40 Days Blog - Day 34

Mark 14:1-11 - Jesus Anointed

Reaction And Response

Today we see two conflicting responses to Jesus. The first is that of love, service and an act of devotion. The second is one of hatred, anger and an act treachery.

The Jewish leaders were becoming increasingly afraid of the influence Jesus was building. When Jesus claimed to be God, they were so incensed that they were trying to find a way to kill Him. We end the passage with the response of Judas who, also incensed at Jesus’ behaviour and consumed by greed, determined to betray Jesus.

Right in the middle, between these two dark threats, Mark places the lovely story of the devotion of the woman who makes a costly sacrifice by anointing Jesus with very expensive perfume.

The contrast between these two responses to Jesus is stark. Darkness, hate and killing placed against light, loving devotion and life. The difference we see in the willingness of the woman to give sacrificially from her resources and Judas who sought a short-term pay out entirely for himself, is dramatic.

This is one of these stories where we can try and imagine ourselves right in the action as an onlooker. What do we see, smell and feel? The perfume may well have been her ‘life-savings’. Something put by for security for her future. But in an act of love, it was something she was willing to give unreservedly to Jesus. The discussion about the act is lively, to say the least. Some rebuked her harshly. What did this reprimand sound like? Was it embarrassing? Who was siding with whom? Jesus’ words come with both direction and comfort. He reassures the woman and turns their understanding into seeing it as a sign and confirmation of His impending sacrifice.

I have always loved the affirmation of verse 9:

“I tell you the truth, wherever the Gospel is preached throughout the World, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

How true! Here we are 2000 years later still hearing the story in every corner of the world. Surely, she would not have believed it.

But the passage today must lead us to think about reaction and response. Mark has set up the story to ask his readers how they react and respond. Do we side with the darkness, indignation and hatred of the leaders, or do we see Jesus for who He is, the servant king who gave everything as His sacrifice for us? But it should also challenge us to stop and consider whether we are ever over-critical, unloving and self-righteous in our behaviour, even our life within the Church. That is an easy trap to fall into. Some of the onlookers watched the breaking of the jar of nard but could not see the bigger picture. Jesus challenged their perception of it. And that is the point. Do we bring ourselves into allowing Jesus to shape our daily thinking and action?

Take time today to consider what your response to Jesus is. How near being sacrificial is your love for Him? And continue to pray for the ongoing struggle between darkness and light that there is even in our neighbourhood.

A Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you that I have just seen the fulfilment of a promise in reading this story about a woman so long ago! Thank You for Your sacrifice for me. As I enter this part of these readings, I pray that You will help me see You more clearly and respond anew to Your love for me. I pray again for our town and neighbourhood. I pray that people will respond to You stepping towards Your light and away from doubt or fear or anger about You.

Amen.

Listen to today's reading and blog post below...

Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

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Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

The church meets every Sunday at 9.30am at Drumclog and 11am at Avendale.

Sunday worship continues to be live-streamed from Avendale each Sunday at 11am on the Avendale & Drumclog YouTube Channel.

At Drumclog we meet at:
Drumclog Memorial Kirk
Drumclog
South Lanarkshire
ML10 6QG

At Avendale we meet at:
Avendale Old Parish Church
59A Kirk Street
Strathaven
South Lanarkshire
ML10 6LB

For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it at both Avendale & Drumclog. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up and show you where the disabled toilet is located if required.

Our Service - Drumclog Memorial Kirk

Drumclog

At Drumclog, the service begins at 9.30am with a warm welcome from our Minister, or the person leading the service. During the service we usually sing 2 or 3 songs/hymns. The Minister or a member of the Worship Team will usually read aloud from the Bible and lead the congregation in prayer. This might seem strange the first time you hear it but it’s all part of our connecting with God. The Minister, or person leading the service, will then give a sermon that is Bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then share news and notices, usually about what’s going on in the life of the church.

The service lasts approximately 45 minutes. Sometimes there is an opportunity to receive prayer at the end of the service. After the service we serve refreshments (tea, coffee and biscuits) in our church hall. This is a great way to meet people and enjoy fellowship together. We would love to chat to you there!

Our Service - Avendale Old Parish Church

Avendale Wide

At Avendale, the service begins at 11am with a warm welcome from our Minister, or the person leading the service. Before the service begins, we will show a loop of news and notices on the screens in the church. This is a good way to find out what's going on in the life of the church. During the service we usually sing 3 or 4 songs/hymns, often led by our church praise band 'The Elastic Band'. The Minister or a member of the Worship Team will usually read aloud from the Bible and lead the congregation in prayer. This might seem strange the first time you hear it but it's all part of our connecting with God. The Minister, or person leading the service, will then give a sermon that is Bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. Throughout the service, we may also show videos on the screens in the church to help us reflect on what is being shared during worship or in the sermon. We then share news and notices, usually about what's going on in the life of the church.

The service last approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. After the service we serve refreshments (tea, coffee and biscuits) in our church hall. This is a great way to meet people and enjoy fellowship together. We would love to chat to you there!

images: Services

What about my kids?

At Avendale, we have a great programme lined up for kids of all ages:

Creche (0 months to 4 years). Children under 6 months are welcome but must be accompanied by their parent/carer at all times.
His Kids (5-10 years)
Yoof (11-18 years)

Children stay with their parent or carer at the start of the service for the welcome, songs and short Children's Talk. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. At the end of the Children's Talk, someone will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups. You will need to go with your children to their groups and register them as part of our child safety policy the first time you come along to church.

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, Bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

For more information about what happens in the children's and youth work please visit the Children's Ministry page and/or the Youth Ministry page.

N.B. - there is no children's programme or youth programme during the service at Drumclog.

Getting Connected

Home Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our Home Groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out our Home Groups page and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a Home Group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group. If you would like us to put you in touch with a Home Group leader, please let us know via our Contact Us page.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team here.

Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries:

Other Groups in the Avendale & Drumclog Community

The following groups are also part of the life of our church:

Get in touch with us to plan your visit

If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.

Name:

Telephone:

Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.

Leadership


Rev Calum Stark - Minister		David Moreland - Session Clerk

To find out more about our staff and leaders, please visit our Staff & Leadership page.
We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.

Best Wishes

Calum Stark - Minister