13TH MARCH 2016
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SMILE Vicar’s Blog
‘God has a sense of humour!’ I get that that quite a lot. Often when people have been sharing stories of how they’ve been total idiots and God has still loved them and worked through them, regardless. Personally, I really like that about God. We have a word for it don’t we? Mercy. People also say it when God does something, like ordaining me or giving Leicester City the title, which surprises us and fills us with a light and incredulous laughter. The Reverend Canon Neill Archer – snigger! God often does the rather unlikely. Ask Balaam. Ask his donkey. (Numbers 22) I also hear this one quite a bit: ‘if you want to make God laugh, show him your plans.’ And indeed if you nose around in Psalm 2 you will see ‘He that dwelleth in heaven’ described as one laughing.
I greatly enjoyed preaching on John 2 :1-11, recently, not just because we learn a lot from how Mary and Jesus together discern the Father’s will, but because it also shows us the humanity of Christ, a man relaxed, in light spirits, at a party; and wine on the agenda as his first miracle…ever. And of course God has a sense of humour. If humanity has evolved, (Hey! I’m joking,) if humanity is created in the image of God, then the joy and the laughter and the beauty of a human being fully alive and breathing in the Spirit of God is an image of the divine to the world. No pressure then. Research shows, and I have the book open in right front of me, that laughter matters. People in growing churches were asked if this sentence were true of their church: ‘there is a
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A B B E Y D I A RY THIS SUNDAY: March 13th 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship & Junior Church 6pm Labyrinth Set-up
lot of laughter in our church.’ 68% responded yes. It’s not about a joke book, I think it’s that people laugh when they feel loved. Which all leads me to this question: ‘what does holy look like?’ We have Holy Week arriving, how should you and I behave? Well I certainly think we should worship and pray and reflect on the Cross of Christ when our liturgy leads us there, and then our mouths should be filled with laughter on Easter Day. But sometimes the church gets holy quite wrong and thinks that it looks severe and detached. But holy shares meals with friends, holy delights to music, holy laughs, and very unfortunately for a man with Size 13s attached to the end of his legs, holy dances. Cover: Mark Palmer, comedian. Friday 18th March at 7.30pm. Abbey Kitchen open for Nachos. Music from Grace Archer.
THIS WEEK EACH DAY 9am Morning Prayer MON 14th 12-9pm The Garden Labyrinth TUES 15th 9am-9pm Labyrinth WED 16th 9am-9pm Labyrinth 10.30am Communion THUR 17th 9am-4pm Labyrinth 10.30am Time for Chat 7pm Choir Practice
Holy week diary on back cover NEXT SUNDAY: Palm Sunday 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Café Church & Junior Church
EASTER AT THE ABBEY Brochure now online at issuu.com/malmesburyabbey
J O H N 1 2: 1 - 8 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honour. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about half a litre of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4
But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 ‘Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.’ 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7
‘Leave her alone,’ Jesus replied. ‘It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.’
Additional Reading: Isaiah 43:16-21
DISCIPLESHIP 1. Read the John 12 passage through and keep silence for at least a minute. Read it again and than say a word or phrase that strikes you. Read it for a third time and then share what the phrase might mean and what questions it might raise. 2. This event happens the evening before Palm Sunday. What does the anointing of Christ by Mary signify? 3. What does Judas Iscariot’s point imply about Mary’s generosity? What does it say about Judas himself? Have you ever been criticised, or criticised others, for generosity? What was the outcome? 4. How did both Mary and Judas relate to money and Jesus? 5. In light of Deuteronomy 15:11, what point is Jesus making in verses 7 and 8?
D A I LY R E A D I N G S Monday Psalm 73 Exodus 8:1-19 Hebrews 11:17-31 Tuesday Psalm 35 Exodus 8:20-end Hebrews 11:32-12:2 Wednesday Psalm 55 Exodus 9:1-12 Hebrews 12:3-13 Thursday Psalm 40 Exodus 9:13-end Hebrews 12:14-end Friday Psalm 22 Exodus 10 Hebrews 13:1-16
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. m
SUNG EUCHARIST
WELCOMER S
On Maundy Thursday at 7.30pm Neill and the Abbey Choir will lead us in a Sung Eucharist – a reflective service of Holy Communion (a Last Supper) of great beauty, where a large part of the service is sung by the minister and the choir. All are very welcome. The service will last about one hour and will include the traditional symbolic acts of Maundy Thursday, the washing of feet, and the stripping of the sanctuary in preparation for Good Friday.
We are looking for a few extra people who might be able to spare a couple of hours a week to help on our welcome desk, particularly on a Thursday afternoon or a Saturday morning (although other times may be available). Till training will be provided. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet people from all over the world, and to learn more about the history of our beautiful Abbey, while serving the local community. Please speak to Robert Hitchings or Holly Bird.
STUDIO AUDIENCE
LABYRINTH
BBC Wiltshire would particularly like to invite regular members of the Abbey congregations to come along at 6.30pm on Easter eve for Easter at the Abbey. The service is recorded as live and then broadcast on Easter Day at 8am and then again on the Bank Holiday Monday. It is really, really important to have a couple of hundred people there to belt out the great Easter hymns and bless those listening at home.
Please note that after the incredible popularity of the evening sessions of The Garden Labyrinth last year we are staying open until 9pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week. The Abbey Kitchen will be open so please come in for a light supper or coffee and cake and spend some time off in our wonderful 12th century Abbey.
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NOTICEBOARD ABBEY BOO K CLUB Holly Bird and Malmesbury Abbey Bookshop are planning to launch a Christian book club that will offer special discounts to its members. The idea of the club is to support spiritual growth through literature and to create an opportunity to discuss insights and questions with others in the group. The point of the club is not masses of theology or scholarly learning, but will include comedy, fiction, and interesting topics of debate. Potential authors might include Tom Wright, Joyce Meyers, Adrian Plass, Jeff Lucas, Francine Rivers, Andrew White, Timothy Keller etc. Its up to you. The group will meet once a month at a time convenient to its members and be hosted by a member of the bookshop staff either in the Abbey or the parish office. Members will receive 15% off the books selected for reading and discussion from Malmesbury Abbey Books, along with a free bookmark! If you are interested in joining the group, please speak to Holly, sign up at the stewards’ desk, or call the Abbey to receive further details.
GLO RY ! Our next Glory! prayer meeting is this coming Wednesday, 16th March at 9pm. Following a chance earlier in the evening to pray The Garden Labyrinth we will gather at the foot of the cross for 45 minutes of simple devotional worship and prayer together led by Neill.
HO LY W EEK & E ASTER AT T HE ABBEY 2 016 EVERY DAY
9am Morning Prayer in St Aldhelm’s Chapel
Mon 14th March Wed 16th March Thurs 17th March Fri 18th March
12pm The Garden Labyrinth opens 9pm Late Night Glory! Praise & Prayer until 10pm 4pm The Garden Labyrinth closes 7.30pm Mark Palmer Comedy with Grace Archer (voice) & Mexican Café 10am Meet the Artists (Stations of the Cross) 7.30pm The Ben Holder Quartet with Rosie Archer (voice) & Mexican Café
Sat 19th March
Sun 20th March
PALM SUNDAY 9am Holy Communion 10.30am Outdoor Holy Communion 4pm Café Church & Junior Church
Mon 21st March Tues 22nd March Wed 23rd March Maundy Thurs
7.30pm Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, with Anthony Hammond (Organ) 7.30pm Riding Lights Theatre Company - CROSSLIGHT 7.30pm The Royal Academy of Music 9am Morning Prayer 7.30pm Sung Eucharist, with music by Victoria & Morales
Fri 25th March
GOOD FRIDAY 9am Morning Prayer in St Aldhelm’s Chapel 10.30am Service of the Cross - for all ages 12 pm Churches Together March of Witness 6.30pm Devotional Concert – Tomas Luis de Victoria & Handel 8pm Service of the Tomb – Night Prayer
Sat 26th March
7pm BBC Wiltshire’s Easter at the Abbey
Sun 27th March
EASTER DAY 9am BCP Holy Communion (Said) 10.30m Easter Holy Communion (Choral) 4pm Family Celebration (Contemporary) 6.30pm Easter Choral Evensong
Enquiries 01666 826666 // Box Office 01666 824339 office@malmesburyabbey.com www.malmesburyabbey.com issuu.com/malmesburyabbey