Short Maundy Thursday Liturgy
Maundy Thursday - A Brief Liturgy for Home
This is a very short Maundy Thursday liturgy I am using with my choir via Zoom since we are at home amidst the Coronavirus pandemic. Before starting the liturgy, participants are instructed to have their bread and wine/juice/water in front of them.
SCRIPTURE READING (Luke 22:14-23)
Leader 1:
14 When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18 for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. 21 But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. 22 For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!” 23 Then they began to ask one another which one of them it could be who would do this.
Video of “Hope”
by Felix Mendelssohn
PRAYER:
We gather together, in the comfort of our homes,
Preparing ourselves to partake in a solemn feast;
originally celebrated in such a way where the
comfortable was upended by the foreshadowing of Passion
and the predictable was overturned by the dismantling of hierarchy
when Jesus the Christ bent down to wash the dirty feet of his disciples.
Familiar elements of bread and wine
Connect us in simplicity to the Table of the Last Supper,
When Christ himself announced a message
Nobody was ready to hear.
Christ, in his abundant graciousness,
Offered himself freely and completely to all,
Modeling for us the essence of Love,
Instructing us to give ourselves completely to this Love,
and inviting us to be this Love and usher in a new Kingdom.
A Kingdom where hope reigns in uninhibited glory.
A Kingdom where gifts are freely given without expectation of reimbursement.
A Kingdom where equality is assumed and mercy equally distributed.
The new Kingdom of God. The ancient reality of being wonderfully human.
COMMUNION
Pastor: Come now and take your places at this table,
citizens of the kingdom, heirs to the riches of God’s love,
friends of Jesus, who is our peace.
INVITATION
Pastor: Beloved, let us celebrate with Jesus at the table of peace.
All: Let us eat the Feast with him.
Pastor: For now nothing can separate us from his love.
All: And let us love one another well, For he laid down his life for us all.
Pastor: We remember that he longed to celebrate the Passover with his friends.
He arranged for a meal, his last in this life. We remember that he gave them a new commandment:
All: “Love one another as I have loved you.”
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
Pastor: And we remember that on that night, with danger and death in the air, Jesus remembered with joy the deliverance of his ancestors from the oppression of Pharaoh. He told the victory story, ate bitter herbs, shared the unleavened loaf, and drank the cup of blessing. In love for us, he took the bread, gave thanks to you, and broke it.
He gave it to them, saying:
“Take and eat this, all of you: this is my body, broken for you.
Do this and remember me”
And when the supper was over, he took a cup filled with wine, blessed it in your name,
and passed it to them, saying:
“This is the cup of a new covenant in my blood. Do this and remember me.”
INVITATION
Pastor: Friends, if you are hungry for a taste of what is to come, if you yearn to feast on a love without condition and without end; take and eat this bread of life.
[the bread is taken]
If you are thirsting for forgiveness, then open your hearts to this meal, a sign of grace, a gift of peace, and partake in the cup of joy.
[the cup is taken]
And all God’s people said:
All: Amen.
Note: The Communion liturgy was adapted from J. Mary Lute’s post which can be found HERE
