Newsletter – 29th March 2020
We are not yet sure what we can do for those who do not use computers, but you are not forgotten and we’ll do what we can. I know networks are being set up by phone, helping to keep everyone in touch. Please do anything you can to help but your first priority has to be the safety of yourself and your family.
For many of us, the most important thing we can do is to pray for each other and our world. At the moment we are not allowed to ring the church bell, but keeping 6pm as a time for prayer would help those living alone to feel part of the whole church. In addition, Archbishop Justin has asked that we all say the Lord’s Prayer at 11am.
Take care and stay well Edith
Readings for 29th March Lent 5
Ezekiel 37 1-14 John 11 1-45
Ezekiel 37:1-14 New International Version (NIV)
The Valley of Dry Bones
37 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’”
John 11:1-45 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Death of Lazarus
11 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent a message to Jesus,[a] “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6 after having heard that Lazarus[b] was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. 10 But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.” 11 After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” 13 Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 Thomas, who was called the Twin,[c] said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
Jesus the Resurrection and the Life
17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus[d] had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles[e] away, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[f] Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah,[g] the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”
Jesus Weeps
28 When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus began to weep. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
Jesus Raises Lazarus to Life
38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
The Plot to Kill Jesus
45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.
Two very interesting stories in today’s readings. When I first looked up the readings, I was rather dismayed – stories of death at a time when there is so much anxiety around. How was I going to deal with this in our present circumstances? We have the story of the dry bones from Ezekiel, and of the raising of Lazarus. However when I thought more about these passages it became clear to me they are both about life.
The story of the dry bones is about life –Ezekiel summons the breath to inspire the dead –and the mighty army springs to life! This is the power of God’s word and Spirit, in partnership with the faith and obedience of the prophet. Israel will rise again, at the word of the Lord. The God who brought creation to being by his powerful word will restore his people to their life and land.
Then in the passage from John’s Gospel we have the story of Jesus raising his friend Lazarus from the dead - an interesting story - but what is in it for us? Well there is the demonstration of the power of life over death, there is the demonstration of Jesus’ humanity as well as his divinity. And we have the scene set for what is to come.
Today we begin Passiontide –the final days of Lent, as we begin to follow Jesus’ final journey. This year we follow him alone as we can’t be in church with our fellow Christians. But of course we are not alone!
Prayers
God of love and hope,
you made the world and care for all creation,
but the world feels strange right now.
The news is full of stories about Coronavirus.
Some people are worried that they might get ill.
Others are anxious for their family and friends.
Be with them and help them to find peace.
We pray for the doctors and nurses and scientists,
and all who are working to discover the right medicines to help those who are ill.
Thank you that even in these anxious times,
you are with us.
Help us to put our trust in you and keep us safe.
Amen.
God of healing
We pray for all who are ill at this time.
For those we love, who we name in our own hearts
For those who have asked for our prayers
For those whose need is known only to you
And, from our parish, for Rosemary, Lesley and Dee
Amen
God of support
We pray for ourselves
For courage and compassion in these difficult days
For humour and common sense when things overwhelm us
For patience when we struggle with others
And help us to focus on you as we journey towards Holy Week and Easter
Amen
The photo next to the prayers was taken on Remembrance Sunday last year by a lady who lives down the street from St Thomas' Church, and she is happy for us to share it with everyone. The rainbow is a symbol of hope, and children are drawing their own pictures of rainbows to put in their windows as a sign of hope for all to see. Genesis chapter 9, verses 11-16 (below) describes God's promise to Noah and all living creatures on the earth.
13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.
All Church buildings are now closed, even for private prayer, so keeping in touch with each other and sharing prayer is even more important than ever. There will be no parish magazine for a while, so newsletters will be weekly.
If you’re missing your Sunday service and don’t have access to social media, BBC Radio 4 broadcasts a service at 8.10 am every Sunday morning. For those of you who don't usually follow social media, you can still find links to church services on our facebook page - just click on the facebook symbol somewhere over there 👉
