Home Service 7th March 2021
Opening Prayer
Our prayer today is that you would fill our hearts
with an inspiration of love. Make us into
overgenerous friends. Teach us to sacrifice our lives
for others. So that they may see the extravagance of
your love for them. Amen.
Please read Mark 14:1-11 Jesus Is Anointed at
Bethany
Reflection
We are told the perfume cost more than 300 denarii, if a denarius was a day’s
wage then 300 denarii was the equivalent of a labourer’s annual wage. This
was seriously expensive perfume! And a seriously extravagant gift.
According to Google, the most expensive perfume in the world today costs
“only” £85,000/oz! Clive Christian’s Imperial Majesty Perfume has a unique
scent which is a mixture of jasmine, cardamom, carnation, lemon, bergamot
and benzoin it comes in a 2oz diamond crusted bottle. Due to its impressive
price, only 20 bottles of Clive Christian Imperial Majesty’s were made, 10 for
men and 10 for women.
Have you ever been a part of a congregation that was w..a..y out there?
Singing, dancing, testimony sharing, arms in the air, shouting Amen at the end
of each of the preachers sentences?
OR have you always been involved with URC type congregations? – A bit
dower, quite reflective. Rarely saying anything – but preferring to let the
preacher do the talking?
I’m comfier in the later situation. I don’t do exuberance. Some people would
call me miserable!
How has your experience of worship coloured the scene that we’ve just read
about?
It was Passover time – Freedom time. Each year the Jews celebrated their
exodus from Egypt. Leaving the slavery of Pharaoh and passing through the
desert to the promised land.
Mark uses the Passover theme as the background to the passion events that
follow this passage. And here’s the first event of the passion. A woman being
completely taken up in the celebrations and ‘wasting’ so much perfume. The
disciples couldn’t understand what Jesus just said about the woman and what
she had done.
It always happens doesn’t it? when people start to worship without inhibition?
To pour out their valuables
To pour out their stories
To pour out their dancing
Their music
If we look at modern day Jewish celebrations for the Passover – the meal we
hear about is actually a roaring party. Bread and wine flow freely. Songs are
sung. Stories are told. Dances danced.
The passion story is based on a party story.
If we are to truly believe that Jesus’ passion happened to save us – then it is
right to celebrate it with a party. Go on – be extravagant this Easter! Amen
A prayer for the pandemic
Keep us, good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy in this time of
uncertainty and distress. Sustain and support the anxious and fearful, and lift
up all who are brought low; that we may rejoice in your comfort knowing that
nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen
Sending out prayer
Send us out with your blessing
to be a blessing to others.
Send us out named as children of God
to name others as children of God.
Send us out to walk in your footsteps
so that others too may walk the way of the cross.
Amen.
Suggested music
Church Music (David Crowther)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN4mGyL3cFU&feature=emb_title
O pastor animarum (Hildegard von Bingen)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=taanHO13WXE&feature=emb_title
