All are welcome to share in Holy Communion in the Upper Hall

Led by Rev Huw Sperring & The Wesley Worship Singers

Following the service join us for fellowship & refreshments

Unbounded Love, the Methodist Church’s Lent campaign for 2024

LENT 3 PURE AND SPOTLESS LET US BE

Bible passages; Exodus 20:1-17, John 2:13-22

Background notes

The setting for John’s account of Jesus’ righteous anger happens in the outer court of the Temple, the ‘hieron’. The main part of the Temple was given a different name in Greek, used later in the passage, the ‘naos’. The outer court was the only place where Gentiles were allowed. Perhaps the systematic injustice of having the commercial activity happen in a place that only affected these marginalised groups was part of the reason why Jesus was angry. In any case, it is clear that Jesus felt that the commercial activity was preventing the Temple from fulfilling its true purpose: allowing people to connect with God. The selling of animals and money changing formed a boundary to God’s love, and God will not tolerate this.

A Methodist Way of Life: the Challenge commitment reminds us that God is a liberator, always taking the side of people experiencing injustice, and that we are called to do the same.

Questions for discussion

1. How do you feel when you hear about Jesus’ dramatic display of anger?
2. If you are a part of a church community, reflect on which types of people will feel
most at home. Which groups of people might feel excluded?
3. What have you done recently to make someone feel fully included?

The good news for us

“Pure and spotless let us be”: God cares passionately about righting injustices. We are transformed by God’s saving grace and one sign of this is that we respond the call to partner with God in this work of liberation.