Hazelwell Weekly Contact 22nd March 2026
18 Mar 2026 • Weekly Notices
5th Sunday of Lent
Hazelwell Communion Service,
Led by Rev. Andy Harris, Celebrant Rev. Matt Churchouse
Please remember in your prayers
Residents of Dawberry Road and Waldrons Moor.
Please pray for Andy and Matt as they prepare for the service this week
Pray for the ongoing conflicts throughout the world bringing to mind all those suffering injury, death,
bereavement, displacement or other hardship.
Alpha Course Is there more to life than this?
Are you (or anyone you know) seeking to know more about Christianity? If so, why not join our Alpha Course which meets in the Hub every Tuesday at 7pm.
For more information or to express interest speak to Matt (or e-mail: hazelwellchurchbrum@ gmail.com)
Lent resources: If you would like to follow daily readings and prayer resources for lent you can subscribe via the following links.
– both the Methodist and Church of England materials are excellent. |
Church of England: “Draw Near” Lent Reflections
Methodist “Living Lent Resources.”
Discipleship GroupYou are welcome to join uson Wednesdays, when the discipleship group (which meets from 9.30-11.00 in the Quiet room on Wednesdays) continues to follow "Draw Near" which is the official Church of England booklet for Lent 2026- see above.
Join us for scripture, prayer and music.
Reflection on John 11:25-26
In John 11:, Jesus speaks to Martha in the shadow of her brother Lazarus’s death:
“I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.”
These words are not spoken in a moment of triumph, but in a moment of grief. Martha is mourning, confused, and disappointed. She believes in a futureresurrection “on the last day,” yet her present pain feels overwhelming. Jesus does not offer a timetable or an explanation - he offers himself.
He tells her - “I am the resurrection and the life.”
- Not merely “I will bring resurrection” or “I teach about life”, but “I am”. Resurrection is not only an event at the end of time; it is a person standing before her. Life - real, deep, unbreakable life -is found in relationship with him now.
Though almost beyond our human comprehension, this promise speaks into every kind of death we experience:
- The death of loved ones
- The death of hopes and plans
- The quiet inner deaths of fear, guilt, or despair
Jesus does not deny the reality of loss - he himself weeps later in the story. Instead, he declares that death does not have the final word. Even when life seems buried, God is still at work beneath the stone.
The second part of this text holds a beautiful paradox:
“Those who believe in me… will live… will never die.”
Physical death still comes, but it cannot sever the life we have in God. Eternal life is not simply endless time after death; it is a quality of life rooted in God’s love that begins now and continues beyond the grave.
Jesus then asks Martha - and us - a deeply personal question:
“Do you believe this?”
Faith here is not about having all the answers. Martha still grieves, still questions, still struggles - yet she trusts. Faith can coexist with tears.
Wherever there is loss, fear, or uncertainty, these words invite us to hold on to hope:
Christ meets us in our sorrow, not after it
Life in God is stronger than death
The future is secure because the present is held in divine love
Even in the darkest places, resurrection life is already quietly unfolding.
