The National Giving Team of the Church of England released the following theological resources in 2024.
Living Generously – films for small groups
“Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair.” (John 12:3 NRSVA)
In this eight session course, Director of Giving, Jonathan de Bernhardt Wood, explores the simple, powerful moment in which Mary, a friend and follower of Jesus, displays the kind of astonishing generosity God Himself pours out on us. The wonder of the gospel is that this can be our story too as we discover the freedom of living generously.
In this single verse Mary demonstrates seven distinct ways of living generously. Hers is the story of how her love for God enabled her to live a generous life.
Mary’s first generosity is with her time. There were other things she could’ve been doing. There are even things that could have been seen as more virtuous, as Martha, her sister points out.
Mary’s second generosity – that of her attention – is one for this day and age where we are constantly distracted by news, opinions, information and gossip.
Mary had just seen her brother raised from the dead, so when she was generous with her wealth, she knew that her ‘sacrifice’ was utterly insignificant by comparison.
Like us all, Mary had God-given gifts and talents. This film explores her generosity with ‘whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable’.
The cost of the neared Mary used is one thing, but it was also a treasured possession – what can we be generous with that’s not necessarily expensive, but precious to us?
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