12TH APRIL 2015
MARY MAGDALENE Vicar’s Blog
There were many disciples that deserted Jesus at the point of his death, but not Mary Magdalene. She remained faithful at the cross as her Lord was crucified. She watched. And then we meet her again, recorded in John 20, just before dawn on the Third Day. It’s still dark, perhaps she couldn’t sleep at all. She discovers that the stone is moved from the entrance of Christ’s tomb and she runs to Peter & John and says ‘they have taken the Lord.’ It’s interesting that even though she saw him die, even though she saw Jesus apparently defeated on the cross, He is still her Lord. Peter & John run and confirm what Mary has already discovered and then she is left outside the tomb crying. Frankly, they don’t seem to take particularly good care of Mary Magdalene.
Mary is bent over and weeping when two angels accompanying Christ address her. Totally oblivious to the fact that she is talking to angels she says ‘I don’t know where they have put him.’ Actually by this point the resurrected Jesus is standing right there beside her. (Do we sometimes miss Christ right beside us in our despair?) What does Jesus say? Death has just lost its sting, the grave has just lost its victory. Wouldn’t you expect some sort of celebration, an ‘Alleluia, I am risen!’ at least, a victory parade, a great proclamation of the resurrection? If you were resurrected from the dead, wouldn’t you make a bit of a fuss? But in this moment we see, in the closest most intimate detail, the profound love God has for humanity. This, of all times, is when God
A B B E Y D I A RY THIS SUNDAY: April 12th 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship & Junior Church
could declare his glory, but his heart is overwhelmed with compassion for one human being. The world can wait. ‘Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?’ Thinking he was the gardener Mary said: ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him?’ And Jesus simply says one word: Mary. The resurrection is personal. Mary. Just imagine the inside of a desolate woman as she hears that one word spoken by Jesus. Her name. Perhaps this is precisely how God has chosen to show his glory. Where a human soul is broken by death, he speaks life.
THIS WEEK EACH DAY 9am Morning Prayer WED 15th 10.30am Communion THUR 16th 10.30am Time for Chat 7pm Choir Practice FRI 17th 10.30am Creative Response in Eilmer House SAT 18th 10am The Meeting Place 17th & 18th BBC Gardens Illustrated Spring Symposium
NEXT SUNDAY: April 19th 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship & Junior Church, with Baptism
ADVANCE Apr 24th Apr 26th April 28th May 19th June 19th
BBC Election Hustings Vision Sunday & AGM Glory! Glory! Riding Lights Roughshod
JOHN 20:19-31 19
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 21 Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’22 And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.’ 24
Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.’
26
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ 27 Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ 28 Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ 29 Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’ 30
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Additional Reading: Acts 4:32-35
DISCIPLESHIP 1.
2.
3.
If you were sitting in the upper room on Easter evening, what would you being feeling about what had happened? How scared would you have been? What were the FOUR things that Jesus said or did when he did appear that night, and what for you is the most important of them if you had to choose? What in this passage is reminiscent of Ezekiel’s vision in Chapter 37? Why do you think that John included the story of Thomas in his account? Why does the Bible sometimes emphasise negative concepts?
4.
Would you be prepared to stand with Thomas and join him in his great confession (Greek, Kerygma).
5.
Thomas was to become the first overseas missionary for the Gospel, what are you prepared to do and where would you be prepared to go to in obedience to your expression of faith?
D A I LY R E A D I N G S Monday Psalm 19 Deuteronomy 1:3-18 John 20:1-10 Tuesday Psalm 8 Deuteronomy 1:19-40 John 20:11-18 Wednesday Psalm 30 Deuteronomy 3:18-end John 20:19-end Thursday Psalm 28 Deuteronomy 4:1-14 John 21:1-14 Friday Psalm 61 Deuteronomy 4:15-31 John 21:15-19
REGULAR GIVING If you would like to give regularly to the mission and ministry of the Abbey as part of your discipleship, please e-mail alan@malmesburyabbey.com.
V I S I O N S U N D AY
REFRESH!
For your diary: on Sunday 26th April we will be having one single service at the Abbey at 11am on our annual Vision Sunday. Coffee at 10.30am, 11am Holy Communion with provision for young people, 12.30pm picnic lunch, 2pm Annual Meeting, including election of churchwardens and new church council members. 3pm Closing Prayer. A bouncy castle normally turns up at some point as well.
The next Refresh! event will be a days’ retreat at The Vine, Mays Farm, Hullavington on Saturday 9th May 9.30am – 2.30pm. The day will be led by Penelope Swithinbank (author & speaker). The cost will be £30 per person which includes lunch and refreshments. There are 18 places available for this event, to book a place please email Sandie.
MARRIAGE COURSE
ELECTION HUSTINGS
Revds Alice & John Monagahan are hosting Holy Trinity Brompton’s Marriage Course. If you (both!) would like to be a part of this please contact them directly. Beginning on May 11th for 7 weeks; cost £10.
On Friday 24th April at 7.30pm, the Abbey is hosting and Election Hustings in partnership with BBC Wiltshire. If you would like to attend and submit a question, forms are available online at BBC Wiltshire or at the back of the Abbey.
12th CENTURY BEAUT Y 21st CENTURY CHURCH
NOTICEBOARD T H A N K YO U An unbelievably massive thank you to all members of our Abbey teams who have helped make the Holy Week Festival such an amazing event again this year. Brochure distributors, café helpers, ticket collectors, welcomers, the Garden Labyrinth team, artists, lockers up, unlockers, cleaners, car drivers, maintenance, singers and musicians, silent movie projectors, lighting, flower arrangers, our AV teams, and especially Foxley Road Nurseries who brought such amazing trees and plants into the Abbey during Holy Week. The hard work has blessed so many people and brought glory to God. THANK YOU!
ELEC TOR AL ROLL The Electoral Roll of Malmesbury Abbey is the formal list we keep of all those adults who consider the Abbey to be their normal place of worship. Those on the Electoral Roll can vote in our annual elections for churchwardens and church council members, and they are also eligible to stand for election themselves. We are currently updating the list, which is also useful communications data for us, and would really want to encourage everybody who isn’t on the Electoral Roll to fill in a cream form at the Abbey this Sunday. If you are reading this while away on holiday and would like to be added to the roll, please e-mail Sandie, office@malmesburyabbey.com, and we’ll make a note and catch up with the paperwork on your return. Many thanks.
Enquiries 01666 826666 // Box Office 01666 824339 office@malmesburyabbey.com www.malmesburyabbey.com issuu.com/malmesburyabbey
CONTAC T ABBEY OFFICE Monday (10am-12noon) Tuesday-Friday (9.30am– 3pm) Tel: 01666 826666 sandie@malmesburyabbey.com
CAFÉ HOURS Tuesday-Saturday (normal) 9am– 3.30pm Sunday & Monday closed all day clare@malmesburyabbey.com
www.malmesburyabbey.com issuu.com/malmesburyabbey Staff members can be contacted by name@malmesburyabbey.com
12th CENTURY BEAUT Y 21st CENTURY CHURCH