Maundy Thursday

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

                                                                                (1 Cor 11:23-26 KJV)

On the night in which he was betrayed the Lord delivered to us the promise of life. Life was delivered to us when his body was broken and his blood shed on the cross. In the Sacrament of Holy Communion we receive his body and his blood. In the eating and drinking we receive him into ourselves. We do not receive death. We receive life. We receive the living God in this Holy Sacrament. As we remember his betrayal, his persecution, and his death, many we also remember that he rose from the grave and lives. As he lives, so shall we!

Please, join your local congregation this Maundy Thursday and remember what Christ has done for you; to remember his journey to the cross for you.

God's Peace - Pr. J

We Have Gone Astray

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:5-6 NIV

Jesus took upon himself our pain and he bore our sufferings. He was crucified for our transgression and for our iniquities. It is by his wounds that we are healed. It is by his sacrifice that we are made whole!

I am reminded often that we are all, like sheep, gone astray. I am reminded of this whenever a secular event takes precedence over gathering as a community to worship. I am reminded that we have gone astray when I see the sanctuary less than half the normal attendance on Good Friday or Maundy Thursday. This seems to be the norm for a good many congregations. When I witness this during Holy Week, I am reminded of how the disciples fled in fear when Jesus was arrested on the night in which he was betrayed. When I witness the absence of his "followers" during Holy Week, I am reminded of how even Peter denied Jesus at his trial. It is all a reminder that the sheep continue to stray. We often prefer to go our own way and it's not only during Holy Week. Often, we find reasons to not gather with our brothers and sisters in Christ to thank the Lord for our salvation; for our healing, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

I, like you, often act like a sheep that has gone astray. Whenever I mess up big time (that is sin), God's gentle Spirit reminds me why Jesus had to suffer persecution and such a cruel death. He died for you. He died for me. He died bearing our sins, those sins we commit today and will commit tomorrow.

This is a sad thing. It is a very sad thing that we should not take the time to gather together as he commanded us, to love one another, and to serve all people even as he served all people by dying for us. It is very sad that he should have to suffer and die for sheep that rarely even consider that they may have gone astray.

May God help us to be more faithful. May God help us to love even as He loves us.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Would You Be There?

  

   Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

   Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of The jews. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city,  and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”

   Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

   When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

   “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”

   This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said, “They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” So this is what the soldiers did.

   Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.  (John 19:17-27 NIV)

  

Who was there? Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Who had the courage to witness the crucifixion of Jesus? The two criminals who were crucified with Jesus witnessed it. They had no choice. The soldiers who nailed him to the cross were there. They had no choice. Many of the Jews may have witnessed his crucifixion, from a distance, as Golgotha was not too far from the city. They were able to read the sign. They could read the words "JESUS OF NAZARETH. THE KING OF THE JEWS" that were written on the instrument of his execution. 

The three Mary's were there to witness his death; Jesus' mother, Mary, and her sister Mary and Mary Magdalene were there. Where were the close disciples whom he had called? Was Peter still in hiding? But, John was there. John, the disciple who loved Jesus, was there. The crowd of Jesus' followers was not quite as large as the crowd that had followed him around looking for healing, looking to be delivered from multitudes of maladies. He had been there for them. Where were they now?

I began this Holy Week with the reading of the entire "Passion" on Sunday. I always do because I know that by Maundy Thursday and Good Friday the crowd of worshippers will be off doing other things. They will not be there to remember our Lord's death; the giving up of his body, his life, for them, for you.

Tonight we will remember our Lord's death with a Tenebrae Service. We will sing a verse of "Were You There?" with the snuffing out of each candle. I expect, as it has been in years past for multitudes of Christian churches, the crowd will be small. Many will be missing. It causes me to wonder how many would have been there at his death. Would we have made it to his crucifixion had we been there? Would we have been too afraid of being found a sympathizer to be found near him at his death? Or, would we have found something more pleasing to ourselves to attend instead?

Remember, there is no Easter with out Good Friday! There can be no resurrection if death does not occur. Will you be there with your brothers and sisters in Christ when times are not going according to your will; when they are not so joyful, or will you be there only when the remembrance and celebration might lift you up? 

May God help us to rightly and reverently observe the lifting up of Jesus on the cross for us.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Spirit Willing; But, Flesh Is Weak

  Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
  Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
  Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matt 26:36-41 NIV)

We were having a prayer vigil. Individuals and families volunteered to come to the sanctuary to pray for one hour during the hours following the Maundy Thursday Service until the Good Friday Service. I had volunteered for three hours, from 3 a.m. until 6 a.m.. I lived next door to the church and I thought it would be easier for me than others who would have to drive to the church at such early hours.

I began my hours praying, kneeling in front of the altar, next to the baptismal font. I was awakened by the couple, who was to follow me, to find them kneeling and praying at the altar. They had come in quietly and didn't want to disturb me. I had fallen asleep, on my knees, leaning against the baptismal font. Apparently, it is not only those first disciples who cannot keep watch, stay awake, and pray for "one hour."

The spirit is willing, but so often the flesh is weak.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Shall We Desert Him?

The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!”    (John 23:12-13 NIV)

Oh, what a glorious day it was. Jesus, the prophesied King of the Jews was coming to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. The people went out to meet him waving palm branches in celebration. But, this was not to last and he was not the kind of king that they were hoping for. He would be lording it over no one. When he came into his kingdom it would be a kingdom of peace. It would be a kingdom of love; not of political agendas and maneuvers for any particular people. He came so that through him, all people might live in his Kingdom.

But, the people did not understand. The disciples did not understand. By the end of the week, even  friends would betray and desert him. Between two criminals he would be executed on a cross.

Today is Palm and/or Passion Sunday depending on how congregations around the world decide to celebrate it. I have always celebrated both. The proclamation of the Gospel will begin with Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem and it will not be finished until we see Jesus buried in the tomb. It will not be abbreviated in any way because we need to hear it. I anticipate there will be about the average number of people at worship today to wave the palms. On Easter Sunday, there will be even more to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord. But what of the days between Sundays? It has been my experience that the observance of the night in which he was betrayed, when he gave to the disciples the bread and wine, declaring that they were his body and blood given for us and the day of his execution will not see so many at worship. Many followers will stay away. Just as many of his followers stayed away from Calvary so shall many of his followers today stay away from the observance of this fateful week; for they are not days of celebration; but, of grief as we are hit with the stark reality that in order for us to live; Jesus had to die.

Today, we will hear the entire story from the triumphant entrance into Jerusalem to the tomb because if it were not told today, many would not hear of the events between the Sunday celebrations. Without Good Friday; there would be no resurrection; there would be no Easter Sunday.

Please, join your local congregation at every opportunity this week so that you might hear the whole story of Jesus' passion for you.

God's Peace - Pr. J