St Mark 13: 9 – 27

Jesus said:  ‘As for yourselves, beware; for they will hand you over to councils; and you will be beaten in synagogues; and you will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them. And the good news must first be proclaimed to all nations. When they bring you to trial and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say; but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.  Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

‘But when you see the desolating sacrilege set up where it ought not to be (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains; someone on the housetop must not go down or enter the house to take anything away;  someone in the field must not turn back to get a coat.  Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days!  Pray that it may not be in winter.  For in those days there will be suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, no, and never will be.  And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut short those days.  And if anyone says to you at that time, “Look! Here is the Messiah!” or “Look! There he is!”—do not believe it.  False messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.  But be alert; I have already told you everything.

‘But in those days, after that suffering,

the sun will be darkened,
    and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from heaven,
    and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in clouds” with great power and glory.  Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

Reflection

This is a crucial point in Mark’s gospel – Jesus is on his final journey to Jerusalem, soon he will die.   After that, because of him, there is no doubt that his followers will  be exposed to fierce persecution by religious and civic authorities.  But Jesus assured them that when they are brought to trial they will be empowered to testify to their faith.
 
Dark hints are made about the setting up of the obscure “desolating sacrilege”– direct language would have been politically dangerous for early Gospel readers for whom the meaning would have been clear. But we can scarcely ignore the graphic authenticity of what follows; the horrifying detail of Jesus’ vision is all too familiar. This is unmistakably our world.  A world where people are forced to flee for their lives – no time to go into one’s house for essentials, no time to stop to pick up a coat; and how awe-ful for pregnant or nursing women! Unimaginably so if it be winter.  Such catastrophes are played out for us daily with the emergence of corrupt political leaders and the carnage of war. 
 
So while in one sense these verses convey an apocalyptic  consciousness of life at the end of time they also have an unmistakable bearing on the present.  To read them is to engage with them, to try to discern the “signs of the times” and respond appropriately.  For in this dreadful context God is working out his project for good.  We are called to remain steadfast, to discern ways in which God’s promises are being fulfilled, called to watch and witness boldly to God’s truth.  So in God’s mercy, the elect will be vindicated, the tribulations of the Christian community will be curtailed and somehow the Good News will be proclaimed to all nations.
 
Prayer
 
Dear God,
We thank you for the assurance that we may face the trials of this life with the strength you supply.
 
We thank you for the community of saints and for the help we may find in their example.
 
And most of all we thank you for the example of your son, our saviour, Jesus Christ,
Through whom our prayers are made. Amen

St Mark 13: 1 – 8

As Jesus came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!’ Then Jesus asked him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’ When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately,  ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?’  Then Jesus began to say to them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray.  Many will come in my name and say, “I am he!” and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

Reflection

A disciple marvels at the temple buildings; the Temple, working reality and symbol of God’s dwelling with God’s people, centuries of standing, each stone cut big and deep enough to seat three people side by side, speaking to any pilgrim of the strength and permanence of God, God’s presence, and their faith. Unimaginable that it could be turned to rubble and dust.

More unimaginable than Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris being destroyed by flames.
 
Jesus reminded his disciples that the unimaginable can happen, that what appears permanent is not necessarily so. Change occurs, leaves people seeking after power and control, needing security. The power hungry leap to fill the void, the fearful turn to whoever offers certainty, people wrestle to find their position and stand in the new landscape, wars break out in the birth pangs of a new reality.
 
It is a timely warning on his road to the Cross.
 
For soon the disciples’ lives will be turned upside down, they will be left questioning who Jesus was, what they were doing with him, who they are now, and what they are going to do. Questioning the nature of God’s plan for his people, God’s purposes in their own lives. Questioning the nature of their faith.
 
Jesus reminds us that the unimaginable can happen, what appears permanent is not necessarily so.
 
Change occurs, it is rarely without discomfort, things often seem to get worse before they get better.
 
Sometimes it is that unimaginable happening, pulling the carpet from underneath us, upending our world view, shattering a long held perception, that painfully brings us to new, deeper, fuller understanding.
 
Sometimes it is that unimaginable happening that draws us back to what is permanent and unchangeable with God, not found in the making of grand and showy gestures, but found instead in the gentle breath of love, that many waters cannot quench and death cannot overcome.

Prayer

Holy Jesus,
You turn our distracted heads back to the truth that matters.
Our permanence lies not in the things of this world, but in the life of your eternity.
Jesus, full of mercy and grace,
Turn our fears to trust,
As You, in love, hold us through every suffering and change.
Christ of the cross,
Sharer in our suffering,
 
We close our eyes,
We turn within,
To breathe your love and peace,
and feel your presence in our heart. Amen.

St Mark 12: 41 – 44

He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.’

Reflection

There was a time when watching the news was a life imperative, a way of keeping informed, even fuel for prayer. Recently, I find it near impossible to watch. My mind switches off, or my finger changes the channel. My soul is overwhelmed by the images of those facing devastation, of those experiencing our collective lack of humanity. 

When I close my eyes I see an amalgam of the grief, confusion, and terror of those caught up in suffering. I don’t want to look or be reminded of their pain, or confronted with my uncertainty on how to respond, my fear that I don’t have the resources to help. And maybe even my apathy? But the Scriptures encourage us to look, remind us of the human need of others, even though it may be painful. 

The story of the widow’s mite may be one such confrontation, right in the centre of our most sacred spaces. Sometimes she is seen as a trumpeter of faith – to give more, do more, be more; calling us to give up everything for our ideals. But what if she is a protester, a confronter, a confounder, a troublemaker? The woman has very little, just a few coins. Yet she publicly stands in the temple and gives them away. Now she has nothing. How will she eat, or provide for her?

According to the Scriptures, the community of faith should do this. She knows that and the people know that. But maybe like me, they did not want to see the human need in front of them. So, she pokes and prods, irritating our consciences, reminds us of her humanity, and in doing so, gives much more to the temple than those with bulging wallets. This woman is a living parable, wisdom calling out to all who would listen. 

Prayer

Find a quiet place.

Be mindful that God is love and seeks the good of all.

Take a few deep breaths to settle yourself. 

Imagine you encounter the woman in the temple – what does she say to you or ask of you?

Take a few deep breaths to draw yourself out of prayer.

Be mindful that God is love and seeks the good of all.

Take any action emerging from your prayer.

St Mark 12: 38 – 40

As Jesus taught, he said, ‘Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honour at banquets!  They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.’

Reflection
We live in a celebrity society – who’s doing what, where, when and with whom.  Lives of the rich and famous followed on social media or headline news in our papers and often emulated by those who follow.

Beware the scribes ….  ring any bells??  Not much has changed apart, maybe, from the accessibility to the exhibition.  We still have those who would use the phrase “do you know who I am?” to get what they want. Even ordinary people will sensationalise their posts on social media to make their lives appear exciting, when the truth is much more mundane.  We just want someone to notice us.

But we have also seen the dangers of celebrity – the breakdowns of those in the spotlight or the wrongdoings of those in power.  Do not believe everything that you read or see or hear as the reality is often different to the headline. 

So what about the widows and the “ordinary” and the unnoticed?  Are they any less valuable just because we do not follow every second of their lives?  How often do we forget the “little people” in our quest to be noticed.  Why do we treat celebrity differently when at the end of the day they are people, just like us?

Lent is a time of preparation and reflection – do we spend our Lent looking forward to the chocolate eggs; the long weekend?  Or do we allow ourselves to be drawn into the reality and darkness of Lent – the desperation in the Garden of Gethsemane; the changing of the shouts from Hosanna! to Crucify!

Jesus was a celebrity – he was followed; emulated; worshipped and yet gave himself for us.  May we follow his example and not chase the hype, but live the reality of life in Him.

Prayer
Lord God, as we reflect this Lenten time, may our focus be on You and not ourselves.  May we remember all those who are in pain, the celebrity and the nobody.  For to you no-one is forgotten and everyone is valued and loved.  Help us to treat everyone with respect and show love and compassion, to all we meet.  Amen

St Mark 12: 28 – 37

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, ‘Which commandment is the first of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The first is, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’ Then the scribe said to him, ‘You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that “he is one, and besides him there is no other”; and “to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength”, and “to love one’s neighbour as oneself”,—this is much more important than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.’ When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ After that no one dared to ask him any question. While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said, ‘How can the scribes say that the Messiah is the son of David?  David himself, by the Holy Spirit, declared, “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand,  until I put your enemies under your feet.’” David himself calls him Lord; so how can he be his son?’ And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.

Reflection

I recall walking through the gates of my local URC and being stopped by a curious (Christian) onlooker:
 
“What kind of church is this?” 
“The United Reformed Church.”
 
“What kind of church is that?”
“A Christian church.”
 
“What Bible do you use?” 
“The Bible.”
 
“Do people speak in tongues?”
 “We don’t actively seek for it to happen – but if it did, great!”
 
A puzzled expression…
 
“Speaking in tongues is one of the gifts of the Spirit – but the greatest gift is love.”
 
Further puzzlement!
 
“The Bible says only two things are required – love the Lord your God… 
and love your neighbour as yourself.  That’s it!”
 
“THAT’S IT???”  An expression of sheer incredulity. 
 
I suggested that we both go away and ponder.
 
I don’t understand the compulsion to believe that everyone else must believe like us.  Who gave any of us a monopoly on truth?
 
Whenever I hear the words ‘As Christians, we believe…’, I brace myself for the latest lesson in why I am not a Christian. 

Why do we make so complex that which God apparently makes so simple? 
 
And what if I share my conviction that adherents of other faiths do not need to be converted to Christianity to be alright with God?  (There’s that look of horror and incredulity again!)
 
We are commanded to love God – and love our neighbour.  Is that only possible within the context of Christianity?  Only within the context of Christianity as understood and practised by me – me, with my human limitations, biases and prejudices? 
 
And is it truly loving someone if my agenda is to change them – regarding faith, culture, sexuality… (I could go on)? 
 
Surely, claiming to love God, whom we cannot see, is meaningless until we actively commit ourselves to loving the people God has gifted into our midst.  And surely, if we truly practised loving our neighbours – in all their complex, challenging, confusing diversity – our world would be much closer to the place our One God created it to be.
 
 
Prayer

God who is Love,
Call us to love.
God who is One,
Call us to be one –
Not a self-focussed ‘oneness’
Requiring others to be ‘like me’,
But an open, self-giving, other-receiving love
In which all your children
Have space to live and breathe,
And be the selves you created them to be.  Amen

 
Today’s service is led by the Revd Fiona Bennett

 
Welcome

Hello, my name is Fiona Bennett and I am Minister at Augustine United URC, which is in the middle of Edinburgh. It’s good to be with you this morning and sharing your worship.

Call to Worship

One      We are on a Lenten journey;
All         From a wilderness, to a garden, from longing, to discovering, from waiting, to birthing.

One         God of transformation and new life,
All         We offer you our worship & praise.

Hymn     Womb of Life 
Ruth Duck  © 1992, GIA Publications, Inc. Printed and Podcast in accordance with One Licence No A-734713 Sung by Heather Jordan of St George in the Pines Anglican Church, Banff, Canada.
 
Womb of life, and source of being, 
home of ev’ry restless heart, 
in your arms the worlds awakened;
you have loved us from the start. 
We, your children, gather ’round you,
at the table you prepare.
Sharing stories, tears, and laughter, 
we are nurtured by your care.

Word in flesh, our brother Jesus,
born to bring us second birth, 
you have come to stand beside us,
knowing weakness, knowing earth.
Priest who shares our human struggles,
Life of Life, and Death of Death,
risen Christ, come stand among us, 
send the Spirit by your breath.

Brooding Spirit, move among us;
be our partner, be our friend.
When our mem’ry fails, remind us whose we are,
what we intend. Labour with us, 
aid the birthing of the new world yet to be,
free of servant, lord and master,
free for love and unity.

Mother, Brother, holy Partner;
Father, Spirit, Only Son:
we would praise your name forever,
one-in-three, and three-in-one.
We would share your life, your passion,
share your word of world made new,
ever singing, ever praising,
one with all, and one with you.
 
Opening Prayer & Lord’s Prayer

One    Holy One, in times of wilderness and uncertainty
All      Love and hope surround us. 
(action: *arms circle round, cross in front of body and lower)

One    In times of abundance and clarity
All       Love and hope surround us. (action*)

One    In times of growth and change
All       Love and hope surround us. (action*)

One    God of Love and Hope,
in this season of Lent we are travelling with Jesus 
from the Wilderness to the Garden.
We remember the wilderness 
where the seeds of his calling took root;
where he planted wholeness rather than egotism;
watered with integrity rather than achievement;
nourished with love rather than fear.

We give thanks for Jesus’ wise choices,
We praise the Spirit’s abundant growth
We worship you, Holy Source of all Life.

As we travel through Lent, may we too be transformed:
May we plant seeds of wholeness and turn away from egotism; 
May we water with integrity and turn away from earthly success;
May we nourish with love and turn away from fear.
That we may grow as we follow your wisdom;
Bloom, as we trust your abundance;
and be transformed by your loving companionship.

We unite our prayers together in the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father…

Hymn     Be Still and Know 
John Bell © 1988, WGRG c/o Iona Community, GIA Publications sung by Sarah Haigh and Robert Shooup of the Second Presbyterian Church, Norfolk, Virginia, USA and used with their kind permission. Printed and Podcast in accordance with One Licence No A-73471

Be still and know that I am God,
And there is none beside me.
Be still and know that I am God,
And there is none beside me.

Reading     Numbers 21:4-9

From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.”  Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died.  The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.

Hymn     Tree of Life and Awesome Mystery 
Marty Haugen © 1984, GIA Publications, Inc. Printed and Podcast in accordance with One Licence No A-73471 Performed by Catherine Weber and Carol Churchill and used with their kind permission.

Tree of Life and awesome mystery,
in your death we are reborn,
though you die in all of history,
still you rise with every morn,
still you rise with every morn.

We remember truth once spoken,
love passed on through act and word,
every person lost and broken
wears the body of our Lord,
wears the body of our Lord.

Christ, you lead and we shall follow,
stumbling though our steps may be,
one with you in joy and sorrow,
we the river, you the sea,
we the river, you the sea.

In our call  to be a blessing,
may we be a blessing true;
may we live and die confessing
Christ as Lord of all we do.
Christ as Lord of all we do.

Reading     St John 3:14-21 

And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”

Sermon     The Cross – Totem of God’s Way

Lent is a season of intensive discipleship training. As followers of Jesus we are called to be disciples at all times, but in Lent we are invited to try to strip back some of the comforts and distractions we use to support us through life in order to see ourselves, our faith and God more clearly. The stripping back is an opportunity to centred (and re-centre) our lives in Jesus the Christ, deepening our lived faith, which we then carry into other seasons. It is helpful not just to think about this as an individual experience, but an opportunity for collective growth as bodies of disciples.

The readings today from Numbers and from John’s Gospel offer us a gift to reflect on the story of the Cross and how it shapes and could shape our individual and collective discipleship.

The verse John 3: 16 “For God so loved the world…” is well known, but the wider context that verse is set in, is often less known. John compares Jesus lifted on the cross, to the stick with a bronze serpent on it, which Moses lifted up in the wilderness. 

The setting for the story of the serpent stick is that the children of Abraham & Sarah were free from Egypt and following Moses through the wilderness on their 40 year journey. At this point in the story, the people were getting impatient with Moses and with God, that they had been taken out of Egypt only to be brought into the wilderness with no water and little good food. God responded to this impatience by sending poisonous serpents that bit lots of the people who then died. The people became remorseful and asked Moses to ask God to take the serpents away. God’s response was that Moses was to make a serpent out of bronze and set it on a pole, then whenever someone was bitten by a serpent all they had to do was look at the one on the stick and they were cured.

The serpent stick healed people, but also reminded them not to moan. It was a very expedient form of social control. It was a stick with power in healing but also a stick with a message. A totem is a reminder of a sacred story which holds power

Now, in some ways, I do not think this story shows the people or God in a particularly good light, which makes me curious about why the story tellers crafted it this way. However, it certainly makes real the concept of carrot and stick, which perhaps we all need to find healthy balances of in our individual and collective discipleship. Something to consider in Lent.

Returning to our Gospel reading, it is interesting then that John should compare Jesus on the cross to the serpent stick.  The symbol of the Cross of Jesus is an image used different ways in scripture and has been used as a symbol across history both to inspire hatred and violence as well as healing and forgiveness.

So, what does John see in the story of the serpent stick which offers him insight into the story of the cross? I believe the serpent stick enables him to see in the Cross both as a Totem of both God’s Way of Healing & the power of human choice.

Knowing how the cross has been used abusively in human history, I want to be careful in my understanding of how the cross heals us and what it reminds us of.

So firstly, does the cross heal us? Well I do not believe that simply by physically looking at a cross I am magically healed. Nor do I think that we need healing from sin. We may need to repent from sin. We may need forgiveness for sin. But sin is not a virus or gene, it is humanity’s choices (individually & collectively) to follow fear before love, to crave power over justice, to serve ego before God (the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness express the heart of sin).

I don’t need healed from sin, but I do need healed from brokenness of body & brain, mind & thought, of spirit & hope. Brokenness needs healed.

In the whole story of the cross – how Jesus lived, ended up there, how he died, what happened after (that whole story of the Cross)  – Jesus shows us, and journeys with us along the path of healing. He showed us the path of healing when he included people who were beyond the pale. He showed us the path of healing when he restored people to themselves and to their communities. He showed us the path of healing when he stopped violence against women, as he refused to cast the stone. He showed the path of healing when he called fisherfolk as disciples, to discover more within themselves that they might have dreamed of. He healed hungry bellies when he fed folk and invited them to share with each other.

Jesus healed and showed others how they too could heal themselves and others and their society as a whole. The whole story of the cross, shows the path of healing for the brokenness of the world. It is a path of facing fear, shame and brokenness and with humility and cooperation going through pain and death to find new life.

In the healing way of the cross, Jesus shows a way through brokenness to new life for all, without raising an army or forcing a political coo. The very way he did things was just as much part of the healing as the change itself. The Cross speaks that profoundly challenging story of someone who did not respond to violence with violence, or force with force, or fear with fear; of someone who did not respond to threat by using the ways of empire… and he was put to death  – but that did not mean he was wrong or that he failed. His death meant that his very way and message was then born again and again and again in those who follow him.

So, the story of the cross of Jesus is a healing stick; the story of the cross shows us the way of healing for ourselves and the world…

But John is also pointing out that it is a sacred reminder or a totem, like the serpent stick, of the worst of our human choices.

The Romans authorities, with support from the religious authorities and the aggression of the mob, had Jesus executed. Their fear, their craving for power, their serving of ego before God, resulted in Jesus’ execution. We see the same story of power defending itself, played out in other assassinations through history, from the high-profile ones like ML King, to the woman walking home, to the transperson murder because of fear of their gender identity. When drive by the power of fear, the craving of power and the serving of ego, we try to extinguish those who challenge us; we seek to extinguish the light which shows up our emptiness. This is a story which repeats itself throughout history in individual lives and between nations. 

That fear, power craving and ego longing, exist within each and all of us, and the cross of Jesus serves as a totem of what happens to us and our world if we allow them to consume us and drive us. The story of the cross is a story of human choice which reveals the power of humanity to destroy our best hope… but it is also a story which shows that even when we do destroy our best hope, God is not done with us – even from our very worst God can still create and birth good new life.

I believe in comparing the Cross to the Serpent Stick, John is pointing to the Cross as a totem of God’s Way of healing; a totem of the depths of human destructiveness; and as a totem of the unquenchable power of God’s creativity, hope and love.

In this Lent as we strip back, we are invited to come to the Cross and to enable God’s spirit to change and shape us, through the power of its story, wisdom and example.

Each day, 
may the light of the cross 
guide us in its ways of healing;
may the light of the cross 
remind us of the power of our choices;
may the light of the cross 
inspire us to trust in the love of the Creative One.  Amen. 

Hymn     O Breath of Life 
Bessie Porter Head 1920 public domain, sung at the Evangelical Movement of Wales Aber Conference 2018 and used with their kind permission.  
 
O Breath of life, come sweeping through us,
revive your Church with life and pow’r;
O Breath of Life, come, cleanse, renew us,
and fit your Church to meet this hour.

O Wind of God, come bend us, break us,
till humbly we confess our need;
then in your tenderness remake us,
revive, restore, for this we plead.

O Breath of love, come breathe within us,
renewing thought and will and heart;
come, Love of Christ, afresh to win us,
revive your Church in ev’ry part.

Revive us, Lord! Is zeal abating
while harvest fields are vast and white?
Revive us, Lord, the world is waiting,
equip your Church to spread the light.
 
Prayers of the People

God of Healing, in Jesus’ Cross 
you have shown us your desire of wholeness for all.
We thank you for your loving heart and bring before you, 
brokenness in our lives and world.
We pray for illness experienced 
in body and mind and for all who offer care.
We pray for systems and processes, 
from national laws to local decision making, 
which deny justice or equity.
We pray for relationship which are fractured and distorted, 
preventing love and joy.
We pray for the brokenness in the health of Earth.
In a moment of silence, we offer together to God what is broken, 
seeking the healing work of God’s Spirit.

Holy One in Jesus’ Cross 
you have shown us not only your desire for healing, 
but your Way of healing.
Grant us the courage to follow your Way 
and work with your Spirit, to bring healing for all.

God of Justice, in Jesus’ Cross 
you have shown us the power of human destructiveness. 
This Lent, as individual disciples 
and together as faith community, enable us to…
turn away from fear and follow your ways of love; 
turn away from the ways of Empire 
and live by the ways of your Kingdom; 
turn away from the drives of our egos or hubris, 
and be fuelled by your desire and seeking to glorify you.

God of Hope, in Jesus’ Cross 
you have shown us the indestructible power of your creativity, 
hope and love.
We seek to trust you and to follow your Way.
May the Way of your Cross shape our daily lives, 
the lives of Your Church and all faith communities.
May the Way of your Cross 
shape the minds and actions of our politicians 
and the leaders of industry.
May the Way of your Cross shape the minds and actions of educators, 
medics and care givers.

God of Healing, God of Justice, God of Hope
to you we bring ourselves and our prayers.
God of the Cross in you we trust.  Amen.

Offering & Dedication

Giving is part of our lives as Christians – we give because it is needed, because it’s good for us, because it deals with the poison of consumerism in our souls.  We give to charities at home and abroad, we give to the homeless, we give to the Church.  In all the ways we give we seek to make a difference and now we give thanks for all of our giving.

Praise God from whom all blessing flow
Praise God all creature here below
Praise God above, You heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Thomas Ken (1674)
A Cappella Hymns 

Blessing 

May the blessing of God Almighty Creator, Christ and Comforter
be with us all, now and always.  Amen.

Hymn     Lord for the Years 
Timothy Dudley-Smith © 1969 Hope Publishing Company Reprinted and Podcast in accordance with One Licence No A-73471 Performed by Ruth and Joy Everingham and used with their kind permission.

Lord, for the years your love has kept and guided,
urged and inspired us, cheered us on our way,
sought us and saved us, pardoned and provided,
Lord of the years, we bring our thanks today.

Lord, for that word, the word of life which fires us,
speaks to our hearts and sets our souls ablaze,
teaches and trains, rebukes us and inspires us,
Lord of the word, receive your people’s praise.

Lord, for our land, in this our generation,
spirits oppressed by pleasure, wealth and care;
for young and old, for commonwealth and nation,
Lord of our land, be pleased to hear our prayer.

Lord, for our world; when we disown and doubt him,
loveless in strength, and comfortless in pain;
hungry and helpless, lost indeed without him,
Lord of the world, we pray that Christ may reign.

Lord, for ourselves; in living power remake us,
self on the cross and Christ upon the throne;
past put behind us, for the future take us,
Lord of our lives, to live for Christ alone.

St Mark 12: 18 – 27

Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, saying,  ‘Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.  There were seven brothers; the first married and, when he died, left no children; and the second married her and died, leaving no children; and the third likewise;  none of the seven left children. Last of all the woman herself died.  In the resurrection whose wife will she be? For the seven had married her.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Is not this the reason you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God?  For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.   And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said to him, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”?  He is God not of the dead, but of the living; you are quite wrong.’

Reflection

I recall a Scottish College seminar on the updating of family law, led by one of the legal team responsible for putting revised provisions before the Scottish Parliament. I hadn’t given much thought to the increasing complexity of family relationships within society. It was an eye opener. I was impressed with the sensitivity and thoroughness of their approach to this exacting task – expanding well established principles without breaching them.

The Sadducees, aristocratic, priestly politicians of Jesus’ day, were conservative. They worked within the first five books of the Hebrew Bible exclusively, where Levirate law designed to protect widows, could get exceedingly complex. Belief in resurrection could multiply this complexity ridiculously. Jesus’ Sadducee questioners were banking on absurdity to reveal the inadequacy of his teaching. They posed him the ‘seven brothers but whose bride finally?’ question.

Jesus faced the Sadducees’ sarcastic questioning by undermining their presupposition that there is no resurrection of the dead. Firstly he challenged their narrow understanding of Scripture and knowledge of God. Secondly he challenged their assumption that life hereafter mirrors life here on earth. And thirdly he quoted Scripture in which resurrection is a given assumption. The deputation of Sadducees went away ‘tae think again’. 

Our belief in the resurrection of the body in the life hereafter is based on Jesus’ own resurrection. Paul, the apostle, makes this much clear. Belief in our own resurrections isn’t an easy matter, for it’s a matter of faith – which can wax and wane, according to our constancy. The underlying assumptions of our society is that resurrection is a nice idea, but fanciful. However we should take to heart these scripture words

 “No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
    and no mind has imagined
the things that God has prepared
    for those who love him”.

Prayer

Gracious God
your son has promised 
“all things are possible for the one who has faith”.
With those throughout the centuries
who have opened their hearts to you, I cry 
‘I have faith, help my lack of faith’.
Hold me in your safe embrace,
till the time when I meet all who have
entrusted themselves to your care.  Amen

St Mark 12: 13 – 17

Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said.  And they came and said to him, ‘Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?  Should we pay them, or should we not?’ But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, ‘Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it.’  And they brought one. Then he said to them, ‘Whose head is this, and whose title?’ They answered, ‘The emperor’s.’  Jesus said to them, ‘Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ And they were utterly amazed at him.

Reflection

The focus here is on a coin – or more accurately on the face on a coin. Caesar’s face. Stamped on a coin for circulation throughout Caesar’s empire. Making sure everyone knew who he was – and who was in charge. As he thought.

Human arrogance and pride.

And has it changed? Think of all those tv programmes with B-list celebs (most of whom I’ve never heard of) desperate to get their faces on tv?

And Jesus? We have no pictures of him. Maybe none of his friends were artistic? Or maybe he just wasn’t interested in selfies! He always pointed attention back to his Father. Even in this trick question by the Pharisees. ‘Give to Caesar what is his and to God what is his.’ (And nobody dared to point out that since God is sovereign over all, Caesar and all Caesar thought he possessed actually belonged to God.)

As we look around at our world, do we recognise that everything and everybody belong equally to God? And although unlike Caesar, God hasn’t stamped his face on millions of metal coins, each person we encounter, every moment of every day, embodies the image of God.

And we see what that means for how we are to live in Mother Teresa of Calcutta who said she saw the face of Christ in the face of each person she served – poor, dying, whatever.

Prayer

Lord God, you are not absent from our world. We can meet you in every person we encounter, and honour you in how we treat them. Give us a fresh awareness of your presence. Amen

St Mark 12: 1-12

Then he began to speak to them in parables. ‘A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watch-tower; then he leased it to tenants and went to another country.  When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce of the vineyard. But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.  And again he sent another slave to them; this one they beat over the head and insulted.  Then he sent another, and that one they killed. And so it was with many others; some they beat, and others they killed.  He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, “They will respect my son.”  But those tenants said to one another, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.”  So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others.  Have you not read this scripture:

“The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
    and it is amazing in our eyes”?’

When they realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowd. So they left him and went away.

Reflection

The servants, seen as the prophets that God had sent to His people/Israel, were rejected and killed by the very people who were claiming to be of God, and obedient to Him. Jesus used this parable to remind the religious establishment what they were like. The landowner, God,  sent his own son, believing that he would be respected. The tenants saw an opportunity here; they believed that if they killed the son they would receive his inheritance. The tenants probably thought that the fight for the property was over, but it wasn’t; the owner now appeared on the scene 

Up to this point, Jesus has been dealing with the immediate situation of Israel and its past disobedience; now He leaves open the question of what Israel’s leadership is going to do with the Son of God, whom He refers to as the “chief cornerstone”.  Jesus now stands over the Church in His rightful position of honour, guiding the Church to fulfil its divine destiny. This verse makes clear prophetically how Jesus will be rejected by the religious establishment and ultimately be crucified.

We can apply this parable to our lives by asking two questions; first, have we come to know Christ as our Lord and Saviour, or have we rejected Him like the religious leadership did? The process is simple, as long as we are sincere in seeking a relationship with Christ. We need to recognize our sins, and then accept Christ as the only One who can save us from the penalty of our sins. Second, if we are a believer, what have we done with Jesus? Are we like the bad tenants, rejecting His Word and living a life of disobedience? If we are, we need to study God’s Word and pray for guidance, seeking His will for our lives and living out that will as best as we can, moment by moment, day by day.

Prayer

Dear God
Remind us always that the truth lies in you and not ourselves. 
Help us to work with you and not against you 
so that your kingdom may grow 
through the renewing power of your Holy Spirit. Amen

inspiration in your inbox Wednesday, 6 March 2024   St Mark 11: 27 – 33 Again they came to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him and said, ‘By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin? Answer me.’ They argued with one another, ‘If we say, “From heaven”, he will say, “Why then did you not believe him?” But shall we say, “Of human origin”?’—they were afraid of the crowd, for all regarded John as truly a prophet. So they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.’ Reflection Well, there’s a good question. By what authority do you do these things? Now, as then, authority is rightly questioned. Who is this Jesus who, earlier in the chapter, disrupted the Temple and cursed the fig tree? And we have also been reminded of our own authority – to forgive the sins of others even as we seek our own forgiveness. Now the chapter closes with a final verbal jousting match with the religious authorities who ironically, forget that their own authority is derived from God.    Jesus answers their question with a question that isn’t seeking an answer. It is seeking – and it gets – a response. A response that exposes the religious leaders for what they are. All they care about is preserving their positions, their power, their status. All they care about is pleasing the crowd. They have confused authority with power.   For us in the Church, the source of its authority is God who calls us to be a people where previously we were no people.  The paradoxical expression of authority is the Gospel of grace which transforms us in Christ and demands of us a totally new way of living, gifting us the resources to live this new lifestyle by the Holy Spirit. Authority is proved. Tested. Lived. But anytime personal authority starts to take the place of God’s authority we are in trouble.   Ultimately it comes down to which authority we will submit to in our lives. The opponents of Jesus want to retain their own authority so they attack Jesus. Jesus, on the other hand, needs no institutional authority. Jesus IS authority – the author and giver of life. Once we have understood ‘the purpose of authority as the discovery and expression of the mind of Christ in order to build up his body for effective discipleship’*, we will understand our posture as  followers of Jesus is that of humility, surrender, and obedience.    *quote from Authority in the Church  (Mission Council 1994)   Let us pray:  May the mind of Christ live in me from day to day. May I never think too highly of myself. Let me conform to the mind of Christ in humility, surrender and obedience. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Today’s writer The Rev’d Nicola Furley-Smith, Secretary for Ministries, Purley URC New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.