I hope you will be able to join us for two special services next week! They are Maundy Thursday (April 18) and Good Friday (April 19), both at 7:00 p.m.
The Maundy Thursday service commemorates the meal Jesus shared with his disciples and the loving act of service he offered on the night before he died. On Thursday, Jesus gathered with his disciples for a final meal. The Gospel of John does not record this meal as a Passover meal, just an ordinary meal. After the meal, Jesus washed the disciple’s feet and taught them that we should love and serve one another as he has loved and served them. We, too, will gather and share a meal. Thanks to Ann Kincer and the Worship team, we will share a meal that offers a taste of Mediterranean cuisine and offers symbolic significance. After the meal, we will have the opportunity to participate in the service example Jesus shared, either washing others’ hands as we sit around tables, or joining in the washing of feet at a separate space.
On Friday, we will remember through the reading of scripture the events of “Good Friday”, the day Jesus died on the cross. As we read scripture, we will also be joining in the singing of some of the most beloved hymns in our hymnal. Many of these hymns are wonderful expressions of faith that teach us important lessons we learn from the death of Jesus. The setting is called a “Tenebrae” service, and as the scriptures tell the story of Jesus’s death, the worship space grows increasingly dark. We conclude the service in silence and darkness as we reflect upon the meaning of Christ’s death, and ponder the hope of resurrection.
I think you will find a sense of God’s presence and blessing as you come and experience these stories in creative and beautiful ways.
Grace and Peace,
Paul B. Thompson
