Hello Faith Pals,
I thought I would send you some thoughts for tomorrow, being Maundy Thursday.
Tomorrow morning I will email you the Good Friday service and the Easter Sunday service. I just wanted to get this to you so you had it for tomorrow.
For the hymn: ‘Were you there when they crucified my Lord?’ one version has these verses added for Holy Week:
1. Were you there when he gave them bread and wine?
2. Were you there when he knelt and prayed to God?
3. Were you there when his friends betrayed and fled?
4. Were you there when they scorned and mocked our Lord?
4. Were you there when they led him to the cross?
We would be having a service tomorrow evening, wouldn’t we? (not sure whether this is a tradition at Leighmoor UC).
Washing of feet, or Tenebrae?
It doesn’t matter. What might be helpful is tomorrow, sometime during the day, when you have your shower/bath, or put on your shoes and socks, you consider your feet, and remember that Jesus washed his disciples feet.
When you have your meals on Thursday, if bread is used, remember the last meal Jesus eat with his disciples, and put yourself in the picture. Where are you sitting? What are you doing? What does it mean to follow the one who called himself ‘The Bread of Life’?
‘Kneels at the feet of his friends,
silently washes their feet:
master who acts as a slave to them.
Yesu, Yesu,
fill us with your love,
show us how to serve,
the neighbours we have from you.
Loving puts us on our knees,
silently washing their feet,
this is the way we should live with you.
Yesu, Yesu,
fill us with your love,
show us how to serve,
the neighbours we have from you.
As we ponder Jesus’ last night with his close friends, his disciples, we remember it was a night when he washed his disciples’ feet, as an example of humility.
A night also when he broke the bread and poured the wine, as a means by which his disciples could remember the meaning and significance of his death.
It was also a night when discipleship failed;
when Judas betrayed his Master, and Peter denied his Lord.
And those who had followed him abandoned him and ran away.
Here is a beautiful prayer about Peter’s denial, and what it means for us-from the pen of the wonderful Ken Gire:
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for Peter. He was a great man. He loved you so much. He left everything to follow you. In your name he healed the sick, cast out demons, and preached the kingdom. For three and half faithful years he stood beside you. And when the soldiers came to take you away, he stood up for you, When the others deserted you, he followed all the way to the temple courtyard.
I confess I would never have made it that far.
Help me not to pass judgement on him, Lord. Rather, may his great and fervent love for you pass judgement on me.
Help me to see that I deny you in so many areas of my life, in so many ways and at so many different times.
When I am too busy to pray, I deny that you are the centre of my life.
When I neglect your Word, I deny that you are competent to guide me.
When I worry, I deny that you are Lord of my circumstances.
When I turn my head from the hungry and the homeless, I deny that you are a God of mercy who has put me here to be your hands and your feet,
When I steal something from another person to enrich or enhance my life- whether that be something material or some credit that is rightly due another, which I have claimed for myself- I deny you are the source of all blessings.
Forgive me, Jesus, for all those quiet ways, known only to you, in which I have denied you.
Help me to pray for and encourage others the way you did for Peter. Even during those times when they may in some way deny their friendship. Especially during those times.
Thank you for all the times you have prayed for me that my faith might not fail. There is no telling how many times I have been rescued from Satan’s hand because you stood beside me. And thank you, most faithful of friends, that no matter how terribly I have failed you, I can always look into your eyes, and there find forgiveness.
Amen (Ken Gire, Instructive Moments With the Saviour)
Prayer
Lord Jesus, although you were betrayed, another denied knowing you, and everyone abandoned you,
help me to stay with you.
You remained faithful to death, even death on a cross.
Strengthen me, help me not turn aside when the going gets tough, but help me follow you through sunshine and shadow alike,
For the final victory belongs to you,
Amen.
Blessings to you all,
Barbara
 |
Virus-free. www.avg.com |