For each of the Three Days, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter, we will offer online worship. These are the three central days of the Christian year. While Easter is every Sunday, these Three Days are like one great annual Sunday. But because of the pandemic, we cannot do these important services together in church. We trust that the promise and power of Easter will bring encouragement, hope and new life to you and to our world in this time of challenge and sorrow. We invite you to join us in journeying together through these days. Each day we will share ways for you to connect the theme and meaning of the day to your life and prepare for worship.
On this day, we remember Christ’s last meal with his disciples, but the central focus is his commandment (mandate - "maundy") that we live out the promise embodied in this meal. As Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, so we are called to give and receive love in humble service to one another.
• Prepare a space to worship in your home. Set out a bowl of water and a clean towel as focus objects for this day.
• Consider ways you have been served by others during this “safer-at-home” time. How have you served others?
• At the conclusion of Maundy Thursday we participate in the ritual of “stripping the altar” during which time we remove all paraments, books and decorations from the chancel, signifying Jesus’ humiliation by those who arrest and crucify him. Consider removing decorations from your dining table or coffee table and replace them with joy on Easter morning.
• Sunday School families have additional resources for engaging with this day’s themes shared by email to you directly.
• Prayer: 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 the 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.