“Maundy” Thursday

We’re going to have several readings tonight, and some hymns a capella . I hope that I can count on you to help me sing those as we sing our praise to God. Tonight is both a solemn night and a night of celebration. It begins with celebration as it is remembering the passover. It ends more solemnly as Jesus takes what the disciples had previously understood the Passover meal to mean and expands it to include himself.

Surely at one time or another the question has crossed your mind, “Why do they call it Maundy Thursday?” It sounds like they don’t know what day it is. Is it Monday? Is it Thursday?

Maundy comes from the Latin for mandātum, which is where we get the word mandate, or commandment.

WELCOME

Jesus said: John 13:34

John 13:34 ESV

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

This is the day when Christ, our Passover Lamb, surrendered himself to those who would kill him, setting us free from sin and death forever.

This is the day when Christ, our Teacher and Lord, knelt down to wash the disciples’ feet, showing us how to love and serve one another.

This is the day when Christ, the bread of heaven, shared a holy meal with his followers, offering a feast of abundant life and grace for all.

PRAYER

Holy God, source of all love, on the night of his betrayal Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment, to love one another as he loved them. Write this commandment in our hearts; give us the will to serve others as He was the servant of all, who gave His life and died for us, yet is alive and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.

We’re going to sing together the Hymn, How Great Thou Art. The words are in your bulletins.

How Great Thou Art

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder Thy pow'r thru'out the universe displayed Then sings my soul my Savior God to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art Then sings my soul my Savior God to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art CCLI Song # 14181 Stuart Wesley Keene Hine © Copyright 1949 and 1953 Stuart Hine Trust CIO Stuart K. Hine Trust. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com Used by Permission: CCLI License # 743634

It is powerful when we consider that the God of all Creation is the God who loves us so.

The proof of God’s amazing love is this: while we were sinners Christ died for us. Because we have faith in him, we dare to approach God with confidence.

In faith and penitence let us confess our sin before God and one another. We’re going to take an extended period of silence for each of us to confess to God our sins, quietly in our hearts. Let us enter into God’s throne room, knowing He invites us and silently confess our sins to Him.

CONFESSION

Eternal God, whose covenant with us is never broken, we confess that we fail to fulfill your will. Though you have bound yourself to us, we will not bind ourselves to you. In Jesus Christ you serve us freely, but we refuse your love and withhold ourselves from others. We do not love you fully or love one another as you command.

In your mercy, forgive and cleanse us. Lead us once again to your table and unite us to Christ, who is the bread of life and the vine from which we grow in grace.

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. Amen. or Thanks be to God.

May the God of mercy, who forgives you all your sins, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.

Since God has forgiven us in Christ, let us forgive one another.

The peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. And also with you

Prayer for Illumination

Eternal God, by your Word and Spirit, you have given us a new commandment: to love and serve one another in Jesus’ name.

Let the good news of your liberating love be sealed in our hearts and shown in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

First Reading:

Exodus 12:1–8 (ESV)

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.

“Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.

Exodus 12:11–14 (ESV)

In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.

“This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.

This is the meal that Jesus and His disciples have gathered to eat. This was what they were remembering at the time. And this was the meal that would be forever changed by Jesus’ words of institution.

RESPONSE: (Together)

1 Corinthians 10:16 (ESV)

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

Second Reading:

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 (ESV)

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that 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 he took 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.

RESPONSE: (Together)

1 Corinthians 10:16 (ESV)

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

Gospel Reading:

John 13:1–15 (ESV)

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.

Gospel Acclamation: (Together)

John 13:34 (ESV)

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

Wouldn’t you be totally hacked? This is not what you were coming to dinner for. This is not what you signed up for. Imagine what it was like to be there.

The disciples have gathered to celebrate the Passover meal. In Luke’s Gospel he underscores the point that the meal that Jesus is celebrating with His disciples is at the beginning of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover Lamb is to be sacrificed.” (Lk 22:7).

[Lexham Survey of Theology (The Lord’s Supper)]

The Passover is the celebration of the deliverance of the Israelites from death and from slavery in Egypt. The Israelites were commanded to slaughter a lamb and apply its blood to their doorposts so that they would be delivered from the judgment rendered by the angel of death. This deliverance also marked the beginning of the exodus from Egypt, and these twin meanings constituted the core of Israelite identity. They are to commemorate it every year, at the inception of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when the Israelites were to rid their homes of yeast for seven days:

Exodus 12:14 ESV

“This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.

At this point in the meal, the disciples do not understand exactly what Jesus is doing. However, Christ intends his disciples to understand that his sacrifice, his body and blood offered upon the cross, is simultaneously a recapitulation and summation of the depth of meaning of the Passover meal, and a deliverance from a deeper slavery shared not just by Israel but by all of humanity to the powers of sin and death. The Apostle Paul talks about this in Romans chapter 6.

Jesus suffering on the cross is the cataclysmic confrontation with these powers, and his resurrection is his triumph and vindication over them. Later, when Christ ascends into heaven, Paul describes it as a victory march by a conquering general, a general who leads not defeated nations but captivity itself captive.

There is such irony throughout Holy Week.

The Messiah was expected as a mighty conquering general - perhaps arriving on a dazzling white charger - instead Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt that had yet to be ridden.

They expected the national government to be challenged - instead Jesus went to the Synagogues and the Temple.

They expected their Rabbi to prepare them for this change of rule - and instead their Rabbi puts aside his outer garments, tied a towel around his waist, took a simple wash basin and a pitcher of water and began to wash his disciples feet. It was… well, of course it was… Peter, who protested. Jesus was their Master, not their servant. Jesus countered, “If I do not wash you, you have no share in me.”

That’s all Peter needed, “Well then not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”

You know I think of the sound of water. It has become one of my favorite sounds. Whether it be the rain drops hitting the side window at my home, the waves lapping up against the lake shore or crashing upon the rocks by the ocean, the bubbles rising and popping as the water boils on my stove, the rippling sound as my hand moves through the water, or the bloop of a rock breaking the surface and disappearing to the depths. Think of the sounds of water, where you have heard them before. Think of how it cleanses.

As a child growing up in West Seattle we used to go down Alki beach where my grandmother lived in the apartments there. One of our favorite past times was going down onto the sand and building big forts and sand castles, or just digging holes. And then later, we’d watch as the tide would turn and the waves would slowly creep up to our feeble attempts at architectural mastery. Bit by bit, they’d soon crash into our creations and in just a few moments what took us hours to create would be erased to just a memory. There was something at once sad and exciting about that. Sad because it had taken hours of labor. Exciting because it was a clean sleight ready to be worked again the next time we came.

That’s much of what Jesus is saying in the washing of the feet - You’ve been cleansed, you’re forgiven. But there’s more, isn’t there? You’ve been cleansed, you’ve been forgiven; now go, cleanse and forgive others.

John 13:34

John 13:34 ESV

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

How did Jesus love his disciples? He served them. He forgave them. He blessed them by His service.

And He blesses us too. That’s our mandate. That’s our new commandment. THAT is now what we’ve signed up for. Let’s live it.

Let’s pray together: Liberating and redeeming God, we give thanks that you hear the cries of your people. Therefore, in our time of trial, we call upon your name, saying: Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

As you delivered our ancestors from slavery and led them to a land of promise and plenty, liberate all who are captive or oppressed and bring them to a place of abundant life. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

As you saved your people from death on the night of the Passover, redeem us from sin and death throughJesus Christ the Lamb. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

As Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord stooped down to wash his disciples’ feet, teach us to love and serve our neighbors with Christlike compassion and humility. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

As Christ the Lord has handed on to us a feast of grace in his body and blood, help us to share with all who hunger the gifts we have received from you. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

God our liberator and redeemer, we give thanks that you have heard our cry. Continue to lead us from death to life eternal, and let our lives be a sign of your saving love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hymn: All in All

You Are My All In All

Verse 1

You are my strength when I am weak You are the treasure that I seek You are my all in all

Seeking You as a precious jew'l, Lord to give up I'd be a fool You are my all in all

Chorus

Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name

Verse 2

Taking my sin my cross my shame Rising again I bless Your name You are my all in all

When I fall down You pick me up When I am dry You fill my cup You are my all in all

Dennis Jernigan, © 1991 Shepherd's Heart Music, Inc. Used by Permission. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com CCLI License #743634

The Lord said to Moses:

This shall be a day of remembrance for you, you shall celebrate it as a festival of the Lord.

Paul says to the Church:

As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Let’s celebrate and proclaim the Lord’s death knowing he will come again. Let us remember the whole story:

EUCHARIST

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is truly right and our greatest joy to give you thanks and praise, O Lord our God, creator and ruler of the universe.

You made us in your image, and freed us from the bonds of slavery. You claimed us as your people, and made covenant to be our God. You fed us manna in the wilderness, and brought us to a land flowing with milk and honey. When we forgot your covenant you spoke through prophets, calling us to turn again to your ways.

Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with the celestial choirs and with all the faithful of every time and place, who forever sing to the glory of your name:

Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God almighty who was and is, and is to come. Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God almighty who was and is, and is to come. Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God almighty who was and is, and is to come. 1 Cor 11:23-26

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 (ESV)

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 he took 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.

Remembering all your mighty and merciful acts, we take this bread and this wine from the gifts you have given us, and celebrate with joy the redemption won for us in Jesus Christ.

Accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving as a living and holy offering of ourselves, that our lives may proclaim the One crucified and risen.

Gracious God, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these your gifts of bread and wine, that the bread we break and the cup we bless may be the communion of the body and blood of Christ.

By your Spirit unite us with the living Christ and with all who are baptized in his name, that we may be one in ministry in every place. As this bread is Christ’s body for us, send us out to be the body of Christ in the world.

Lead us, O God, by the power of your Spirit to live as love commands.

Bound to Christ, set us free for joyful obedience and glad service. As Jesus gave his life for ours, help us to live our lives for others with humility and persistent courage.

Give us strength to serve you faithfully until the promised day of resurrection, when, with the redeemed of all the ages, we will feast with you at your table in glory.

Through Christ, all glory and honor are yours, almighty God, with the Holy Spirit in the holy church, now and forever. Amen.

LORD’s PRAYER

As our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to pray: Our Father . . .

Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread.

The bread we break is it not a sharing in the body of Christ?

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ?

The gifts of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. [PARTAKE] God of grace, we give you thanks

for the feast of redemption we have shared in the body and blood of our Savior.

As you have nourished us with love,

let our lives proclaim your great love for the world; throughJesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

DOXOLOGY

Praise God from whom all blessings flow Praise Him all creatures here below Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

AMEN