Calendar

Holy Tuesday 

Called to forgive – debts and debtors, perfume and tears

Suggested Action: have ready olive oil or perfume

Opening Prayer

God of sinners and Saints, in a world where many are looked down on, many are afraid of rejection, help us to see with your non-judgmental eyes; quiet our hearts and minds as we still our bodies, slow our breathing, and open ourselves to you. Amen.

Scripture Psalm 63:1-4; Mark 14: 3-9

Reflection

Have you ever felt undervalued or look down on?  If we’re honest, we are also sometimes guilty of looking down on others, perhaps without even realizing it. We all make judgments because of their background or their reputation. Jesus was looked down on because he was provincial ‘can anything good come out of Nazareth?’.  And in so many encounters, Jesus challenges and overturns prejudice and judgment, teaching us to see people for their true worth. 

On this Holy Tuesday, we reflect on the way we judge and undervalue one another, recognizing how Jesus showed us a different way of relating. Jesus is eating a meal with Simon the leper when a woman comes to anoint his feet with costly perfume; others are scandalized because of the costly waste.  In other accounts, Simon is critical of the woman’s reputation and thinks less of Jesus because he accepts her gift. 

As a leper Simon himself knew about it exclusion; he would have been looked on down on.  But despite the fact he knew the pain of exclusion, Simon still chooses to judge and exclude others, dividing the world into respectable people and sinners, the sort of people you don’t you invite to supper. 

The woman is looked down on; she is judged and condemned, either for being a Center for being too emotional and wasteful.  But Jesus stands up for her, saying she will always be remembered for this. Jesus keeps on including people, whether others look down on them or not; and he helps Simon to understand this:  that we all need forgiveness, that we can never be good enough or respectable enough, to earn God’s love.

God’s love comes as a pure gift of Amazing Grace.  It is one of the hardest things to accept: that there is nothing we can do to make God love us anymore and there is nothing we can do to make God love us any less.  God longs for us to recognize that love and to allow that love to transform us for us to be forgiven and healed, at the depths of our being.  Like the woman with the alabaster jar, that deep healing of our past hurts, often evokes tears and an overflowing generosity that reaches out to others.

Silence

After a time of silence, anoint one another’s hands with costly perfume or oil, making the sign of the cross and saying, ‘May God’s love overflow in you.’

Closing Prayer

Forgiving God, you long to heal us with your touch; open our hearts to your gift of unconditional love; anoint us with the tears of your spirit; wipe away the hearts hurts and harms of our memory, that your love may overflow in us and through us. We pray for all who are undervalued, looked down upon or despised because of their nationality, color or religion; for we are your children, made in your image and likeness.  We pray for all who are undervalued look down on or despise because of their poverty, disability, or background.  We pray for all who are undervalued, look down on, or despised, because of their past mistakes, failures or wrongdoing.

Blessing

Peace in our hearts; peace in our homes; peace in our nation; peace in our world. 

God longs for us to know peace peace of the Lord.  May peace be with you also.  

God is generous sitting in judgment, welcoming all people, seeing God’s image. 

Be now with us, Jesus our brother, bring us your blessing now and always.  Amen. 

Holy Wednesday

Called to trust seeing changers second fiddles and learning humility healing and wholeness

Suggested Action:  kneel or sit, lay hands on or pray

Opening Prayer

God you know the worst in us, our fearful betrayals or weakness and our frailty. You go on trusting us. Quiet our hearts and minds as we still our bodies slower breathing and open you to ourselves. Amen.

Scripture  Psalm 55:12 – 14; Mark 14:10 – 11 and 17 – 21

Reflection

In the last week of his life, Jesus had to face terrible suffering; but perhaps the hardest experience was to be betrayed by his friends.  It is those who are closest to us that have the greatest capacity to hurt us. Judas is remembered for his great betrayal, but Peter and each of the disciples also betrayed Jesus.  On Wednesday in Holy Week we come to face up to our fears, recognize our betrayals, and to ask for healing and wholeness to be reconciled to God to ourselves and one another.

Have you ever been betrayed? Are you afraid of being betrayed? We think of the many ways that we can betray the trust of others, such as relationships through infidelity and friendship when we let someone down is in business when we serve our own interests at work when people are overlooked or treated badly.

in our Bible reading, we hear of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus; it is so hard to understand his motives:  was that money, the 30 pieces of silver, or the money Judas said he took from the common purse? Was it power wanting to be on the winning side and not just getting caught up with the losers? Or did Judas feel that he would have to force Jesus’ hand and begin a rebellion?

In the end the motives don’t really matter; the betrayal happens.  Of course Judas isn’t the only one who betrays Jesus; all the disciples let him down, filled with fear.  They all ran away; Peter even denies knowing him.  And it is that fear behind betrayal that fateful evening.

Fear can bring out the worst in us; it can undermine our confidence, our best selves, and leave us to act in ways we deeply regret.  Fear of growing older can lead to a midlife crisis; fear of hardship can lead to a betrayal of trust; fear of losing status can lead to selfish actions.

Silence

Use this as a time for the laying on of hands and prayers for healing and wholeness

Those laying on hands may pray the following:

Spirit of the living God fill you heal you and make you whole in Jesus name, Amen

Lord Jesus, you know our deepest fears and hurts our darkest secrets our least attractive traits; you choose to trust us and to love us.  You choose to see the best that we can be; help us to face our hurts and fears, and trust you with them.  Help us and others to inhabit the best of ourselves, to live with your confidence in us, and when we do fail, when we betray ourselves and others, forgive us and help us to start again.  Amen.

Blessing

God, in Your healing trust, in the face of failure, another chance when we betray, You love us, despite everything.  Be now among us, Jesus our brother.  Bring us your blessing now and always. Amen.

Good Friday is the day we remember Jesus’ crucifixion. The hours of noon to 3 p.m. are particularly significant as these commemorate the time Jesus hung on the cross. It is an especially important time to pray for the church and the world for whom Christ gave his life.