Understandably, the end of Holy Week can feel suffocatingly oppressive and sad.
We know the story. We know that what began with palm branches and shouts of acclamation for Jesus on Sunday ends with our Lord's crucifixion on Friday. The season of Lent—our preparation for Christ's Passion and subsequent resurrection—culminates with Maundy Thursday. And as Thursday afternoon's shadows grow long, our mind immediately conjures up images of a dimly lit upper room that feels serious and somber.
During this Passover meal with his friends, Jesus washes his disciples' feet.
Jesus reframes the remembrance meal and gives his followers a new commandment that they love one another.
There's talk of betrayal and denial. There's confusion and anticipatory grief. And then, the evening concludes when Jesus and his disciples transition for a time of prayer in a garden on the eve of Jesus's death.
So yes, our commemorations of Maundy Thursday tend to feel sad. Most of the time, we remember Jesus's last meal with his followers before his crucifixion in the sanctuary and with increasing darkness. Indeed, these services are hauntingly beautiful and meaningful.
Over the years, we have experienced Maundy Thursday and Good Friday in various ways. We have received communion by intinction with the organ setting an appropriate tone. We have dimmed the lights and participated in hammering nails into a cross. We have gone on a sacred pilgrimage together in the sanctuary with the Stations of the Cross. We have washed one another's feet. We have met in the Gathering Place and recreated an upper room experience. We have learned more about the Jewish holiday of Passover and had a Seder experience in the Mission and Fellowship Center.
Suffice it to say, there is no one correct way to experience Holy Week.
Tomorrow, we will aim to provide an experience of Maundy Thursday that captures another dimension of Jesus's life among us. This year, we will emphasize the fellowship that Jesus experienced with his followers during his ministry.
With our emphasis on Jesus's teachings, preaching, and miracle stories, we may place less weight on an undoubtedly significant element in the Gospels…namely, fellowship.
Jesus enjoyed his friends and followers. He loved them and consistently showed them how much he cared for them. Just as the series, The Chosen, depicts so well, Jesus delighted in the family of faith that he had created and nurtured.
As we emerge from an extended season of disruption, dislocation, and isolation, I believe we are hungry for proximity and fellowship. We love one another and have missed our times of connection over the last couple of years. On this year's Maundy Thursday, let's recreate Jesus's table fellowship with his followers. Let's choose to be together around the tables in our Mission and Fellowship Center and celebrate communion in the context of friendship.
Let's be church family on Thursday night, April 14, together. Bring a food offering that can feed your family and a few others. Whether it's store-bought or prepared at home the night before, our dinner together gives us a reason to see and be seen. A blessing will be offered at 5:30 PM, and our time around the tables will be filled with laughter and love. Around 6:00 PM, we will transition to a casual worship experience around these same tables of fellowship. We will remember Jesus's Words, his actions, and his sacrifice. We will take communion as his first followers would have…around tables of friendship and hospitality.
So, of course, we look forward to seeing you there.