Collects for Lent 3
Merciful Lord, Grant your people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil and with pure hearts and minds to follow you, the only God; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing that you have made and forgive the sins of all those who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may receive from you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5: 1-11
John 4: 5-30, 39-42
Jesus asks for a drink of water. From a Samaritan. And a Samaritan woman at that. He would become ritually unclean. Even worse, she is living out of wedlock – she has to draw water in the hottest part of the day, because she would be shunned by the ‘ upright’ women getting their water in the cool of the early morning. None of this causes Jesus to reject her. She knows her history and her religious traditions, and He is prepared to engage her in conversation. She doesn’t appear to be fazed by Jesus, even though she recognises Him as a prophet; then when He declares Himself to be the Messiah she has heard about, she is prepared to accept Him for who He claims to be, to the extent she is prepared to testify to her neighbours, resulting in His invitation to stay – sharing the hospitality of Samaritans.
Shock! Horror! What will the disciples think? What if the Jewish leaders hear what Jesus is up to now?
Jesus doesn’t care. When she woke that morning, she had no inkling that her life would change forever. He gives her the gift of life for her future. He doesn’t care about our past, either – He waits to meet us where we are, whoever we are. Women. Sinners. Foreigners. Heretics. Proselytes. He treats everyone equally – condemning the hypocrites irrespective of rank or title, eating with tax collectors, talking to women, healing the ritually unclean.
Jesus’ world is now, and has always been, free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. Let our world be the same.
Our annual Vestry meeting will take place at 2:00 on 17th April, St Michael, Waterville.
Previous Posts
Praying Together 24th September 2023
Heavenly Father, help us to work to accomplish your will for us according to our individual gifts without comparing ourselves to others. Help us to acknowledge our own failures and avoid condemning others for theirs.
Praying Together 17th September 2023
And when it comes down to it, I will always need forgiveness – as do we all. For all of us have sinned and fallen short.
Praying Together 10th September 2023
Yes of course we have a responsibility to address sin – but before we criticise others, we need to start with ourselves.
Praying Together 3rd September 2023
‘Those who want to save their life will lose it’, said Jesus, but though people hear Him, they don’t actually listen.
Praying Together 27th August 2023
In the end, it is Peter, once again, who takes the step that faith demands. Thousands since that day have proclaimed the same. And so do I.
Praying Together 20th August 2023
As are we all, whoever we may be – Jew, Greek, slave, free, man, woman. One in Jesus, the Christ. That’s the important bit.
Praying Together 13th August 2023
Once in a while, we might close our earthly eyes and leap over the side. There is nothing that Jesus asks us that we can’t achieve.
Praying Together 6th August 2023
The prophecy is fulfilled, the light has come, the day will dawn and the morning star will rise in our hearts. Hallelujah.
Praying Together 30th July 2023
The treasure is there – it just needs to be found. We search for truth, and realise that Jesus is the truth; the way; and the life.
Praying Together 23rd July 2023
In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
Praying Together 9th July 2023
‘What do I have to do to be free?’, they ask. What will it cost me?
Just believe, He says. I’ll buy it for you. On a cross
Praying Together 25th June 2023
When we are baptised in Christ, washed free of our past, we have the opportunity of starting again. We try – and will inevitably fail. But that mustn’t stop us trying.