04/09/2020 MAUNDY THURSDAY
Dearest Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Today we begin the three holiest days of the church year-the days that define our faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. It is called the Sacred Triduum-the three holy days-Maundy Thursday going into Good Friday and then onto Holy Saturday at the Vigil where the first celebration of the Resurrection takes place. On this day, Maundy Thursday, we remember Jesus celebrating the Passover meal with his disciples in the Upper Room. There was the holy meal where Jesus took elements of the Jewish Passover meal, the simple bread and wine, and made them into something new and wonderful-his very Body and Blood given and shed for us, to save us from sin, eternal death, and the Devil. Just as the Passover lamb saved the people of Israel from the Angel of Death in Egypt at the Exodus, so now Jesus, the new Passover lamb, allows us to be saved from eternal death and offers us a chance to know life with him and all the faithful in heaven. At this same meal, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, showing them what true love actually looks like. After the supper, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray and it was there that Judas identified him to the soldiers with a kiss and Jesus was arrested. You can read it for yourself in the Gospels: Matthew 26:1-68 Mark 14:1-72 Luke22:1-65 John 13:1-38, 16:33, 17:1-26, 18:1-27. Let us pray and worship together throughout these days as we move with Jesus from the Upper Room to the Garden of Gethsemane to the streets of Jerusalem, to Calvary, and then to another garden with a tomb. Tomorrow, I will be sharing both Stations of the Cross adapted from Scripture by Pope John Paul II as well as the Good Friday worship. A liturgy for Easter Vigil will be shared on Saturday, and Sunday we have the celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord.
Please hold Walter Crowley (husband of Catherine and father to Ginger Toomire) in your prayers as he is treated for pneumonia at Sarasota Memorial. Please pray for all who are ill or in any need.
I love you and I am praying for you and with you! Pr. Jen Schaefer+
MAUNDY THURSDAY
Set out a bowl of water and a clean towel. Sit with them before you begin with these texts.
First, remember God’s forgiveness: God, who is rich in mercy, loved us even when we were dead in sin, and made us alive together with Christ. By grace we have been saved. Our sins are forgiven in the name of Jesus Christ. Almighty God strengthen us with power through the Holy Spirit, that Christ may live in our hearts through faith. Amen.
Then pray the prayer for this night: Holy God, source of all love, on the night of his betrayal, Jesus gave us a new commandment, to love one another as he loves us. Write this commandment in our hearts, and give us the will to serve others as he was servant of all, your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
First Reading Exodus 12:1–14 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: 2 This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. 3 Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. 4 If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a year-old male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembled congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight. 7 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. 8 They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted over the fire, with its head, legs, and inner organs. 10 You shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. 11 This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the Lord. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. 13 The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. 14 This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance. Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.
Psalm 116 1 I love the Lord, who has heard my voice, and listened to my supplication, 2 for the Lord has given ear to me whenever I called. 12 How shall I repay the Lord for all the good things God has done for me? 13 I will lift the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. 14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all God’s people. 15 Precious in your sight, O Lord, is the death of your servants. 16 O Lord, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the child of your handmaid; you have freed me from my bonds. 17 I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call upon the name of the Lord. 18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all God’s people, 19 in the courts of the Lord ‘s house, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
Second Reading 1 Corinthians 11:23–26 23 For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.
Gospel John 13:1–17, 31b–35 The holy gospel according to John. Glory to you, O Lord.
1 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. 2 The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5 Then 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. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus 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.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.” 12 After 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? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord — and you are right, for that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 16 Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. 31b “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ
Homily We have heard so much about handwashing lately in light of the coronavirus. Wash your hands, they have said. It has become a routine for all of us (although the idea that there have been some who have NOT been washing their hands all this time is kind of horrifying as a means of staying safe and well. In this Gospel, Jesus again calls us to a washing-a washing of feet. How intimate and personal a thing that is-washing feet. It was back then a job for a servant-for the lowliest of those in society. And here we find Jesus getting down on his knees with a bowl and a towel to wash the feet of his disciples. Washing feet-at that time the dirtiest part of the body, washing feet to restore cleanliness. This may well bring ideas of Baptism to mind. As water was poured over our heads, Jesus was offering us a chance to have our sins washed away and have our souls cleansed once more. Every time we see that baptismal font, we are reminded of our Baptism and invited to touch that water to our heads and our hearts and remember that we are washed clean because of Jesus and his love. Jesus gave us the perfect example of discipleship on that night in that Upper Room. He became a servant, sacrificing dignity and honor and pride in order to humbly and lovingly wash the feet of others. That is our call as his disciples, his followers, Christians whose very name means Christ followers. We are called to humbly and lovingly serve others to the best of our ability-and that is how Jesus calls us to love one another. It isn’t so much a sentiment or a feeling but rather an action taken by us for the sake of others, for the benefit of others, for the help and support of others. That is the way we love one another-and Jesus shows us how. In the face of the suffering and death with which the world is filled, God’s Word comes to us now. To our time. Even when we cannot meet for the holy supper together, this Word — which takes these three nights to say — comes to us: Jesus Christ is our forgiveness. He is the Lamb whose blood marks the doors of our houses and bodies. In the power of the Spirit, he has washed our feet and our lives. And he turns us toward our neighbors. In this Word — and in the cross proclaimed tomorrow and the resurrection proclaimed on Saturday night and into Sunday –Jesus comes to embrace us with forgiveness, love, and new life-now and forever. Amen.
Here you may wash your own feet or hands, using the water in the bowl, recalling Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. Or, if there are several of you worshipping together, you may wash each other’s hands or feet, thinking of the love of Jesus poured out on each of us in this difficult time. If you choose to do as we do in church and wash each other’s feet, you would need a pitcher, basin, and towel. Please note that this action may be entirely omitted, especially if someone in your house has tested positive for the virus.
Prayers of Intercession
United with Christians around the globe on this Maundy Thursday, let us pray for the church, the earth, our troubled world, and all in need. A brief silence.
Blessed are you, holy God, for the church. Gather all the baptized around your presence in the Word. Strengthen the body of your people even when we cannot assemble for worship. Grant bishops, pastors, deacons, musicians, and all worship leaders faithfulness and creativity for their ministry in this time, and accompany those preparing for baptism. Hear us, holy God. Your mercy is great.
Blessed are you, bountiful God, for this good earth and for the flowering of springtime. Save dry lands from destructive droughts. Protect the waters from pollution. Allow in this time the planting of fields for food. Make us into care-givers of your plants and animals. Hear us, bountiful God. Your mercy is great.
Blessed are you, sovereign God, for our nation. Inspire all people to live in peace and concord. Grant wisdom and courage to heads of state and to legislators as they face the coronavirus. Lead our elected officials to champion the cause of the needy. Hear us, sovereign God. Your mercy is great.
Blessed are you, faithful God, for you accompany suffering humanity with love. Abide wherever the coronavirus has struck. Visit all who mourn their dead; all who have contracted the virus; those who are quarantined or stranded away from home; those who have lost their employment; those who fear the present and the future. Support physicians, nurses, and home health aides; medical researchers; and the World Health Organization. Hear us, faithful God. Your mercy is great.
Blessed are you, gracious God, for you care for the needy. We beg you to feed the hungry, protect the refugee, embrace the distressed, house the homeless, nurse the sick, and comfort the dying (especially-please here name aloud those for whom you wish to pray). Hear us, gracious God. Your mercy is great.
Blessed are you, loving God, that your Son knelt before us, your unworthy servants. Preserve our lives, comfort our anxiety, and receive now the petitions of our hearts. Hear us, loving God. Your mercy is great.
Blessed are you, eternal God, for all who have died in the faith, especially the martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer, whom we commemorate today, and those whom we name before you here. At the end, bring us with them into your everlasting glory. Hear us, eternal God. Your mercy is great.
Receive, merciful God, our prayers, for the sake of Jesus Christ, the host of our meal of life, who died and rose that we might live with you, now and forever. Amen.
Finally, remembering Jesus going to his arrest and his death, the events from which all the mercy that fills this night flows, pray this Psalm.
PSALM 88
1 O Lord, my God, my Savior, by day and night I cry to you.
2 Let my prayer enter into your presence; incline your ear to my lamentation.
3 For I am full of trouble; my life is at the brink of the grave.
4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I have become like one who has no strength;
5 lost among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand.
6 You have laid me in the depths of the pit, in dark places, and in the abyss.
7 Your anger weighs upon me heavily, and all your great waves overwhelm me.
8 You have put my friends far from me; you have made me to be abhorred by them; I am in prison and cannot get free.
9 My sight has failed me because of trouble; Lord, I have called upon you daily; I have stretched out my hands to you.
10 Do you work wonders for the dead?
Will those who have died stand up and give you thanks?
11 Will your loving kindness be declared in the grave, your faithfulness in the land of destruction?
12 Will your wonders be known in the dark or your righteousness in the country where all is forgotten?
13 But as for me, O Lord, I cry to you for help; in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 Lord, why have you rejected me? Why have you hidden your face from me?
15 Ever since my youth, I have been wretched and at the point of death; I have borne your terrors and am helpless.
16 Your blazing anger has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me;
17 they surround me all day long like a flood; they encompass me on every side.
18 My friend and my neighbor you have put away from me, and darkness is my only companion.
The Three Days continue tomorrow with the service for Good Friday.
Leave a Reply