back of Palm Sunday yesterday, we're starting a week of posts, walking through this Holy Week. We're going to use Bible readings, images, videos, music, and even a multimedia meditative art piece on Friday. I'm not even kidding.

Today, we're starting quietly with a reading from Matthew, remembering when Jesus overturned the tables in the temple. May we, this Easter, have our hearts overturned to see more of Jesus' love.

Matthew 21:12-16

Jesus went straight to the Temple and threw out everyone who had set up shop, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of loan sharks and the stalls of dove merchants. He quoted this text:My house was designated a house of prayer;You have made it a hangout for thieves.Now there was room for the blind and crippled to get in. They came to Jesus and he healed them. When the religious leaders saw the outrageous things he was doing, and heard all the children running and shouting through the Temple, “Hosanna to David’s Son!” they were up in arms and took him to task. “Do you hear what these children are saying?”Jesus said, “Yes, I hear them. And haven’t you read in God’s Word, ‘From the mouths of children and babies I’ll furnish a place of praise’?”

From The Message, Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Holy Week

Join us here this week, for various ways to remember the events of Holy Week, all leading up to Easter Sunday. 

Easter

Coming up...

Friends, we have finally become organised. Briefly. This might not continue, so bask in it whilst it exists.

We have planned our sermon series, so that you can more easily invite friends and family to service where the theme might be of interest to them! 

Not only that: we have made postcards of them. 

I know. Outrageous.

So, coming up in our two different service streams...

Please invite your friends, invite your family, make a note, have a think, and come along!

Oh, and look out for more info on Easter, coming soon!

Lent begins...

I know you're probably all too busy reading up the best pancake recipes and trying to decide on lemon and sugar vs something more edgy (chocolate spread? You rebel) but don't forget that the whole reason for pancake day is that Lent starts tomorrow.

To mark the occasion, rather than forcing the newest member of the clergy to make a pancake on live television (though we SHOULD do that...note to self), we will be holding a service for Ash Wednesday, Wednesday 10 February, 9.30am at Bradfield Church. This traditional-style service will include the opportunity to be marked with ash, starting this season of reflection and rededication the way we mean to go on!

If you have any traditions, books you read, things you give up, things you take up, things you try through Lent, please leave them in the comments here! You might really help someone else with a great idea for these next 40 days.