As this is the week before Holy Week we have a longer than usual reflection that could be spread over weekend or beyond. For example, if Mark’s whole account of the days before Jesus’ death and of the crucifixion itself is too much to read every day until 2 April, try to read it at one sitting during the weekend and again on, or before, Good Friday. Journey with the story and its characters through loss, alienation, suffering and death. Afterwards, the joy of Easter Sunday will be amazing!
Daily Prayer
Take a moment before you begin this morning and just slowly and meaningfully pray this prayer.
Jesus,
Lord of self-emptying love,
Crucified and now exalted.
May all knees bend before you,
May all toungues confess you,
To the glory of God our Father.
Amen
Daily Scripture: Mark 14:1-15:47
Find the above scripture in your bible and read slowly – you might want to read it out loud. You can read it here.
Lenten Reflection
Haven’t we had enough of death – what with daily Covid statistics and the varied losses we’vesuffered all year? Why linger, re-reading scripture’s lowest point, when we need hope – love, goodness, salvation, God triumphing over evil! Suppose I’m reading a novel so sad that I skip to the happy ending, abandoning the rest. What do I miss? The growth-struggles of the main characters as they fight battles – with themselves, with others, with circumstances. Through ups and downs they reach the final, worst reversal – the ‘rug-pull’ disaster. It seems they’ve lost everything. Desperate to know what happens, I speed ahead, missing the wisdom more careful attention might give.
Lenten Quotes
“Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny”.
| C.S Lewis
Lenten Poem: Reversals
I (Christine Leonard) wrote this poem after ‘journeying’ with some of the ‘ordinary’ Jews on the edges of Mark’s story. I’ve top and tailed it with my own amazement at how God keeps reversing reversals, turning minus to plus, drawing faith from doubt, creating new life from death.
‘Lent’ means ‘Springtime’. Is that not strange?
That Spring, Romans continued to crucify Jews,
To whom Passover signified freedom from oppression…
God’s deliverance? A sick joke.
Yahweh defeated Pharaoh.
Yet Jesus’ precious Father –
He’s no match for Pilate, let alone Caesar.
Trust in Messiah – misplaced.
Hope, like justice – dead.
Goodness – condemned.
Freedom – stinking, buried.
God – powerless.
Compassion, love, hope – brutally murdered.
Torture – become routine duty.
How could such evil ever be undone?
About as likely as death working backwards!
Yet we know (now) that terrible Friday
Did prove ‘Good’, fertilising Easter’s ‘egg’,
To hatch all new life, all clean, fresh starts.
Lenten Reflection
Yes, Easter is coming! Until then, these days are a dark season, a time to grieve and to lament. As you keep re-reading all that our surprising Jesus went through, you might discover in him the most compassionate companion possible. Acknowledge your own grief and losses, your frailties, uncertainties, doubts, fears and pain. Sit in silence, talk honestly with Jesus, listen.
Lenten Poem: Jesus of the Scars
Poet-pastor Edward Shillito wrote this poem in 1917 whilst ministering to soldiers returning to England broken and shell-shocked by the utter devastation of World War 1. As you bring painfulwounds to Jesus – wounds of your own, of those you pray for and of today’s world – can you see the Wounded Healer gradually salving those wounds, his own healed scars speaking still of his love and compassion
If we have never sought, we seek thee now;
Thine eyes burn through the dark, our only stars;
We must have sight of thorn-pricks on thy brow,
We must have thee, O Jesus of the Scars.
The heavens frighten us; they are too calm;
In all the universe we have no place.
Our wounds are hurting us; where is the balm?
Lord Jesus, by thy Scars we claim thy grace.
If when the doors are shut, thou drawest near,
Only reveal those hands, that side of thine;
We know today what wounds are, have no fear,
Show us thy Scars, we know the countersign.
The other gods were strong; but thou wast weak;
They rode, but thou didst stumble to a throne;
But to our wounds God’s wounds alone can speak,
And not a god has wounds, but thou alone.
Lenten Song: Hurt
Closing Blessing
May you discover,
As you trace the footsteps of the Christ,
And follow the bending river of the Spirit,
Down through the terrain of this age,
Down along faith’s hard paths,
And down towards the voice of Love,
May you discover the companionship
Of many fellow pilgrims.
May you receive,
As you are summoned by Christ
And invited by the Spirit,
Up towards the landscapes of the age to come,
Up across the highway of Hope,
And up towards the voice of Love,
May you receive a share in His exaltation
And honour,
To the glory of God, the Father,
Amen.
No Evening Zoom Reflection Tonight!
As it is Friday there will be no evening reflection over Zoom tonight but we look forward to seeing you on Sunday!
We would love to make this a shared learning experience as much as possible so therefore please consider adding any thoughts, questions and insights that might arise for you in the comments section below. We would love to hear what God is up to in this time!