6th April: Lent 5
online Morning Prayer.
Isaiah 43:16-21
Writing after the first exile in Babylon, the prophet reminds the Jews that God had shown his power over the waters at the Exodus from Egypt. He will now reverse the fortunes of his people and they will rejoice again.
Thus says the Lord,
who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
who brings out chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
The wild animals will honour me,
the jackals and the ostriches;
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
the people whom I formed for myself
so that they might declare my praise.
John 12: 1-8
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.’
Something to think about
John placed the account of Jesus’s anointing in his gospel by a different woman and in a different place to the synoptic gospel writers (Lk.7:36-50, Mk 14;3-10,Matt.26:6-16). He also painted a different picture of Judas, making him a more villainous, dishonest person, in contrast to Mary’s generosity.
Collect
Holy God, in the Saviour’s cross
your boundless love meets human sin:
strengthen and deliver us that we may know the victory is ours
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Post Communion
Lord Jesus Christ, you have taught us
that what we do for the least of our brothers and sisters
we do also for you:
give us the will to be the servant of others as you were the servant of all,
and gave up your life and died for us,
but are alive and reign, now and for ever.
Next Sunday’s (13th) Readings:
Luke 19:28-40
Luke 22: 39 or 23:49 Dramatic reading of the Passion
Please remember in your prayers this week:
Those who are sick or suffering, including Tim Sadler, Linda Torr, Margaret Marsden, Nadia and Irene Wilson, or very elderly, especially Arthur Williams.
The recently bereaved, especially the friends and relatives of Angela Hunt, Molly Bradley, Celia Martin, Christine Webster, Vivyan Manion and David Woodhouse.
Areas of conflict: the Ukraine, the Middle East and too many others.
Our local churches, as they face up to the problems of the future, such as the interregnum.
Our Ministry Team: Maggie, Nigel & Lynda and her support: Simon.