Subject: News from the University Church of St Mary the Virgin

Performance, Popularity and Possessions


By the Revd Dr William Lamb


’Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards was famished’. (Matthew 4.1-2)


The story which Matthew the Evangelist tells about Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness is rich with all sort of biblical allusions. But the real power of the story comes when we consider the three temptations faced by Jesus and what they might mean for us. In the first temptation, the tempter says ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread’. A book I have been reading recently by Paul Swann(1) suggests that at the heart of this temptation is the idea that we can define our identity by our achievements or our performance. We define ourselves in terms of what we do. The second temptation is when Jesus is invited to perform a great wonder, throwing himself down from the pinnacle of the temple, and impressing the crowds below with a spectacular stunt. We allow ourselves to be defined by what others think. We allow our moral compass to be swayed by the pursuit of popularity rather than the search for justice. The third temptation is when Jesus is taken to the top of a high mountain and the devil showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. ‘All these I will give you if you will fall down and worship me’. We define ourselves in terms of what we have. We distract ourselves with material possessions rather than recognising that the pearl of great price is the Kingdom of Heaven. 


I am what I do, I am what others think, I am what I have. Do these statements do justice to the mystery of what it means to be human? Lent is a season when we can explore our sense of longing and desire, our hopes and aspirations for the future. We may discover the grace that these things do not depend on our own achievements. Lent is a season when we can reflect on the quality of our relationships and the truth of ourselves - and discover the depths of God’s mercy and our own capacity for forgiveness. Lent is a season when we can free ourselves of the clutter and complexity which fills our lives and to search for the truth that will make us free.


(1) Paul Swann, Sustaining Leadership

Sunday 21 February: First Sunday of Lent


Sunday Services

There will be two services on Sunday 21 February.


8.30am - Holy Eucharist in the Chancel


10.30am - Sung Eucharist in the Nave

The capacity for these services is now full. There is a waiting list available.


Those attending must have registered on Eventbrite to ensure that we have your contact details for test and trace, and to ensure that we maintain social distancing.


On the day of the service, please remember to arrive in good time to ensure everyone gets seated in a safe and organised manner before the beginning of the service. It is a legal requirement to wear a mask when attending our services, unless you are exempt.


Registration for services on Sunday 28 February 2021 is possible at the links below:

8.30am - Holy Eucharist in the Chancel

Register Here


10.30am - Sung Eucharist in the Nave

Register Here


Sunday Focus: The Many Lives of Codex Zacynthius


Come and join us on Sunday at 4pm as Will Lamb tells us about a research project that he has been involved in for the last couple of years. Codex Zacynthius is a palimpsest, which was first written in the eighth century. It is the oldest surviving copy of a New Testament manuscript to contain a commentary in its margins. This text was erased in the twelfth century and replaced with a lectionary text. Through multi-spectral imaging, we have been able to recover the original text. This manuscript is fascinating not only because of its contents but also because it provokes a host of questions about the way in which we use texts and commentaries, but particularly scripture and biblical commentaries. So come and see the amazing discoveries revealed by this cutting edge research over the last three years.


This is the fifth of a series of conversations and interviews as we explore a number of different issues. There will be opportunity for questions, conversation, as well as a cuppa and a chat.

Online Worship:


Every Sunday, we livestream the 10.30am service on our YouTube channel. We also publish a recording of it on our website around 1pm.


Please subscribe to our social media channels to ensure you see the videos in your newsfeed and you are alerted to all our other online events coming in Hilary term.

Hilary Term


Poetry Hour - Wednesday, 5.30pm

Join us for an hour of the consolation and insight given by writing and reading of poetry. Wednesday evenings on 27th Jan, 10th Feb, 24th Feb, 10th Mar.

This week we will be looking at poems that take us out to sea.


Bible Study - Thursdays, 12.45pm on Zoom

In the course of Hilary Term, we will be exploring Luke's gospel through the resources provided by the Visual Commentary on Scripture. 

25 February   Luke 19:29–40 Christ’s Triumphal Entry   


Click here to see the termcard and all our events for this term.

If you would like to sign up for any of our events, please fill out the Keeping in touch form here.


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