Having had a beautiful service of Stations of the Cross followed by Compline yesterday evening, tonight we came together for our Maundy Thursday eucharist commemorating the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples. This is the first service of the Triduum of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Eve, leading up to Easter Day. The celebrant was Father John, and he also gave the sermon, in which he asked us to imagine ourselves as one of the disciples in that upper room. As they were flawed individuals so are we, but Jesus loves us non the less.

Unfortunately Joanna is unwell so we sang the hymns unaccompanied and said most of the service.

At the end of this service the altar is stripped of all its linen and remains so until Easter day.

We left the Church quietly thinking of the momentous events of this evening some 2000 years ago.

   

 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

A reading frmot he first letter of Paul tohe Corinthians,

Beloved:

I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, 

that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed 

took a loaf of bread, 

and when he had given thanks, 

he broke it and said, 

"This is my body that is for you.

Do this in remembrance of me." 

In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying,

 "This cup is the new covenant in my blood.

 Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." 

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, 

you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.

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 into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot 

to betray him.

And 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." 

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." 

For he knew who was to betray him; 

for this reason he said, 

"Not all of you are clean." 

After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe,

and had returned to the table, 

he said to them, 

"Do you know what I have done to you? 

You call me Teacher and Lord—

and you are right, for that is what I am. 

So 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. 

Very truly, I tell you, 

servants are not greater than their master, 

nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. 

If you know these things,

you are blessed if you do them. 

"Now the Son of Man has been glorified, 

and God has been glorified in him. 

If God has been glorified in him, 

God will also glorify him in himself 

and will glorify him at once. 

Little children, I am with you only a little longer. 

You will look for me; 

and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you,

"Where I am going, you cannot come.' 

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."