Holy Tears for Holy Week

This weeks blogs are based around the hymn Drop, Drop Slow Tears. The words and a music setting by Orlando Gibbons are linked.

Before Christmas one of my daughters started a big conversation on her TikTok page about what was a reasonable cost for “stocking stuffer” gifts. Most of her followers were pretty certain stockings were for socks and gum, a few were into high end beauty products which, in our house, count as “main gifts”.

It was fascinating to see the difference in perspective on what counted as “expensive”. There was real anger in some of the posts as people expressed that the cost of a “stocking stuffer” for some was more than the cost of a weeks groceries for a family for others.

Today is Monday in Holy Week. The Gospel reading is the story in John's Gospel where a woman anoints Jesus feet with really, really expensive oil. No one would have thought it was cheap and just like the TikTokers there was outrage that it was being poured out extravagantly. 

We don’t know much about this woman. Whoever she was, she had enough money to purchase something very expensive. If we think of this woman in terms of Rodeo Drive and Walmart sale rack it changes the story. Prada not patched rags. A woman with choice, not a desperate outcast.

The hymn talks about our tears washing the feet of Jesus. The woman anoints His feet with this oil. Later in the week we will see Jesus washing the feet of the Disciples and commanding them to do the same for others. Jesus washing the disciples’ feet is not a small thing. It is an act of total self-giving. It is the continuation and explanation of an action which began in his birth and ends in his death. The woman would have known how huge her gift was and she was choosing to give it. 

Tears are not something which most of us give easily. We might find them a sign of weakness. Crying in public is often seen as a sign of failure. I even have people who say to me that  they don't come to church “in case they cry” after a tough time. They feel too proud to be seen broken. Yet, this woman allowed herself to break, to bend low, to fall at Jesus' feet. This week is a week of brokeness, a week of tears.

It is a time when we bring ourselves to God from the depths of who we are as God expounds in action the depths of who God is. Our tears are a symbol of the part of us we often hide, even try to hide from God. The story of Holy Week lays everything bare. We can choose to bathe Jesus' feet in a costly way, or not. We can allow Jesus to wash us through and through, or not. We can play it safe or risk allowing this huge love in to overwhelm us and make us new.

There is no rule that you have to cry this week. But if you do, honor that and offer that as part of who God makes you. This is a week of deep living and daring giving. Gifts of great price. Actions of great love. The depths of who we are is what we offer to Christ and, in turn, Christ transforms and asks us to offer to the world. 

A post for calendar nerds

Today is 17th March, St. Patrick's Day. But if you come to Church you will not see a hint of it. Why?

Well, it is not because we are against St. Patrick at all but there are a few things which conspire against his day being celebrated.

First of all St. Patrick is a "Minor Saint". In fairness, most of the Saints fall into this category because it is usually only the people who actually met Jesus who are called "Major Saints". (There is one big exception - do you know who it is?)

Saints get "days" - a date when we remember them. Events also get days - things like Christmas and Easter are obvious, there are several major events which we commemorate, but there are less obvious ones, for example the day that Mary went to visit Elizabeth. So we end up with major and minor days as well.

And then there are Sundays - they are always big days - every week we celebrate the Resurrection. You can see how it would get confusing with all these things competing for space. So there are rules - there is a ranking system so that we always know what we are celebrating and when. The details are here

Some days get really messed around by this. One of the days which gets pushed out of sync a lot is the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25th. This often falls in Holy Week or Easter Week and each of those weekdays is considered more important so it gets bumped and bumped (Transferred) until there is an empty day, in 2024 - April 8th.

As to poor old St. Patrick - his day is waaaay down the list and he never gets to have his day on a Sunday - although there are some special rules around which make it possible in some places. No one is saying you should not have fun on St. Patrick's day, enjoy and be careful. The good thing is that every Sunday is a feast day and so Lent rules can be suspended, or perhaps I shouldn't mention that....

New Children's Sunday Activity

Deacon Martha has offered to put together a children's Sunday School activity at the same time as the Adult Sunday School beginning this Sunday (25th February). We will start simply with a children's craft activity table in the main hall. So, it will be in the same space as the adults meet, but far enough away that each group can do their own thing. It is a big space.

Deacon Martha would love to hear from anyone who is interested in helping with developing this into a more permanent Children's Sunday School in one of the Sunday School Rooms. In order to do this we would need a steady rotation of volunteers and, of course, all volunteers have to go through safeguarding training. Please don't be offended if you volunteer and are asked to complete training, if is standard practice to keep everyone safe.

If you have children, why not come and see what it is all about?