Sunday, April 8, 2012

Maundy Thursday: Be Still


 


Be still
Maundy Thursday Communion




Welcome to our Maundy Thursday Communion.

As we prepare to share in communion please be still in this place and seek once again the presence of God with us in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus promises, “Wherever two or three gather together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

As we gather in his name Jesus is present with us.

In this place, at this time we are each called to be Jesus to one another.  The service will proceed unannounced … please join in reading all the words of Jesus and the other prayers that are in bold print.


 Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour.

 ‘Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—“Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour.  Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’ Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’ He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.  ‘The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.’

Then Jesus cried aloud: ‘Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness. I do not judge anyone who hears my words and does not keep them, for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

5 Be still

On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples said to him, ‘Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?’ So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, “The Teacher asks, Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?” He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.’ So the disciples set out and went to the city, and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.

The Table is Prepared

 When it was evening, he came with the twelve. And when they had taken their places and were eating, Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.’ They began to be distressed and to say to him one after another, ‘Surely, not I?’ He said to them, ‘It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the bowl with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.’

During supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then 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. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’ Jesus answered, ‘You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.’ Peter said to him, ‘You will never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.’   … After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, … ‘If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you…. I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’

19 It is a thing most wonderful

 

‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.

 

I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 


If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, to be with you for ever.  This is the Spirit of truth, I will not leave you alone; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 
As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.


This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.

 

Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

 

I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!’

 

22 Just as I am

 

While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and blessed it

 

Blessed be this bread to our use and

Blessed be ourselves to your service  Amen.

 

after blessing it he broke it, and gave it to the disciples,

 

When we receive the bread we hold it and pray

 

and Jesus said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ 

 

We take the bread

 

Then he took a cup, and gave thanks

 

Thanks be to God our Father who loves us with a love that will never let us go.

 

Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus our Lord who loves us with a love that forgives and renews

 

Thanks be to God who in the Holy Spirit gives us comfort and peace and a strength from beyond ourselves

 

After giving thanks he gave it to them,

 

When we receive the cup we hold it and pray

 

Jesus said,  ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’

 

We take the cup

 

43 There is a green hill far away

 

When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

 

Now to him who is able

to keep you from falling,

and to make you stand without blemish

in the presence of his glory with rejoicing, 

to the only God our Saviour,

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

be glory, majesty, power, and authority,

before all time and now and for ever.

Amen.


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