MAUNDY THURSDAY SERVICE
Gathering
and Centering
Special
Music “In Remembrance of Me”
Call
to Worship
(Psalm
116)
Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD,
I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
In the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the LORD!
Hymn
“What Wonderous Love Is This”
Opening
Prayer
Eternal God, in the sharing of a meal your Son established a new covenant for all people, and in the washing of feet he showed us the dignity of service. Grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit these signs of our life in faith may speak again to our hearts, find our spirits, and refresh our bodies. We ask this in the of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, who first taught us to pray by saying:
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 thine is the kingdom, and the power, and
the glory forever. Amen
Special
Music “O the Deep Love of Jesus”
Song
to Prepare Our Hearts
“Jesu, Jesu”
Scripture
Readings John 13: 1-17, 31b-35
The
scripture reading for every Maundy Thursday is the same. It is the
aforementioned lesson located in John’s Gospel; Jesus washing the
feet of his disciples in the upper room. And since you are aware
that I am prone to recycle sermon, I have used that scripture lesson
in various forms at several times. Each time that that lesson is
used, I focus upon the first part of the lesson, the action part of
the story, Jesus washing the feet of this disciples. Emphasis is
placed upon the two-fold lessons of hospitality and service:
Jesus
provided hospitality to his disciples; we are to do likewise.
Jesus
humbled himself to provide service to his disciples; we are to do
likewise.
However,
there are two other major points to the scripture lesson that I
usually gloss over, but which I would like to consider in this
meditation. The first consideration is the timeline. This story,
the upper room experience, occurs immediately prior to Jesus’ going
out to the garden at the base of the Mount of Olives. There he is
betrayed and arrested. Can you imagine his though process in
teaching all that he did (John chapters 14 – 17, the final
discourse) immediately prior to knowing what pain was to come?
The
second consideration is the location of this story. When you visit
Israel, your guide will lead you to a block structure located
immediately outside the old city of Jerusalem. On the second story
of this structure is a large room, the upper room. It is the site of
this scripture lesson. This is where Jesus washed the feet of his
disciples, celebrated the last supper and gave all his instructions
in what is commonly referred to as the final discourse. From that
upper room, Jesus followed a well-worn path down the hillside to the
garden at the base of the Mount of Olives. Your guide will show you
that path, and you may walk that path. That path took Christ
immediately adjacent to the house of the high priest, where later
that night he would be imprisoned. Can you imagine his though
process in taking that walk; knowing what pain was to come?
But
here is the point in the scripture lesson where I want to diverge
from what is “action” to what is “teachings”. Jesus
concludes this lesson with these simple instructions. You are to
love one another. You are to love one another just as he has loved
us. That’s it. Plain and simple. Simple and direct. That’s his
instructions to us. And he said all that knowing what was to become
of him. He said all that knowing the pain which he would very
shortly be suffering.
In
the celebration of Holy Communion, you are asked to remember all that
Christ did for you. This is what Maundy Thursday is all about, you
are to remember not only what he taught you; but the pain he suffered
as he taught you. You are to know that your sins are forgiven; but
Christ suffered the pain of those sins. And yet, in spite of all
that he suffered for us, he loves us. And he asks you to do
likewise.
Amen.
Special
Music “In Remembrance of Me”
Prayer
Dear
heavenly Father, we ask that you impress upon our hearts the ability
to comprehend not only the pain which your Son, Jesus Christ endured
for us; but also the love which he possess for us. Make us truly
worthy to be called his disciples so that by our actions everyone may
know that we love one another, just as Christ loves us. We ask this
is Christ’s name. amen.
Song
of Sending: “Make Me a
Channel
of Your Peace”
Benediction:
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to
shine upon you, and be gracious onto you. May the Lord lift up the
light of His love upon you and give you peace. God in peace. Serve
the Lord.
Going
Forth
HYMN "God will Take Care of You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijytLs96yig
"GO NOW IN PEACE"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T_KSLqIAcM
HYMN "God will Take Care of You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijytLs96yig
"GO NOW IN PEACE"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T_KSLqIAcM
Comments
Post a Comment