From betrayal to anointing

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This week’s sensual anointing text is one of those biblical texts that has a personal story permanently attached to it. Late one night, sitting in the ER, I wiped blood away from a dying member’s hands and experienced death’s sting along with his family. I knew the power of being present in Christ’s name when there are no words to speak. 

A few years ago at the Festival of Homiletics, Barbara Lundblad was finishing her lecture. She received a standing ovation and was moving away when she stepped back to the microphone. As an afterthought, she asked a question that continues to move me to reflect on the mystery and manners we use at the Lord’s Table. “Have you ever wondered why we begin our invitation to the Lord’s Table with remembering Christ’s betrayal,” she asked “instead of beginning with the anointing of Christ by a woman?”