Loading...Tonight’s worship service is packed full of ritual and symbolism.
There are rites to the right and left of us throughout the worship:
words of confession and promise of absolution –
which are actually remembrances of our baptisms;
footwashing
Eucharist
and the stripping of the altar
which may evoke in you a visceral response, especially when the lights go down.
Our scripture texts describe events. And meals.
•The Passover meal in the Exodus text is itself
rooted in the event of God liberating the people from slavery in Egypt.
•Paul’s description of how Jesus blessed bread and wine for the community to be the proclamation of Christ’s presence and life amongst and in us.
•Jesus and his disciples at a meal where Jesus changed outfits
to that of a servant. And, then he served his followers, disciples, and friends.
Food and action.
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In the midst of Holy Week
a week that included dramatic events like the fire at Notre Dame cathedral (and al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, and other churches)—
In the midst of these holiest of days for Christians,
we are reminded of two central truths of our faith:
we need community, and
we are called to serve.
Sometimes and for some personalities,
action and service seem pretty straightforward and easy:
there’s a job to do, so let’s go do it.
But other times and in other situations,
service and action ask us to step outside of our comfort zone
or outside of what is culturally acceptable or normative.
In other words, sometimes serving someone else or helping another means that the world at large and even the people that you like and want to impress will think that you’re a sap or helping those who don’t deserve it or you’re doing too much for people who will never be able to repay you.
Yet, as followers of Jesus walking the Way of Love,
action and service mean that we take off
the robes of prestige, respectability, and our own selfhood,
and put on the towel of humility, compassion and deep love for others.
When we serve another,
especially one whom the world would overlook –
one who is a refugee, or who is homeless or incarcerated, or in some other way an “outsider” –
we embody the presence of Christ Jesus.
We live as the people of God.
We allow the Spirit to use us to bring the dream of God alive in the world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maundy Thursday – Commandment Thursday – is the day,
more than any other day of the year,
when we are reminded that the call to follow Jesus
and to walk in the Way of God’s love
is to serve.
This is the commandment give –
love one another
love one another as servants to each other
love one another by laying down your own life for others, even “the other”.
Love one another. Amen
