"Learning To... " is led by Pastor Carolyn Hetrick and Pastor Scott Schul of Grace Lutheran Church, State College, PA. Each week features breath prayer, a passage from scripture, music and reflection before sending you out with grace. Today we are "Learning to Give Ourselves Away." The woman in Bethany honored Jesus by anointing him. It demonstrated she really knew who Jesus was. She gave everything she had to him- including her heart. How is Jesus helping you give yourself away?
Today's scripture: Mark 14:1-9
Today's music: "It is Well With My Soul"- Flutist Judy Nishimura's peaceful arrangement of this beloved tune, © 2020 ALRY Publications, is recorded and used with permission from ALRY Publications LLC, www.alrypublications.com, a partner of United Media & Music Partners.
"What Wondrous Love is This"- Judy Nishimura's peaceful arrangement of this beloved Southern Harmony tune (1835), What Wondrous Love Is This, was recorded by Laurel Sanders, flutist, with permission of ALRY Publications (www.alrypublications.com)
To learn more about our ministries at Grace Lutheran Church, visit glcpa.org.
“Learning to…” Weekly podcast for Lent, 2024 Episode 6
PS: Welcome to Pocketful of Grace, I’m Pastor Scott Schul of Grace Lutheran Church in State College Pennsylvania.
PC: And I’m Pastor Carolyn Hetrick
PS: It’s week six of our Lenten series of podcasts that we call “Learning to…” Each week we pause and meditate upon a passage from Scripture which helps us to learn how to follow Jesus more closely. This week, we join Jesus and the disciples shortly before his arrest and crucifixion, and watch as a woman anoints Jesus with expensive ointment. Some harshly criticize her for her actions, claiming it is wasteful and foolish. But Jesus seizes the moment to help us “learn how to give ourselves away.”
PC: But before we get to that, let’s take time to breathe deeply and pray. Today we will do so by using a few words from Psalm 22, part of which Jesus quotes from the cross. As we breathe in, we will say, “Do not be far away!” and then say “Come quickly to my aid!” as we breathe out. We’ll do that three times.
PS: Life is full of expectations. Some are imposed upon us. For example, maybe someone in your family pushed you toward a particular profession or urged you to live in a certain area. Other expectations we heap upon ourselves. We have expectations concerning our careers, our income, and our relationships. Some of those expectations are good and healthy, and spur us to achieve our full potential. Others can be destructive and painful. What are the expectations that are burdening you and holding you back right now? What are the expectations that are spurring you to greater heights? And where is God in all this? Take a moment and reflect. (Music for 1:00)
PC: Throughout his ministry, Jesus told his disciples that he would suffer, die, and rise again. They never really understood him, and in any event it didn’t sound like the kind of thing someone divinely appointed – a Messiah – should ever endure. But a precious few, including a woman in Bethany, understood the fullness of who Jesus was and what he was about to do. Listen to what she did and how the others responded, as we read from the 14th chapter of Mark’s Gospel (Mark 14:1-9)
PS: A denarii was the usual wage for a laborer. The ointment the woman used on Jesus was worth 300 denarii, or about a year’s worth of income. Can you imagine pouring something that valuable on another person’s head? I think we can all understand why some of the people scolded her. Maybe you’d feel the same if you saw somebody buy a $60,000 bottle of champagne just to smash it over a newly built ship to christen it. Wouldn’t your mind race with all the things that money could have been better spent upon, like housing for the homeless, tuition for someone who can’t afford to go to school, or groceries for someone who’s hungry?
PC: Now move beyond mere money and consider your own life. We won’t have the opportunity to anoint Jesus with priceless ointment, but we do have the opportunity to lavish Jesus with the priceless gift of our hearts and our time. We can give ourselves away to Jesus by worshiping and loving him, and by serving and loving our neighbors. Has anyone ever told you that you are wasting your time and your talents by attending church or taking care of someone? How would Jesus respond?
MUSIC for reflection
PS: The woman in Bethany honored Jesus by anointing him, because it demonstrated that she really knew who Jesus was and what he was destined to accomplish as our Savior. And so she devoted everything she had to him. She gave him more than just ointment; she gave him her heart – all of it. Jesus wants all of your heart too. Listen to our lesson from Mark’s Gospel again. (Mark 14:1-9)
PC: How is Jesus helping you learn how to give yourself away? What might he be calling you to do? Take a moment to think about that, and to ask God about anything that’s on your heart as you’ve pondered this reading.
MUSIC
PS: Before we go, let’s take a moment again to breathe and pray, using words from Psalm 22. As we breathe in, say, “Do not be far away!” and then say “Come quickly to my aid!” as we breathe out. Let’s do that 3 times. AMEN
PC: OUTRO: Join us each week for another episode of “Learning to…” through the week of Easter. Next week we will be “Learning to Be Amazed” as we ponder Jesus’s resurrection. In the meantime, mark your calendars for Maundy Thursday worship at Grace on Thursday, March 28 at 6:15 pm. On Good Friday, March 29, we have two worship opportunities. At 1 pm we will gather at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in State College for the Stations of the Cross and choral anthems from St. Andrew’s and Grace. Then at 6:15 pm we will have our annual Good Friday Tenebrae service in our sanctuary here at the corner of Beaver and Garner in State College. Both our Maundy Thursday service and our evening Good Friday service will be livestreamed. Just visit our website, glcpa.org and click “WATCH.
And remember that you can download our free glcpa app so that you have Grace on the Go wherever your journey takes you. Take care, beloveds.