Maundy Thursday online April 9

Jamesville Community Church online service

Service for Maundy Thursday  4/9/2020

Before worship:

            Gather a bowl of water for handwashing, and cloths to dry on

            Make placemats for each person for the supper.

Have a nice loaf of bread…maybe homemade????

            Have a cup of juice or wine for each person

           Have your candle to light at the start of worship.

            REMEMBER to read the passion Scriptures tomorrow, Good Friday.

CALL TO WORSHIP  (Please read the bold print aloud at home)

This night we join a solemn journey of three days that has changed the world and our own lives. Followers of Jesus have been taking this journey since his first followers took it, long ago.

This is the night of God’s love poured out, Jesus’ love poured out. (pause)

A new commandment I give you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.

This is a night of love. (pause)

On this night Jesus took a towel and basin, and washed his disciples' feet. On this night he told them to do the same for others to show their love for him and for one another. 

This is the night of love.(pause)

On this night, Jesus broke bread and shared wine with his followers for the last time, and invited them to remember him, to encounter him anew, whenever they did the same. 

This is the night of love. (pause)

This is the night of love. And so, on this night, we welcome all here: we welcome all who have wandered, all who have betrayed, all who have not lived up to expectations, all who are still learning, all who need God’s love.  We join us in hearing and remembering and  obeying the new commandment Jesus gave us, and we feast at this table as Jesus commanded us, in love.

PRAYER

Messiah I come, brought to my knees by astonishing grace. In the presence of such humility from one so great, what can I do but kneel and praise?

 

Messiah I come, challenged to bow to the King who kneels. I want to pour out mercy and bring tender healing, But I am proud, judgmental, and self-absorbed and you are the only one who can lead me to first-becoming-last greatness.

 

I would wash and serve, wash and love, like you do. But first Lord Jesus, wash my feet, cleanse my heart ‘till I am – like you – humble and ready on my knees.

 

~ in “Daily Meditations and Response prayers for Holy Week” by Nigel Varndell. Copyright © 2011 Nigel Varndell (Meditations) and 2012 www.thesanctuarycentre.org/whereworldandworshipmeet.  Posted on the Sanctuary Centre website.  http://www.thesanctuarycentre.org/

 

 

SCRIPTURE   John 13:1-17   (Pastor Becky reads)

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. ²The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper ³Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, ⁴got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. ⁵Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. ⁶He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” ⁷Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” ⁸Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” ⁹Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” ¹⁰Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” ¹¹For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.” ¹²After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? ¹³You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. ¹⁴So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. ¹⁶Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. ¹⁷If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

MEDITATION

    At this point in Holy Week, Jesus has not yet been betrayed and turned over to the government and religious officials. After riding the donkey into Jerusalem, Jesus has gathered with his disciples in an upper room of a local house, to celebrate the seder meal, according to at least one of the gospel writers.  Before they eat that special meal that remembers how the Hebrew people were saved and brought out from Egypt & slavery,  Jesus acts the part of the host, washing the feet of guests, who have come inside from outside in the dirty streets.  We might remember here the woman who washed Jesus’ feet at another meal, when the host had neglected his duty. 

     Once again, Jesus uses the physical occasion to reveal spiritual truths.  Once again Jesus emphasises the humble nature of being the Messiah, like he did by riding on a donkey coming into Jerusalem. Taking the duties of a servant, the very Anointed One of God kneels before the disciples and washes their dusty feet.  He serves them as a servant, and tells them that this is an example - they are to serve one another even in the most humble of ways.  Later as he hosts the seder meal, he gives that famous new commandment - mandatum novum -  that we are to love one another as he loved us; as God has loved us.  Love and service, service and love, one to another.  

     By the by, I am surprised that footwashing has not come down through the centuries as a sacrament, like communion and baptism.  Jesus clearly does it and commands we do it, which are used as reasons for our other protestant sacraments.  I think it was spiritualized into Confession, which observant believers had to do before partaking in communion, in the Roman tradition. And because people were weird about naked feet.  If you’ve ever participated in a foot-washing, it is a physically humbling experience.  Of course, its spiritual meaning IS that of being washed by God, washed of our sins - but I could argue that Holy Communion and Baptism also have spiritual meanings yet are carried out physically.  Think about it!

     We are washing our hands tonight, which becomes poignant in this time of covid 19 and the washing hands we do all the time right now.  We do it now because we may have picked up the virus on our hands while out in the world, or may have touched things infected persons have touched.  That translates very well into a spiritual equivalent of how easily we pick up sin when we are out in the world, when we deal with matters set in motion by others who don’t have the same love for one another or God as we do.  There’s a song by an acapella group that asks, “Are My Hands Clean?”  It’s about tracing the path of our clothing from the underpaid folks who harvest the fibers, the badly treated workers who make of the fabric, the assembly-line conditions of those who cut of the fabric and sew the clothing - all done by poorly paid workers in slave conditions, just so we can buy it on sale at a discount store.  Indeed, it’s hard to live in this world and have our hands clean.  Our investments, shrinking as they are right now, are most likely in companies that exploit workers, too, to make another buck for the owners and stockholders.  Many large  companies practice less than ethical ways of business in other ways, too.  And we depend on them for our retirements.  It’s almost impossible to live our sheltered and protected lives as part of the privileged race of white americans without getting our hands dirty.  We are always in need of being washed from being out in the world, even before we get to our own acts of disobedience and sin. 

    Later in the story of Christ’s conviction and being delivered over to death, the governor Pontius Pilate will “wash his hands” in another way, symbolizing his desire to be free and clean from Jesus’ death, to not take responsibility.  Of course he is responsible, as we all are - and just an outward washing of hands without the inner acknowledgement of sin and guilt, is meaningless.  So this night, let us wash with understanding, and wash with the true intent to be washed by our Savior Jesus the Christ, and to in turn love and serve one another. 

    Then we will once again partake of that meal, that holy and sacred meal of communion, that reminds us yet again of Jesus’ sacrifice and service to us; a meal where Jesus is the host, and actually becomes the host himself as he serves us his very self.  This is a meal that speaks to us of how God has given God’s all to us and for us; and all for love. All we see and have,  all of creation, all of the gifts of life; all from God.  This meal reminds us that every meal we eat is holy as it comes from this blessed creation as a gift from God.   From the very presence of food that feeds us with its life , up to and including the very gift of Jesus’ life that gives us eternal life and feeds our soul and spirit, we partake of the bread and drink as did Jesus and the disciples on that night of the New Commandment - the new mandate that connects love …..  with service.  In John’s telling of this supper is where Jesus says the words, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”  (Jn 13;34)  That’s how this night got its name - the new mandate, mandatum in Latin...the new commandment.  This night of the Lord’s Last Supper is named for the new commandment, to love one another as God loves, and to serve as Jesus serves.         AMEN

 

WASHING OF HANDS    (Let each person wash their hands in the bowl and dry them.)

We begin by washing, as we were washed in our baptism. We cleanse our hands as we were cleansed in the waters of new birth. We do this not because we are afraid, but because we were commanded to love: and to cleanse our hands, and gather in spirit, is how we love the vulnerable, whom Jesus loved. May we be instruments of love. May the sacrifices we make be for the good of our human family near and far.

SCRIPTURE        Matthew 26:26-30    (Pastor Becky reads)

²⁶While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” ²⁷Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; ²⁸for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. ²⁹I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” ³⁰When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

CELEBRATION OF THE LORD’S SUPPER  

(Please serve each other at the time when you are invited to partake.)

This is the night of love. And this is the table of love. At this table, Christ, who loves us, is with us.   Christ is with us, and we are with Christ. We belong to God.

And so we pray: We are yours, all yours, blessed Triune God, all our lives, all our thanks, all our praise, all our fears, all our grumbling, all our hesitations, all our loves, all our joys, all our passions, we give them all to you, with bodies, and minds and voices. Yours, all yours!

What are we that you should notice us? What are we that you should love us? What are we what you should call us into covenant with you, a covenant we continually broke and you continuously sustained?  Mercy! How full of mercy you are!

How can we but praise you, joining our voices with the song of angels and saints, seraphim and martyrs, strangers and family in every generation:

You are holy, O God! You are worthy, O Christ! Worthy in your birth! Worthy in your living! Worthy in your loving! Worthy in your serving!  Worthy as you preached God’s kingdom, healed the sick, cleansed the lepers, gave sight to the blind, fed the hungry, and loved us all.

Worthy the night you took a towel and basin, washed your disciples' feet, and taught them to do likewise.

Worthy too, the same night we betrayed you, when you took the bread, blessed it and broke it,

and gave it to your disciples. Worthy when you told them, "This is my body broken for you. Remember me."  (BREAK BREAD)

Worthy when you took the cup, praised God and shared it, and worthy when you said, "This is my blood of the new covenant for you. Remember me."  POUR CUP

We remember, and we praise you with our lives and these gifts of bread and wine, proclaiming with one voice the mystery of faith:

Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

Come upon us, Holy Spirit.

Come upon these gifts.

Make them be for us Christ's body, Christ's blood.

Make us one body in Christ enlivened in love by his blood.

Even so, come and fill this feast, Holy Spirit, on this night, and every night until we eat it new at the marriage supper of the Lamb!

All blessing, honor, glory and power be yours, Holy Triune God, now and forever. Amen!

Let us partake of the bread and the cup. 

Thank you, God, for uniting us with Jesus in this holy mystery. We are no longer our own, but yours. So send us, and put us to leading and serving, loving as you have loved us wherever we go. Amen.

SENDING  PRAYER    (Please read aloud the bold printed lines)

Lord God, our Heavenly Father and Helper, open our ears that we may hear you as clearly as Isaiah did. Teach us to listen more intently to your Word than we do to the sounds of the world. When we hear, may we obey and rejoice with those who sang you into Jerusalem.             We trust in you O LORD:         You are our God.

Lord Jesus Christ, you emptied yourself for us. You set aside the glories of heaven and came to earth as the only Son of God. You were obedient unto death, even death on a cross. We confess that you are our Lord, the glory of God the Father.

We trust in you O LORD:         You are our God.

Holy Spirit, even as you were with Christ at His trial, be with us in our trials that we may not fear the forces of this world that can only inflict death. You remembered whose you were. You are the resurrection and the life.     We trust in you O LORD:     You are our God.

Lord Jesus Christ when we cry out in joy, hear our song as a song of thanksgiving. When we cry out in despair, remind us to commit our cause and our spirit into your hands.

We trust in you O LORD:          You are our God.

On this Thursday of the Passion, remember the suffering of those among us who need to know your love for them surpasses all human understanding: Kurt and Patty’s family, especially her parents,    _______.

We trust in you O LORD:                     You are our God.

Though we remember we are dust and to dust we shall return, we remember that we are your precious dust. Amen

(Blow your candle out.  There is no benediction, as the service continues until Sunday morning)