Broadway Christian Church · Columbia, Missouri

The Worship of God · April 1, 2010

Maundy Thursday

[Editor’s Note: The worship began as Molly Vrbiceck, cellist, and Patrice Vale, harpist, shared meditative music. During the segments of worship, dramatic presentations helped the worshippers focus on each of the Scripture passages read by Carla Koch and Roger Wilson.]

The Feet

John 13:1-10

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it in the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given him 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.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” 

Meditation

Tim Carson

Now travel with me to another time, another place. It was a place Jesus’ disciples could not have imagined. The scene is a black church in South Africa in the 1970s. Apartheid is still strong, and segregation is solidly in place. It is Maundy Thursday night (Alan Paton, Ah, But Your Land is Beautiful, 1981).

In that church, where the ritual of foot washing is common with the observance of the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday, the black pastor invited a prominent white judge, Judge Oliver, to come to the church to worship. And then the pastor invited Judge Oliver to help him with the foot washing, and the judge accepted.

One of the members of that black church was a woman by the name of Martha Fortuin, a woman who had raised and cared for the judge’s children. And when it came time for the foot washing, Martha came before the judge as he sat on the floor with the bowl and towel.

She sat down, and the judge took her feet, one at a time, and gently washed them. And then, remembering the countless times she had done this for his own children, always kissing their little feet, the judge did the same. He bent over and after washing her feet, kissed them. The congregation was stunned to silence.

In no time, the press got hold of this and began to give it wide coverage. Considering the depths of apartheid, it is not surprising that, shortly after Maundy Thursday, Judge Oliver lost his position.

A few days later, the pastor called on Judge Oliver to apologize for involving him in an act that destroyed his professional career. And the judge replied, “Taking part in your service on Maundy Thursday was more important to me than any judgeship.”

And that is when the people of that church decided to rename their congregation. From then on and forever after, the new name was, The Church of the Washing of Feet.

John 13:12

After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, he returned to the table.

The Supper

Luke 22:11-14

“The teacher asks, ‘Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large room upstairs, already furnished. Make preparations for us there.” So they went and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.

When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. 

Meditation

Tim Carson

It was Passover, and pilgrims had flooded the Holy City. They were all looking for the same thing – a place to have their Passover meal. They went out scouring the city for some locale. And so it was with the disciples of Jesus who went in search of a place for the Passover dinner for their Lord. Along the way, they found a man carrying a jar of water, a servant. The servant took them to a home, to a house, and he introduced the disciples to the master of the house, the owner. He had a large guest room up above, an upper room, where they could have their supper.

That room has a very special name. To know that name, we have to go back 33 years, back to the time of Jesus’ birth. For at that time, when Mary and Joseph had left Nazareth and travelled to their ancestral home of Bethlehem for the enrollment, they were also in search of a place. Mary was with child, and while they were there, they were taken in by extended family who placed them in a room, a very special room.  In Greek, the word for that room was kataluma. It is used only twice in the gospels. Here is one. It is an extra room, a side room. It is a guest room.

And it was there, in a guest room, that the Son of Man became the most- honored guest in the world, the most-honored guest in every room into which he was born, every room of every heart where he is given lodging.

And now, years later, in Jerusalem, as they once again search for lodging, they find it not in a mansion, not in a temple, not in an inn, or the cow shed out behind the inn, but rather in a home. And upstairs in that home was a very special room. And for the second time in the gospels, we find that same word used for a place – the kataluma – the guest room. That is where they shared the supper, in the guest room of a home.

And so, whether it is at his birth, or preparing for his death, the place of his visitation is as close as home, and in the home a guest room, where loved ones are welcomed, cared for, and honor us with their presence.

Whenever we break the bread and share the cup, we remember that he is not far from us, always our honored guest, in life, in death and beyond death.

This is where it always happens.

Luke 22:15-23

He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!” Then they began to ask one another which one of them could be who would do this.

Communion

[At this time, the worshippers were served communion, and they shared the Supper together.]

Luke 22:31-34,39

“Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” And he said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!” Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you have denied three times that you know me.”

He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him.

When Jesus Wept

Sung by Jim Dunne, Kathy Carson, Tim Carson, and Nancy Miller

When Jesus wept, the falling tear in mercy flowed beyond all bound;

When Jesus groaned, a trembling fear seized all the guilty world around.

The Garden

Luke 22:40-42;45-46

When he reached the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.” Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.”

When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.”