Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Fifth Sunday of Lent. Our Church Services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 at St Agnes' and 11.00 at St Thomas'.
If you are unable to be with us in person, you will find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "Lord, For The Years"
Today's Gospel
John 12:1-8Jesus Anointed at Bethany
Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him.
Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?" (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.)
Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."
Reflection
The first thing this passage reminds me of is the evening of the last supper which we will celebrate in a few days’ time on Maundy Thursday.
There is a clear pointer towards the servant hearted Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. But what Mary does has just as much significance. The act of anointing Jesus’ feet was an act of overwhelming thankfulness and joy from Mary’s heart.
She loved Jesus and we are told that Jesus had a fondness for all the family. So much so that he had been moved to tears when he had seen how distressed Mary had been at the death of her brother Lazarus and raised him from the tomb where he had been laid. Many see this as another pointer towards the events that will happen on Easter day.
The perfume that was used was called nard and extremely expensive. Some say it would have cost a years wages. That is the measure of the love that Mary had for Jesus. Her act was one of utter devotion. When Mary poured the nard out of the jar she was also pouring out her love and her soul for Jesus.
I wonder when was the last time you last did something so generous for the love of someone else. Moreover, when was the last time you did something for Jesus or told him how much you love him?
During the season of Lent, it is the season when we should spend time not only reading scripture but also thinking about what God has given us during our lives, and the promise that Jesus makes tells us that we can have eternal life when we turn to him. Lent is a time to reflect on just how wonderful Jesus is and what he sacrificed to save us from our sins.
They say time is precious - how often do we take time to worship Jesus when we are not at church?
What would you give to Jesus if he were with you now? But let’s not forget, Jesus is with us now – he’s always with us even when we are going through the bad times. We just need to remember that he is there for us when we need him most in our lives as well as when things are good.
What Mary did for Jesus was extravagant by any measure both in terms of the cost of the perfume and the humility of her actions, drying his feet with her hair. But Jesus defended her as he had done once before - remember when Martha had been angry about her neglecting her duties to spend time with Jesus and the disciples. [Luke10:38-42] In this case he defended Mary because he recognised she was acting out of devotion.
We all feel we have busy lives, but we can always find time to do things that are important to us and we can find time to look after the ones we love.
During the last full week of Lent I urge you to take a little of your precious time and sit with Jesus. Turn off the TV and the radio, and the mobile phone for a short time and just sit and talk to Jesus about whatever is in your mind, good or bad, happy or sad.
Show Jesus some of the love and devotion that Mary showed to him. Paul
Our prayers
Gracious Lord,
At times, our lives seem full of worries and troubles, for ourselves and others. Help us to set aside some precious time to relax in the presence of friends or family and re-energise our lives.
Lord, let us thank you with all our heart and soul, that you love us and are always there for us. Let us pour out our love for you with prayer and devotion.
Loving Lord, everything we have comes from you, let us give to you what is most precious to us.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Christ Triumphant, Ever Reigning"
Notices
Next Sunday is Palm Sunday – the start of Holy Week. Bishop Mark will be presiding at a Family Parish Eucharist at St Thomas’ at 11 am, and there will be no Sunday School or service at St Agnes’ on that day. The service will start in church, and there will be a short procession of palms around the school playground (weather permitting). From Palm Sunday onwards, all of our services at St Thomas’ will return to the main part of church, so please wrap up warmly.
The Tuesday morning service of Holy Communion is at St Thomas’ at 10 am, and Worship for all Generations is at 6.30 pm on Tuesday and Wednesday at St Agnes’.
The final Churches Together Lent Lunch is this Wednesday at 12.30 pm at Zion Methodist Church. Please come and join us for bible readings, reflection and prayers centred on art depicting the events of Holy Week. The sessions are followed by tea/coffee and cake.
Christian Aid Appeal: Christian Aid along with other charities have launched an emergency appeal to help the families and communities impacted by the devastating earthquakes in Myanmar. If you feel able to contribute, please leave a donation on the box at the back of church. If you want more information about this disaster you can visit the Christian Aid website or read the letter on the noticeboard at the back of church.
Advance notice – The Annual Parochial Church Meeting will take place on Sunday 27th April, following a 10 am Parish Eucharist at St Thomas’ Church. We have vacancies for PCC members and other parish officers, so if you are interested in playing your part in shaping the future of our churches, please see Neil, Paul, Liz or any PCC member. Nomination forms will be available in both churches from next Sunday.
