Maundy Thursday Worship 4/1/21

Maundy Thursday Worship, April 1, 2021

SERVICE OF COMMUNION AND COMMANDMENT

With nightfall our Lenten observance comes to an end, and we gather with Christians around the world to celebrate the Three Days of Jesus’ death and resurrection. At the heart of the Maundy Thursday liturgy (from the Latin word mandatum, which means command), is Jesus’ commandment to love one another. As Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, we are called to follow his example as we humbly serve and care for one another. At the Lord’s Table we remember Jesus’ sacrifice of his life, demonstrating his love for the world even unto death, for the forgiveness of sins. The service concludes with the dramatic and poignant stripping of the altar, signifying the removal of Christ’s presence in His earthly form, in His imminent death. Worshippers then depart in silence and sorrow, until the service continues the next evening, Good Friday.

Invocation and Prayer of the Day

Leader: In the name of the Father, and of the † Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray…

People: Amen.

Opening Song “We Fall Down”

Verse

We fall down

We lay our crowns

At the feet of Jesus

The greatness of mercy and love

At the feet of Jesus

Chorus

And we cry holy, holy, holy

And we cry holy, holy, holy, is the Lamb

Confession

Leader: In this Lenten season we have heard our Lord’s call to struggle against sin, death, and the devil – all that keeps us from loving God and each other. This is the struggle to which we were called at baptism. Within the community of the church, God never wearies of forgiving sin and giving the peace of reconciliation. On this night let us confess our sin against God and our neighbor.

(Silence for reflection and self-examination)

People: Almighty God, merciful Father:

I, a troubled and penitent sinner, confess to you all my sins and iniquities with which I have offended you and for which I justly deserve your punishment. But I am sorry for them, and repent of them, and pray for your boundless mercy. For the sake of the suffering and death of your Son, Jesus Christ, be gracious and merciful to me, a poor sinful being; forgive my sins, give me your Holy Spirit for the amendment of my sinful life, and bring me to life everlasting. Amen.

Leader: In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for you, and for his sake God forgives you all your sins. To those who believe in Jesus Christ he gives the power to become the children of God and bestows on them the Holy Spirit.

People: Amen.

THE PEACE We share a sign of God’s Peace with one another

First Lesson: Exodus 12:1–4, 11–14

AM: The First Lesson is from the 12th chapter of Exodus.

¹The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt ²This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. ³Tell 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. ⁴If 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.

¹¹This 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. ¹²For 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. ¹³The 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. ¹⁴This 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.

AM: Here ends the reading.

Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 11:23–26

AM: The Second Lesson is from the 11th chapter of 1 Corinthians.

²³For 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, ²⁴and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵In 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.” ²⁶For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

AM: Here ends the reading.

Gospel: John 13:1–17, 31b–35

Leader: The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the thirteenth chapter.

People: Glory to you, O Lord.

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. ²The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper ³Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, ⁴got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. ⁵Then 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. ⁶He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” ⁷Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” ⁸Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” ⁹Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” ¹⁰Jesus 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.” ¹¹For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.” ¹²After 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? ¹³You call me Teacher and Lord — and you are right, for that is what I am. ¹⁴So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵For I have set you an example that you also should do as I have done to you. ¹⁶Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. ¹⁷If 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. ³²If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. ³³Little 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.’ ³⁴I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. ³⁵By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Leader: The Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to you, O Christ.

Message: Art Mory

Song of Reflection “O Come to the Altar”

Verse 1

Are you hurting and broken within?

Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin?

Jesus is calling

Have you come to the end of yourself

Do you thirst for a drink from the well?

Jesus is calling

Chorus

O come to the altar

The Father’s arms are open wide

Forgiveness was bought with

The precious blood of Jesus Christ

Verse 2

Leave behind your regrets and mistakes

Come today there’s no reason to wait

Jesus is calling

Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy

From the ashes a new life is born

Jesus is calling (Chorus)

Bridge

Oh what a savior
Isn’t He wonderful?
Sing hallelujah, Christ is risen
Bow down before Him
For He is Lord of all
Sing Hallelujah, Christ is risen (Chorus)

CCLI Song # 7051511 – Chris Brown | Mack Brock | Steven Furtick | Wade Joye; © 2015 Music by Elevation Worship Publishing; For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com. CCLI License # 384330

Prayers of Intercession

Christ knelt and washed his disciple’s feet. As we follow his example, grant us servant hearts, that we might love without counting the cost, and serve not thinking of our own status, but putting others before ourselves. May our church be a servant community and may we live and proclaim the grace of the gospel.

Lord in your Mercy,