Matthew 28.1-10

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.” This is my message for you.’ So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’

The Sermon

How can we celebrate Easter?
How can we sing Alleluia...
When we cannot physically meet up with family and friends?
When we cannot gather together in our churches to worship God?

How can we celebrate Easter?
When many people are preoccupied with the health of loved ones,
whom they cannot be near in their time of crisis?
When friends and family members die alone,
are buried or cremated without mourners,
or stored in temporary morgues?
when even our Prime Minister has been seriously ill in intensive care?

How can we celebrate Easter?
When jobs are lost, businesses collapsing, the economy floundering?
How can we celebrate Easter?
How can we sing Alleluia?
In these times of crisis it’s perhaps worth thinking back to that first Easter...

The first Easter was not euphoric or enthusiastically celebrated.

No one dressed in their best clothes to visit the temple.

There was no chocolate, no egg hunting, no fancy bonnets.

Jesus’ closest friends had fled and deserted him.  One of them had betrayed him, then, filled with remorse, taken his own life.  Another had denied even knowing him.  In three of the gospel accounts, not one of them had been with Jesus when he died.  He was buried hurriedly, without ceremony, in the nearest available grave.  Some women had looked on, watching, but from a safe distance.

Jesus’ eleven remaining friends holed themselves away in a locked upstairs room.

The women who had watched from a distance came belatedly to the tomb to do what they could for Jesus’ body with spices and ointments.  They came early, before other people were about, distancing themselves from others.

When they saw the empty tomb, and the stranger(s) in white who said Jesus had risen, they were filled with fear.  In Mark’s gospel they flee and tell no one.  In Matthew’s gospel they run to tell the disciples.  In Luke’s gospel they tell the disciples, but most of the disciples are sceptical.  Only Peter goes to see for himself, then goes home, amazed.  Two confused followers journey back to Emmaus from Jerusalem, joined by a stranger they don’t recognise who engages them in conversation about recent events.  It’s late into the evening when they finally see him for who he is – and race back to tell the other disciples.  Only after that does the risen Jesus appear to all eleven.

In John’s gospel there is similar confusion, disbelief then gradual realisation – of Mary Magdalene, of Peter and the beloved disciple, of the other disciples, except Thomas, then finally of Thomas too.

What emerges about the first Easter is that it was a time of great upheaval, a time when in grief the correct customs couldn’t be properly observed, a time of confusion, of disbelief, of rumours.  But eventually a time of gradual realisation...and yes, joy.  It didn’t all happen at the start of that first Easter morning.  No, that’s when it began to happen...but the understanding and celebrations happened, bit by bit, over a much longer period of time.  Not until several weeks later, at Pentecost, did the disciples emerge from the security of their self-imposed lock-down and begin to spread the word enthusiastically among anyone who would listen that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead.

How did the disciples celebrate that first Easter?  With hesitation, uncertainty, disbelief and doubt.  With confusion and amazement.  With fear and great joy.

The events of the first Holy Week and Easter completely shook up Jesus’ little community of followers.  Things would never be the same again.  When they were ready to emerge from the security of the upper room, they were a transformed group who would go on to found one of the world’s largest faiths, confidently spreading the good news of the risen Jesus, loving and caring for each other and for many other people.

Being in lock-down for a prolonged time has shaken our nation, and indeed our world, up to the point where we will emerge very differently.  At the moment it’s too early to see exactly what that will look like.  But this drastic situation has forced us to re-evaluate what’s important to us.  We have been forced to let go of things that shaped our daily life and to learn new routines.  Some writers have likened this to the chrysalis stage of a butterfly – the caterpillar spins its cocoon, hides away for a period of time during which its insides are completely transformed – into something new and beautiful.

So if you’re not feeling very much like celebration this Easter, that’s OK.  It’s OK for Easter to take some time to emerge.  There will be more confusion, rumour, disbelief to come.  And once we do emerge from our lockdown state, the new reality will be different from the reality we left behind in early March.

You may not much feel like singing Alleluia.  At least not yet.  But there are other songs we can sing.  John Bell and Graham Maule of the Iona Community composed a hymn that’s really appropriate for an Easter when no one feels much like celebration.  It’s called “Christ has risen while Earth slumbers” – you can find a link to the words, and a meditation on them by Revd. Fiona Bennett of the Methodist Church here…

https://www.methodist.org.uk/media/15401/christ-has-risen-while-earth-slumbers.pdf

...and you can find the tune played, without the words, by following this link here…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7skRCDTjLI0

So let’s hold on to the Easter promise of new life.  Let’s hold on to the joy of the resurrected Christ.  And let us look forward in hope to the new life that will surely emerge from these strange and uncertain times.  Have a happy Easter!

Catherine, Lay Reader

John 20.1-18

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” ’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

The Sermon

Good morning and may I begin by wishing you all a very Happy Easter, a very happy but very different Easter. I’m sorry that once again I can’t see you but to be honest I’m rather relieved that you can’t see me because I now look different and I’m not yet used to the me I see in the mirror. My usual artfully tousled coiffure (at least I hope that’s how it looks) is now flatter and straighter and it doesn’t feel like me. I’m sure I’m not on my own in finding life a bit strange and disorientating due to all the changes, both major and minor, hair styles being the least of them, that have been forced on us since the pandemic caught up with us. Perhaps for the first time in our lives (for most of us) we are gaining first-hand knowledge and experience of what it’s like to have all our certainties and securities and freedoms taken away from us and knowing that we are not in control of very much at all. Many of the people in biblical times would have would have known these feelings all too well; they frequently lived under foreign occupation or in exile and we know that their oppressors were not exactly famous for their kindness or subtlety.

Yes life is very different for us now.

Looking back to the beginning of Lent, which now seems so long ago, things looked fairly normal. Yes we had some challenges to face following the retirement of our vicar and the fact that we knew we weren’t going to get another one of our own, but we were working things out and making plans, we were coping. At that point, as we saw how situations were developing rapidly in China and then Italy we thought that we might have to make changes but I don’t think many of us envisaged just how quickly all our plans and assumptions would be so abruptly cast aside. Giving things up or taking things on for Lent has taken on a whole new meaning!

In the last four weeks we have all come a long way and had to make a great many changes and adjustments to the way we live. Some of us are having to stay at home, whether we want to or not and others are having to work harder and longer than ever and in genuine fear for their safety or even their lives. As we look on, we see how these changes have shown the best in human nature in some and the worst in others. I think on balance we are blessed with seeing far more of the best than the worst but hopefully we will all use these strange and challenging times to reflect on our own values and behaviours and as I said in my previous sermon, make plans to be better people and a better society and in so doing make a better and fairer world for everyone.

In our reading from Acts Peter says “I truly understand that God shows no partiality”. Perhaps it’s dangerous to take such a short section of a quote and apply its point about partiality to our current situation but we are certainly seeing that the virus we are contending with has no partiality. When it gets a grip we are all at risk whether old or young, male or female, rich or poor, powerful or powerless or indeed whether we believe in God or not. At the time of writing this sermon, our Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is in intensive care just as many others are and by the time you hear or read it I have no idea what his condition will be. Lest there be any doubt, we really are all in this together.

What this pandemic is showing us, at great cost in lives and countless other ways, is just how fragile and superficial the world that we have constructed for ourselves actually is. In so many ways it is amazing and complex and wonderful but we now see how easily it can be broken. All that we have relied on and to a large extent taken for granted cannot now be relied on. We are by no means helpless but we are most definitely not in ultimate control. Perhaps we had made the mistake of fooling ourselves that we were but nature has a way of putting us straight from time to time.

Holding onto our faith can be challenging at the best of times and these are not the best of times. Holding onto our faith especially when we don’t understand what is happening or why and when everything seems to be going wrong and failing can lead us to doubt ourselves and our choices as people of faith. But we have incredible examples of holding onto faith in desperate circumstances throughout the Bible including in our reading from John’s Gospel. Jesus’ Disciples and followers must have felt that everything they had put their love and faith into had come to nothing. The man they loved and believed in had been humiliated and executed in the cruellest way. Why? What was it all for? They didn’t understand but they held together in their grief and distress and wanted to look after Jesus even in death which is why Mary went to his tomb. As we know, their faith was not in vain and ultimately they were given the gift of understanding through his resurrection. Even so, many others still regarded them as deluded or misguided or trouble makers and it takes courage and faith to keep going when that is how others see you.

How will our faith be supported and encouraged? For me it is when I see God working through my fellow people wherever and however that might be. As I said earlier we have seen this current situation bring out the best in many people; those working in hospitals and social care and community practice to care for the sick, those working, often unseen, to maintain our supplies and services which enable our societies to keep functioning, the incredible coming together of disparate groups to build hospitals, develop tests and possible treatments, design and manufacture equipment to support the sick and the incredible pulling together of people from all walks of life doing all they can in their own small ways to support and care for each other through these dark times. So much has been achieved by so many in an incredibly short space of time. It just goes to show what we can do when we lay aside tribalism and self-interest and it is heartening. I really hope and pray that we can hold onto this spirit of loving kindness, compassion and cooperation as we move forward in the months and years to come. Jesus reminds us of the commandments at the heart of our faith, to love God and to love our neighbour as ourselves. Are we finally going to listen and more importantly to do as he asks?

Kath, Lay Reader

Please also see the sugguestion from Church's Together in Britain and Ireland on singing hymns on Easter Day.

Church called to sing hymns on Easter Sunday

Since we are unable to gather together at the foot of the cross this Good Friday we offer these reflections to aid in personal devotion today. They are written by Bishop Stephen Cottrell and can be found in the book "Walking the Way of the Cross" from Church House Publishing. They are narrated by Lay Readers and members of the Worship Team at St Marys.

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On Maundy Thursday we would normally gather to celebrate the Eucharist of the Last Supper followed by the removal from the Church any sign of colour and celebration so that the place looks stark. We are unable to do this and so we offer the Gospel reading set for Maundy Thursday and a reflection by Anne, one of our Lay Readers. This is followed by the Gospel of the Watch, split in two by a time of silence for prayer and reflection. Since this is set at night it can best be used in the late evening once the activity of the day is over.

John 13.1-17, 31-35

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’ Jesus answered, ‘You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.’ Peter said to him, ‘You will never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.’ Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!’ Jesus said to him, ‘One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.’ For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, ‘Not all of you are clean.’

After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

When he had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, “Where I am going, you cannot come.” I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’

Jesus comes together on this night, with his disciples in an Upper Room, to share a last Passover Meal. Before they eat, Jesus takes off his robe, ties a towel around his waist and sets about washing his disciples' feet. This is the menial task of a servant, to wash the street dust from the feet of the guests, but Jesus has no hesitation in doing this lowly yet intimate service for his disciples.

Peter protests but Jesus quiets his objections and completes his task. It is as much pride to resist service as it is pride that can stop people serving others.

Having your feet washed would have been much more common at that time, a regular part of being received as a guest. When I was in Uganda, before every meal when guests were present, the hosts would come round with a bowl, a jug of water, a sliver of soap and a towel and water would be poured over the hands of everyone present, in turn, that they might have clean hands for eating. This was part of the ritual of hospitality.

Foot washing for us is rather more excruciatingly embarrassing as we tend to keep our feet hidden and private.  Anyone who has been asked to participate in a foot washing in church will usually say how uncomfortable they felt at having someone else touch and wash their feet, although it can also be quite healing, if we can get over the embarrassment. Someone gently tending our feet can make us more accepting of our need to receive as well as give and accepting of our imperfections.

In Jesus' time foot washing was normal. What was not normal was the host, or the guest of honour, doing the washing. Jesus took on the role of the most humble servant and left us an example for all time. If we are his followers we can never think we are above the most lowly acts of service to our family, friends, neighbours and even strangers.

Jesus went on to break the bread and share the wine with his disciples, creating the pattern of our Eucharistic celebration to this day. As he broke the bread and poured the wine Jesus told his disciples he was sharing with them his broken body and shed blood and told them to “Do this in Remembrance of me”. “For”, as we hear in Corinthians, “as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.”

Maundy Thursday is the day we remember Christ's inauguration of our Eucharistic celebration.

This year we are in extraordinary times where we can no longer meet and share the bread and wine Sunday by Sunday or on any other day. On the last Sunday when were were able to share together in Communion (on March 15^th) we were already restricted to sharing only the bread together.  To avoid touching the communion rail we did not kneel, but stood to receive, almost as if we were already on the verge of departure. Now we are unable to share together in this Sacrament of togetherness, but in our hearts we can still pray the words and know Christ with us. Like people down the ages who have been cut off from sharing with their communities because of upheaval, catastrophe, imprisonment or persecution, we can still welcome Christ into our hearts, lift up our hearts to God and share with out fellow Christians a remembrance of Christ's actions. We can still have faith in Jesus' promises.

At the end of our Maundy Thursday service we usually hear the words of the Gospel story of Jesus going out into the garden of Gethsemane to pray and of his arrest; the beginning of the events of Good Friday. As we hear these words, the church is stripped of adornments, of linens and frontals, of candles and even the golden cross on the high altar. The church is stripped bare to its plainest form as we prepare for the bleakness of Good Friday and the sorrow of Easter Saturday. In the darkness, at the end of the reading, we depart in silence and, not stopping to greet fellow worshippers, we slip away home.

For us now, in these restricted times, we may feel that our life as Christians has been stripped back to its plainest form and the silence and solitude of the departure from Church on Maundy Thursday may feel like the norm rather than the exception. But when foundations are exposed it gives us the chance to check their solidity and we have the opportunity to examine our faith and rediscover the fundamentals of Christ's love that are at its heart.

The poignancy of Maundy Thursday is perhaps most acute this year and the sense of confusion, inadequacy and foreboding that gripped the disciples that night might take hold in our hearts and make us fearful.

But we are still the people of Christ, united in our baptism and in our faith. Christ does not abandon us because we cannot physically come together and share in the Eucharist. This year we have new opportunities to wash one another's feet as we find ways to support the vulnerable and manage the stresses of either being confined for long periods with other family members or being isolated and alone. For key workers and health workers, washing the feet of the nation at this time of crisis is a daily reality and we need to show our gratitude for their dedication and often sacrificial service.

If we are confined with our families, we may need to find fresh ways of being kind to each other, of bearing with each other, of sharing chores and burdens together, of serving each other in order to get us through these times.

If we are alone we can find ways to reach out to others by phone or other technologies or through prayer. We might especially reach out to some we are less fond of or find more challenging. They too are struggling at this time and we can offer a moment to lighten their darkness.

We may not be able to share physically in the bread and wine together, gathered round the altar, but we can still savour in our hearts the words of Christ and know his presence with us. Take a moment when you eat to remember the last supper and Christ's sharing of himself for us all.

We may be tempted to fall into the bleakness of the darkness and feel just the distress of the times, but Christ gave his disciples hope at the Last Supper. He gave them an example of service to others. He gave them a commemoration of himself which was to be an act of Remembrance for all time. “For as often as you break this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he come.” We look forward to the ultimate coming again of Christ, knowing he left us his hope and his promise.

May we all pray to see creative ways of sharing God's love at this time.

These are extraordinary and challenging times, but Jesus' promises live on and we can enrich our lives and our faith as we seek to find new ways to love and serve the Lord.

Amen.

Luke 21.31-46

Jesus said ‘Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!’ Jesus said, ‘I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you have denied three times that you know me.’

He said to them, ‘When I sent you out without a purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?’ They said, ‘No, not a thing.’ He said to them, ‘But now, the one who has a purse must take it, and likewise a bag. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you, this scripture must be fulfilled in me, “And he was counted among the lawless”; and indeed what is written about me is being fulfilled.’ They said, ‘Lord, look, here are two swords.’ He replied, ‘It is enough.’

He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. When he reached the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.’ Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.’ [[ Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.]] When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, and he said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.’

A time of silence is kept.

Luke 21.47-62

While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him; but Jesus said to him, ‘Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?’ When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked, ‘Lord, should we strike with the sword?’ Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, ‘No more of this!’ And he touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple police, and the elders who had come for him, ‘Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness!’

Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house. But Peter was following at a distance. When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. Then a servant-girl, seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said, ‘This man also was with him.’ But he denied it, saying, ‘Woman, I do not know him.’ A little later someone else, on seeing him, said, ‘You also are one of them.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I am not!’ Then about an hour later yet another kept insisting, ‘Surely this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I do not know what you are talking about!’ At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly.

The Sermon, by Joe, a Lay Reader from St Marys:

May I speak in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit – Amen.

A couple of days ago I saw a meme on Facebook that said “I didn’t realise I’d be giving up so much for Lent….”

I certainly didn’t!

But having said that, I’ve been able to maintain my relationships with most of the people in my life – albeit not face to face – and it’s certainly given me an opportunity to consider my relationship with God.

This Lent season has been unique in so many ways; watching it unfold in our own lives and on TV has shown us so many facets of humanity. We’ve experienced the greed and fear of people panic buying and fighting in stores.  We’ve seen that some people think their own pleasures and desires are more important than anything else, leading to them defying the lockdown measures to throw Karaoke and barbecue parties.

But we’ve also witnessed the selfless sacrifice of medical and care workers and people of faith who’ve put their own lives on the line by ministering to the sick and dying.  We’ve seen communities pulling together to help each other.

In this Lent season, we’ve witnessed the best and worst behaviour of human beings and human institutions, and I have no doubt that we will see many more examples of both as the weeks unfold.

Perhaps this Lent has been the most valuable to us for many, many years.  A period in which we have been forced to lay aside the trappings of modern life and go back to what is important.  A period of enforced slowing down; of time in which we are forced to be on our own or with family.  It is not an easy time, but Lent is not expected to be easy.  Whether our own Lenten traditions are to give things up, or to take on board new spiritual disciplines, Lent has always been a traditional period of sacrifice leading up to the Passion of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

This year, we seem to be experiencing a wider Passion; a Passion that is including the whole of humanity.

As Christians, what are we to make of this time?

I’d like to focus on one of tonight’s readings – from the letter to the Philippians.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

The words of this reading will be familiar to many of us; some of them are used in the Creed, others form the title of a hymn.  The letter to the Philippians was sent by Paul around AD61 to thank the church at Philippi for a gift they’d sent him when he was put in to house arrest.  Philippi was a Roman colony, and many of the population wee retired Roman soldiers or officials – it had very few Jews living there and for this reason Paul doesn’t reference the Old Testament in his letter.  It’s regarded as one of the most joyous missives that Paul sent – the word joy or some synonym of it is used 16 times in the text.  Paul also popped in a few of his pastoral warnings to the church, reminding them to steer a path between the legalists on one side of the Church and the ‘Libertines’ of the other extreme.

But – and of great relevance to us today – it also contains Paul’s thoughts on Christian living.  In the letter, Paul exhorts the Church:

• To be humble – to live humbly, and to imitate Christs humility.
• To press on towards the goal of achieving citizenship of heaven.
• To not be anxious, but, in the words of Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”
• To have faith that through God they can achieve anything they need to do – Chapter 4:13 – “I can do everything through Him that gives me strength”

Powerful words indeed for this time of fear and anxiety, where everything that many people are used to anchoring themselves to seems to be ephemeral.

And we also find tonight’s reading – often described as one of the most profound pieces of Christological thought in the New Testament, in which Paul lays out how we should tailor our relationships by looking at Christ himself. Paul lays out the essential nature of Jesus Christ – fully God, but choosing to take on the nature and appearance and becoming a fully human man.  A servant. A man of great humility.

• Despite being God, He chose not to take advantage of His Godhood.
• Despite being God, He chose to not become a human leader or King, but a wandering teacher from the very un-trendy end of the Roman Empire.
• Despite being God, He humbled himself through his ministry and eventually died the most humiliating, shameful and painful death available to the Roman Empire – crucifixion – and turned that into the ultimate victory against death, becoming Lord of creation.

On Palm Sunday we are at the turning point in Christ’s Ministry, where the joyous scenes that greet his arrival will soon become cries of ‘Crucify him’, and within a week will see our Lord crucified and resurrected.

On this Palm Sunday, we look at our country – and the world - at a turning point.

We need to be humble; we need to be Christlike in how we engage with the people around us.  CS Lewis once said that “being humble is not a matter of thinking less of yourself; it’s a matter of thinking of yourself, less”

Right now, we need some Christlike humility.  We see it in the shop workers and health workers, warehouse staff and transport workers, the people who keep our way of life chugging along even through this difficult moment in time.

We see it in those people who give their lives in caring for others.

Let us all embrace a Christ-like humility at this time.  Let’s be servants for each other. Let us remember that we are ourselves servants of the living Lord, Jesus Christ, and let us be Christ-like in our response to current events.

Amen.

The Prayers, by Hope:

In the power of the Spirit and in union with Christ, let us pray to the father.

Oh God the creator and preserver of all, on this special Palm Sunday, we pray for people in every kind of need; make your ways known on earth and your saving health among all nations.
Dear Father be with us all at this time of uncertainty and fears for the future. We are hearing how the new coronavirus is circling our world, our country and even our city of Sheffield.
Strengthen us with inner faith in you, grant us that love which leads us to compassion for all those who are suffering, and uplift us with hope for the future.
Especially we pray for those who live in countries where health services are poorer than here and the risks can be higher still. Bless those who are far away, working for Christian Aid and for our Christian mission societies around the world, and those that they serve.
Bless all those in this country and abroad who work in health and care services, as doctors, nurses, cleaners, carers, all those who may be inadequately protected, and at high risk of becoming very ill themselves.

Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer

We pray for those who are suffering from Covid-19 in so many different ways; physical, practical, emotional, and spiritual.
Thinking of those who are very ill and struggling for breath.
Thinking of those who have major and immediate problems with loss of income.
Thinking of those who are living and working in care homes around this country.
Thinking of those who are suffering the stresses of being cooped up at home with tensions in the family; or without a garden to go out into; or those who are isolated at home alone.
Uplift the hearts of each of us this night and keep us safe. Help us all to be a part of supporting others. Show us the ways in which we can be helpers at this time.

Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer

We pray for your church throughout the world; guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians, may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace and  righteousness of life.
Today we remember Jesus arriving in Jerusalem, for the last time, on a humble donkey. We remember him, surrounded by crowds laying down their cloaks and palm branches before him, welcoming him with shouts of praise and blessing – the son of David, God’s prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.
Strengthen us all in our worship at this time. We lack our usual outward signs of Palm Sunday, but need more than ever to be reaching out to you in prayer, as you reach out to us.
Bless those leaders at St.Marys, Walkley, and those around our city, and beyond, to the ends of the earth, who are working so hard to serve you, Oh Lord, in sharing your word in new and different ways.
Bless those of other faiths who like us are following new paths to worship, in order to physically stay apart, but be together in spirit, and save lives.

Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer

We ask your blessing on all those who are living in real fear of untimely, unexpected death for themselves, close relatives or friends. Thinking especially of those who are unable to say goodbye to dying relatives or to be there at the grave side after they have gone. Let us give thanks for the nurses, carers and religious leaders who are there to give support at these tragic times.

Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer

We remember all those who have gone before us in the Peace of Christ.  We give you praise for all your faithful ones, with whom we rejoice in the Communion of Saints

Merciful Father,
Accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ, Amen.

We welcome this morning Canon Dr Matthew Rhodes, Vicar of St John's Ranmoor and one of the Mission Area clergy who will preside at the Eucharist and preach. Singing along with the hymns is encouraged! (Text of hymns below.)

The prayers are provided by Anne, one of our Lay Readers at St Marys. (Text of these are below the hymns and are encourage to be used separate from the rest of the service.

Readings and reflection for Sunday 29^th March Passion Sunday

I’ve included all the readings for today, including the Psalm. They all have something to say to us.

The Collect

Most merciful God,
who by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ
delivered and saved the world:
grant that by faith in him who suffered on the cross
we may triumph in the power of his victory;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

First Reading Ezekiel 37.1-14

1The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 3He said to me, ‘Mortal, can these bones live?’ I answered, ‘O Lord GOD, you know.’ 4Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD.’

7So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.’ 10I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.

11Then he said to me, ‘Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.” 12Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act, says the LORD.’

Psalm130

Out of the depths have I cried to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice; ♦
let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.

If you, Lord, were to mark what is done amiss, ♦
O Lord, who could stand?

But there is forgiveness with you, ♦
so that you shall be feared.

I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; ♦
in his word is my hope.

My soul waits for the Lord,
more than the night watch for the morning, ♦
more than the night watch for the morning.

O Israel, wait for the Lord, ♦
for with the Lord there is mercy;

With him is plenteous redemption ♦
and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.

Second Reading Romans 8.6-11

6To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law – indeed it cannot, 8and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Gospel Reading John 11.1-45

1A certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 3So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’ 4But when Jesus heard it, he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’ 5Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

7Then after this he said to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea again.’ 8The disciples said to him, ‘Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?’ 9Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. 10But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.’ 11After saying this, he told them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.’ 12The disciples said to him, ‘Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.’ 13Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. 14Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead. 15For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’ 16Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow-disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’

17When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’ 23Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ 24Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ 25Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ 27She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.’

28When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, ‘The Teacher is here and is calling for you.’ 29And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ 33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ 35Jesus began to weep. 36So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’ 37But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?’

38Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.’ 40Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’ 41So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upwards and said, ‘Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.’ 43When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ 44The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’

45Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

Reflection

This Sunday is Passion Sunday, the day when we start to turn from the wilderness of Lent towards the events of Holy Week. And in today’s Gospel we are given a foretaste, a dress rehearsal in the story of the raising of Lazarus. Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha were close friends of Jesus. Their home was a place of solace for him, a retreat from the crowds during his public ministry. So when Jesus heard that Lazarus was ill it would have been natural for him to want to rush to his bedside. To offer his support. This is what we would want to do for someone we love. But Jesus doesn’t do that. He has to overcome his natural human instincts for a greater purpose. And he delays going to them. At this time of crisis and anxiety, our natural human instinct is to be with those we love. But for the greater good we have to remain in isolation. This situation gives a whole new meaning to our reading from Paul’s Letter to the Romans. He tells us that to set the mind on the flesh is death. To see people in the flesh which is our normal human instinct, puts our flesh and the flesh of others in danger. But to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. We are still one in the Spirit. Even though we are physically separated, we are still joined together as members of God’s family. And thank goodness we have the benefits of modern technology like telephones and computers which enable us to keep in touch.

Eventually, Jesus judges that the time is right for him to go to Bethany in Judea. But Judea has become a place of danger for him. His disciples warn him that he is at risk of being stoned. While many of us are able to isolate ourselves, we are very aware of all those who have to go into situations of danger at the moment. Especially those on the front line of our health service. We give thanks for their courage and pray for their safety.

When Jesus arrives at Bethany, he is greeted by Martha. She is full of regret, and perhaps anger, that Jesus had not come sooner. Martha knows that Jesus could bring Lazarus back to life. God will give him whatever he asks. And on this occasion, Jesus promises that her brother will rise again. But Martha thinks he is talking about the resurrection at the end of time. This is standard Jewish teaching. Martha’s rather flat response shows that at the moment this isn’t very comforting. And I know that there will be people like Martha who have lost loved ones recently who are not yet ready to hear those words of hope. But then Jesus then utters those words which are so central to our faith. I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Words that are read at the beginning of funerals. Though their reality can seem far off, in the midst of our grief and loss, Jesus is there, alive. And like Martha we have to hang on to those words, waiting for when they become real to us again.

Martha, you will remember, was the busy sister. She went to meet Jesus on the road. Mary was the more reflective of the two. The one who wanted to spend time with Jesus. In this time of crisis we need Marthas and Marys. Those who get on and do and organise. And those who reflect and pray and think. When Mary heard that Jesus was calling for her she went to him and knelt at his feet. Not surprisingly, she too was upset and angry with Jesus.  ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ Where were you? Why did you let this happen? In times of crisis like this one it is entirely natural for us to ask God some hard questions. It’s ok for us to get angry with him. He is big enough to cope. By being honest with him about our feelings we can find a deeper relationship with him.

Jesus is not unfeeling. Far from it. He weeps. This is not just evidence that he was really human but that he was the Word made flesh. In him, God shares in our suffering. He is not remote or absent but stands alongside us and he weeps. He weeps for Lazarus his friend. For Mary and Martha in their grief. For griefs past and also for himself as he journeys towards the cross. However strong our faith we all need to grieve. We cannot skip Good Friday and go straight to Easter Sunday.

Jesus asks, ‘Where have you laid him?’ Two weeks later, on Easter Sunday, Mary, supposing him to be the gardener, will say, ‘They have taken my master away and I do not know where they have laid him.’ There are already signs of future resurrection in the present. Like Jesus, Lazarus was buried in a cave tomb, with a stone to seal it. And through the power of God, Lazarus is raised from the dead. It’s a powerful moment that will stay with all those who witnessed it. And when Easter does eventually happen it will help people to come to terms with Jesus’ own resurrection. As we go through the coming weeks, we need to be alive to the small resurrections around us so that when the world finally does come alive again, we will be ready and able to recognise and celebrate it. Amen.

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious,
the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious,
Thy great name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting,
Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above
Thy clouds which are fountains
of goodness and love.

To all life Thou givest, to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish
as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish,
but nought changeth Thee.

Great Father of Glory, pure Father of Light
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
All laud we would render, O help us to see:
’Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Come unto Me, and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down
Thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary, and worn, and sad;
I found in Him a resting-place,
And He has made me glad.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Behold, I freely give
The living water: thirsty one,
Stoop down, and drink, and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
And now I live in Him.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“I am this dark world’s Light;
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise,
And all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that Light of life I’ll walk
Till trav’lling days are done.

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Be all else but naught to me, save that thou art
Be thou my best thought, in the day or the night;
Both waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word;
Be thou ever with me and I with thee, Lord.
Be thou my great Father, and I thy true son,
Be thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.

Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight,
Be thou my whole armour,
be thou my true might,
Be thou my soul’s shelter,
be thou my strong tower,
O raise thou me heavenward,
great Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise;
Be thou mine inheritance, now and always;
Be thou and thou only first in my heart,
O Sovereign of heaven, my treasure thou art.

High King of heaven, thou heaven’s bright Sun,
O grant me its joys after vict’ry is won
Great heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be thou my vision, O Ruler of all.