Maundy Thursday

Good Evening One River,

Today is Maundy Thursday, which is a relatively new event in the life of One River but has a rich historical tradition. For many in the Christian faith, time is take during this part of the year to renew our commitments to Christ, to each other, and to the church body. The point of this service is about placing yourself at the meal. Note how you feel. What do you think Jesus was thinking throughout the meal? What about the disciples? Maundy is short for “Mandatum novum do vobis” which means “a new commandment I give to you” from John 13:34.

This evening is the celebration of the Last Supper. Here Jesus shows us what it truly means to be Christians. We are called not to rule, but to serve. Even Jesus, as we see in this event, took the lowliest position at the festival, and chose to wash the feet of his disciples. A position usually reserved for slaves. Maundy Thursday has affectionately become called “the foot washing service.” But the idea of service should be nothing new to our community.

It is at this last meal that Jesus leaves his disciples with the true picture of the kingdom, Service, Sacrifice and Sanctity.

We will begin tonight’s service with a series of readings, followed by the foot washing. We will then have a series of corporate prayer readings, followed by communion. We will conclude with the Lord’s prayer. At the conclusion, there will be no formal dismissal. You are free to leave or remain in contemplation.

Let’s begin.

Exodus 12: 1-12

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.

Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire—with the head, legs and internal organs. Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD’s Passover. “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD.

Psalm 116: 1-2 & 11-18

I love the LORD, for he heard my voice;

he heard my cry for mercy.

Because he turned his ear to me,

I will call on him as long as I live.

in my alarm I said,

“Everyone is a liar.”

What shall I return to the LORD

for all his goodness to me?

I will lift up the cup of salvation

and call on the name of the LORD.

I will fulfill my vows to the LORD

in the presence of all his people.

Precious in the sight of the LORD

is the death of his faithful servants.

Truly I am your servant, LORD;

I serve you just as my mother did;

you have freed me from my chains.

I will sacrifice a thank offering to you

and call on the name of the LORD.

I will fulfill my vows to the LORD

in the presence of all his people,

1 Cor 11:23-26

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

John 13:1-17 & 31-35

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

31-35

When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

We follow Jesus’s example and celebrate our own washing of feet. Throughout our time together, pay

close attention to what you are experiencing and how you feel. I now invite you to slowly remove your

shoes and socks. What do you feel? How do you think Jesus’s friends must have felt as they were

preparing for him to wash their feet? What do you imagine Jesus was thinking as he began washing?

Begin the preparation for foot washing. Then do so

“I love you and Christ loves you. Share the love of Christ with everyone you meet.”

After washing

On this holy night we dine together as the body of Christ, and at the table commit ourselves to love and serve one another. On this holy night, then, let us pray for the church and all humankind.

God our provider, you feed us with the bread of life and lift for us the cup of salvation, on this night Jesus gave us this holy feast:

may all who gather at your table receive a foretaste of the eternal banquet.

God of love grant our prayer.

Servant God, on this night Jesus washed his disciples’ feet: may we follow this example of love and service.

God of love grant our prayer.

God of compassion, on this night Jesus prayed for those who would believe through the message of the disciples: may those who gathered on this day to renew their Promises so live what they proclaim that all may come to know your saving love.

God of love grant our prayer.

God our companion, we pray for those unable to eat at the Lord’s Table or at any other table, for those who betray and for those betrayed, and for all innocent victims.

God of love grant our prayer.

God of hope, remember all those in need, especially those we silently hold before you now …

God of love grant our prayer.

Holy God, you give us this meal of bread and wine in which we celebrate your great compassion; grant that we may work with you to fulfil our prayers, and to love and serve others as Christ has loved us; this we ask through Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who is alive with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the gospels tell us that before he suffered, Jesus sat at table with his disciples and established a new covenant in his blood. After he suffered, on the day he rose from the dead, he appeared to some of the disciples and was made known to them in the breaking of the bread. Come, then, to the supper of our Lord. Let us prepare the table with the offerings of our lives and labor.

Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, you who have brought forth bread from the earth. Blessed be God, now and forever!

Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, you who created the fruit of the vine. Blessed be God, now and forever!

As the grain once scattered in the fields and the grapes once dispersed on the hillsides are now reunited on this table in bread and wine, so, Lord, may your whole church soon be gathered together from the corners of the earth into your kingdom. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!

Thanksgiving-

Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right for us to give thanks. It is our joy and our peace at all times and in all places to give thanks to you, Holy Father, Almighty, Everlasting God, through Christ our Lord. It is indeed right and good to glorify you, at all times and in all places, and to offer you our thanksgiving, O Lord. Through your living Word you created all things and pronounced them good. You made human beings in your own image, to share your life and reflect your glory. In the fullness of time you gave Christ to us as the way, the truth, and the life. In the upper room Christ gave us this supper, that we should celebrate the memorial of the cross and resurrection, by which he became the source of salvation for all who put their trust in him. Therefore with the whole company of saints in heaven and on earth, with all creation in all time, we sing a hymn to your glory:

We give thanks to God the Father that our Savior, Jesus Christ, before he suffered, gave us this memorial of his sacrifice, until his coming again. For the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

The Memorial We shall do as our Lord commands. We proclaim that our Lord Jesus was sent by the Father into the world, that he took upon himself our flesh and blood, and bore the wrath of God against our sin. We confess that he was condemned to die that we might be pardoned, and suffered death that we might live. We proclaim that he is risen to make us right with God, and that he shall come again in glory to his new creation. We do this now, and until he comes' again.

Prayer of Consecration< O Father, send down your Spirit upon us, your people, and upon this bread and wine, that to us they may be Christ's body and blood, and that in partaking we may be one single body and one single spirit in Christ, a living sacrifice to the praise of your glory. Amen

Invitation and Dedication

Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

Therefore let us keep the feast.

Hosanna in the highest!

The gifts of God for the people of God.

As we break this bread and drink this wine, we are called to remember the ultimate act of sacrifice Jesus made for each one of us and all mankind. Let us give thanks to Him for the blessings upon us.

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy spirit. Lord we take these elements into us. Wash us clean of our sins and once again join us to you and your holy council.

Come and Eat. – Give communion

Conclusion Our Lord suffered, died, and was buried. But on the third day he arose again. Behold, O God, your family: your son Jesus did not hesitate for its sake to give himself into the hands of wicked people and to suffer agony on the cross—your Son who now lives and reigns with you, in unity with the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Let us conclude this service by joining together in the LORD’s Prayer.

Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For yours is the Kingdom power and glory

Forever and ever, Amen.