April 5th, 2007 - Maundy Thursday Service

Maundy Thursday begins this three day, three part service of Holy Week. We commemorate the Last Supper, when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and established the Eucharist. “Mandatum novum do vobis” (“a new commandment I give to you”) is the command given by Christ at the Last Supper, that we should love one another.

Pastor Mark starts the service with a sermon on how impossible it is to live each day as if it were our last when this is only how we envision it (not working, spending all our time with our loved ones).

Looking at the way Jesus spent his last day gives us a different model, a different vision. He invests meaning into the everyday with the sharing of meal as Eucharist, serves his disciples and commands us to love one another.

The choir anthem is Stay With Us. Kirsten performs a gentle flute solo which highlights the calm invitation of the piece. The blending of the choir's voices, David's piano and Kirsten's flute evoke an ethereal atmosphere that stays with us through the rest of the service.

When we are involved in the foot washing, the multi-layered meanings of this act become easy to see. There is a tradition of taking shoes off in holy places. Our feet are where we touch the ground. What is on our feet ishow we experience the world. Washing of feet gives us a new experience, a new perspective of the earth. This is a vulnerable and intimate moment for everyone.

Pastor Dayle invites the congregation to communion in a less formal way than the normal words of institution. It stresses communion is rooted in our everyday experiences of eating and drinking, relaxing with our friends. It makes the communion feel different.

Peter and Kelly perform Marty Haugen's My God, My God while the altar is stripped. It is a dramatic end to the service and with no benediction we leave in silence.