A Creative Maundy Thursday Service

The creative Maundy Thursday service can be used in free-church and more informal traditions of worship. Adapt to local usage and style.

Basic Pattern ENTRANCE Scripture: Genesis 1:1–5a; John 1:1–5 Hymn of Invocation: "O Splendor of God's Glory Bright" (Ambrose of Milan) Prayer Hymn of Confession: "Jesus Thou Joy of Loving Hearts" (Bernard of Clairvaux) Response: Romans 8:33–35a, 38–39 Congregation: "Alleluia" (Taizé) SERVICE OF THE WORD Scripture: Isaiah 42:1–9; Psalm 143; John 3:17–21; Matthew 26:6–13 Responsorial Prayer Passing of the Peace CELEBRATION OF THE TABLE Scripture: John 13:1–17 Hymn: "The Song of the Supper" (Iona) Scripture: Matthew 26:26–29 Prayer Communion DISMISSAL Scripture: Matthew 26:36–56; John 9:4–5 (The congregation will depart in silence.) Full Text Worship Space. The altar or Communion table can be laid with a purple cloth, its only adornment being a dimly lit lantern and three unit candles. If the walls of the worship center can accommodate candles, unlit candles could also be placed along the walls. Banners for Lent/Holy Week can also be used. Entrance. The Scriptures shown below will be read antiphonally by two readers from the front of the sanctuary. As they are being read, a server will slowly proceed to the altar, carrying a Christ candle, from which the other candles will be lit. Depending upon the number of candles available, the lights in the church can also be turned up as the candles are lit. Genesis 1:1–2 John 1:1–3b (pause) Genesis 1:3–4a John 1:3c–4 (pause) Genesis 1:4b–5a John 1:5 (pause) Hymn of Invocation: "O Splendor of God's Glory Bright" (Ambrose of Milan) Opening Prayer All: Blessed Father, gracious Son, and Holy Spirit, eternal Trinity, eternal light, we pray you would grace us with your presence during this hour. We pray that during our worship, your light would further penetrate our darkness, into spaces and thoughts that have heretofore remained shrouded. We pray for this for the sake of your kingdom, your glory, and our salvation. Amen. Leader: One of the liberating joys of worship is that worship brings us together with two millennia of believers who came, week after week, as we do, expressing their gratitude for God's salvation as well as their need of God's extension of mercy, love, and forgiveness. As a confession of both our contribution and our desire, let us join our spirits with the saints of ages past and sing the following hymn together. Hymn of Confession: "Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts" (attr. Bernard of Clairvaux) Leader's Response: Romans 8:33–35a, 38–39 Congregation's Response: "Alleluia" (Taizé) SERVICE OF THE WORD Scripture: Old Testament: Isaiah 42:1–9 Cantor: The Lord calls us in righteousness. People: Lord, teach us the way. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 143 Cantor: Lord, our spirit grows weak and faint. People: Revive us that we may serve you. Gospel Reading: John 3:17–21 Cantor: Lord, teach us the deeds of light, People: That we may do our deed in God. (silent prayer) Cantor: Let us listen in order to receive the deeds of the light, that we might hear our call (reads Matthew 26:6–13). (As the Gospel is being read, a woman will slowly proceed to the altar/Communion table. In the open palms of her outstretched hands, she will carry a bottle of [scented] anointing oil, which she will place on the altar/table.) Responsorial Prayer Leader: God's first act after creating the heavens and earth was to bring light. The prophets prophesied that God was going to send a light to the Gentiles, and Jesus came as a light to the world. When the woman of Bethany anointed Jesus' head, she offered a humble service to the light that was soon to be extinguished. We are called to perform the deeds of the light. During the worship, one such service is to offer prayers for those whose light in life is precarious or will soon die. With the oil of God's Holy Spirit, let us jointly anoint these ones. As we pray together, let us imagine ourselves, each with our own bottle of anointing oil, touching those for whom we are praying, or perhaps signing their foreheads with the sign of the cross. Many of these intercessions will apply to persons in this congregation. Let us intercede together. Leader: For all leaders of politically troubled countries, All: We anoint each one with God's spirit of justice and light. Leader: For all families who suffer from political oppression, All: We anoint each one with God's spirit of hope and light. Leader: For all those whose soul is being extinguished by the drives of power and greed, All: We anoint each one with God's spirit of repentance and light. Leader: For all those who are dying of terminal illnesses, All: We anoint each one with your spirit of comfort and light. Leader: For all those who are now saying good-bye to a beloved friend or family member, All: We anoint each one with God's spirit of presence and light. Leader: For all those who see suicide as the only solution to their troubles, All: We anoint each one with God's spirit of hope and pray God to fan a flame of light. Leader: For all those who are being consumed by poverty, All: We anoint each one with God's spirit of comfort and the light of protection. Leader: For all those who are living lives of quiet desperation, All: We anoint each one with God's healing spirit of peace and light. (silence) Leader: Let us seal our prayer with a hymn of faith. Hymn: "God of Creation, All-Powerful" (Clarkson) Leader: The peace of Christ that we have extended through our prayers, let us now extend to one another. Passing of the Peace Celebration of the Table Scripture: John 13:1–17 (As the Gospel is being read, a server will slowly proceed to the front of the sanctuary, carrying a laver and, draped over the arm, a white towel. The server will place these on the altar/Communion table.) (pause) Leader: One of Jesus' last messages, taught by this powerful example, was that those of us who choose to follow him must become servants of one another. We are called to follow Jesus by serving those whom he came to save. But when the call comes, we realize that few of us can do this. The daily calling of servanthood is one of the avenues God has provided to help draw us out of our darkness and into God's light. But in order to persevere along the tunnel of our darkness, we need God's constant nurture and forgiveness, and the hope of light. On the night on which he was betrayed, Jesus provided the nurture, on the cross he provided the forgiveness, and through the Resurrection, he provided the light. Hymn: "The Song of the Supper" (Iona) Scripture: Matthew 26:26–29 (The servers will have memorized the Scriptures and will then proclaim their text as they slowly proceed to the altar/Communion table, carrying the bread and the wine. One will recite verses 26 and 29, the other, 27 and 28.) Prayer (in unison): Our loving God and Father, We bless you that from the beginning of time, you have been calling your people out of the darkness of our human condition and into the light of your saving life. We bless you that Jesus entered our darkness and wore it as his garment, that he exchanged the raiment of the starry heavens for the raiment of darkest death. We bless you in this bread and this wine you are both calling us and enabling us to walk the path of your Son. We pray that you would consecrate this bread and wine that in our partaking We would be filled with the life of Christ that Christ's life would lighten our darkness, that Christ's blood would purify and invigorate us to follow his example of loving service in this our world. Communion (During the final half of Communion, the congregation may begin singing.) Hymn: "Christ Is the World's Light" (Green) (pause) Scripture: Matthew 26:36–56 (As the final portion of the text is being read, the candles should be extinguished one at a time, each snuff corresponding to an action in the text, e.g., the arrival of Judas, the kiss, the arrest, etc. If lights were also used during the service, they should likewise be slowly and completely dimmed so that the only remaining light is that of the Christ candle on the altar/Communion table, which will be extinguished immediately after the reading of John 9:4–5. While one attendant is seeing to the candles, another should be removing the banners as well as any other liturgical symbols, leaving the worship center as stark as possible.) (All these actions will be done in silence.) (pause) (In the darkened room the following verses will be read, serving as a final cry and as a closing recapitulation of the theme of the service:) Scripture: John 9:4–5 (The Christ candle is quickly blown out, leaving the room in near darkness. People will leave, without dismissal, with only the very dim lantern lighting the darkness.) Commentary Preamble. The Maundy Thursday service, traditionally and historically, can include any of several possible foci, so rich is the significance of the day. It marks the remembrance of the woman who risked shame and ridicule in order to anoint Jesus with her costly perfume; it marks the institution of the Lord's Supper, Jesus' final meal shared with his disciples; it marks Jesus' example that all who are called to follow him in discipleship are called to become servants; and it marks Jesus' betrayal by Judas and Peter's later denial of Jesus. The accompanying service is a prayer service, drawing our attention to Jesus, who has come as the light of the world, a light that is soon to be extinguished. The service has a chiasmatic outline: light-service-Eucharist-service-light. We begin by focusing our attention on the God of light—the light of creation and the light of Christ. In the light of Christ, we discover his message: servanthood. The Eucharist then comes to us as God's enabling gift, propelling us outward, in servanthood, to bring God's redeeming light. However, the close of this service has a surprise ending, bringing confusion to the call. As the light goes out, we are forced to wait; with no light, we have no message. Unless the light is somehow rekindled, we will have nothing to bring to the world but good and kindly teaching. In company with Jesus' disciples, we now enter and wait out three eternal days of darkness. Worship Space. As the congregation enters the worship center, they will find it very dimly lit. The quiet peacefulness of the sanctuary will help the congregation to prepare themselves for the service. The light is dimmed. Why? they might ask. The question is partly answered by the opening Scriptures. The rest of the answer comes at the close of the service. If the church has used banners for Lent and Holy Week, these can continue to enrich the worship of this service. The Communion table will be largely unadorned. During the service, attendants will bring forward the oil (perfume), basin, and Commu-nion elements. The act of bringing these elements into the service, rather than simply providing them, symbolically tells us that we are likewise called, with the disciples, to bring these signs and services into the world. Entrance. The entrance of the service reminds the people that light has not always been present in our world. God brought light in creation, and Christ later came bringing light to our spirit, so we begin by celebrating that light. (By contrast, the close of the service—with Jesus' arrest and imminent death—will be more powerful and compelling and will appropriately lead the congregation into the starkness of Good Friday.) As we continue our approach to worship, the hymns and confessions lead us to seek further evidence of this light in our lives. Service of the Word. During this portion of the service, you might also choose to substitute or add a brief homily. Depending upon the size of the congregation and the formality of its usual worship, following upon the reading of Matthew 26, the congregation could be invited to pray for one another. Those who wish to do so could come forward in company with fellow parishioners, dip their finger into the anointing oil, and then anoint and pray for one another. Others could be invited to prayerfully participate from their seats. While prayer is taking place, the congregation could be lead in some quiet songs of hope and intercession. If you wish to retain the guided prayer service, you could easily include more personal petitions that would relate to needs connected to your congregation and its extended ministries. Service of the Table. Prior to receiving Communion and following upon the reading from John 13 (again, depending upon the factors of size and formality mentioned above), the church could take part in a foot-washing service, with the leaders beginning by washing the feet of those who are subject to their leadership. As an alternative to the literal foot-washing service, the Communion service could be carried out in a fashion whereby the participants come to the table, take a large piece of bread, and then go and share their bread with another member, can pray for them, or in serving them, express gratitude for them. Once the bread has been shared, the congregation can come forward to receive from the one cup. The members are scattered in service while extending the body of Christ, then are joined as they receive the cup. Any of the above actions embodies Jesus' teaching on servanthood and would powerfully emphasize Christ's concern that we follow him in this manner. Dismissal. We cannot be dismissed on this Maundy Thursday with the usual joy. Our Lord is about to be betrayed, denied, and crucified. But a picture is worth more than a directive. The Matthean text matter-of-factly tells us the unfolding of events. We need no further explanation. The extinguishing of the candles draws into the possible emotions that would have been felt on that night so long ago as the unraveling of events began. Then Jesus is taken. The disciples flee. What would we have done? Like the disciples then, we have little choice now but to wait and pray. In the darkness.