Maundy "Command" Thursday
Maundy comes from the word mandare, which means command, in Hebrew I think. So in English, Maundy Thursday means something like Command Thursday. I just read an interesting piece about the fact the Jesus left us only really with 2 command, one was to do the Eucharist together and the other was to love one another as I have loved you. I would add a third, although some will say it is the same as loving one another, and that is to follow the example he has set for us. We tend to forget that we are celebrating the entire life and death of Jesus, not just his death, and then not just his death on a cross, but the entire life of Christ.
Another piece I read pointed out that though this Thursday service is about service and reaching out to others, why we wash feet, it is first and foremost about Jesus identifying to the disciples WHO he was. As the article said, eschatology before ethics. I liked that, although this week I will focus on the service aspect as I believe it is time for Gethsemane to learn how to serve people, reaching out to the strangers and welcoming guests into our midst.
It comes down to love I guess, truly love and how we care tenderly for one another to do justice in the world. How we live together in a loving community willing to serve, not for our own benefit, and not even to be filled with he spirit, but rather so that others may be filled with the spirit, so that others will experience the example of Christ, how do we seek and serve Christ in all people? I love our baptismal covenant that states just that.
Maundy Thursday has always been an agnostic day for, I never really feel moved one way or another, I believe that this is all going to change now that it is going to be a great opportunity for people to truly change their behavior. We need to grow and we need to grow first and foremost by welcoming guests into our community, well, into this community that gathers to celelbrate God. We need to change our own behavior and our own actions in order to experience Christ like examples that will change the world. Hospitality has become the center of the authority of this place, it is not me the priest, not the Sr or Jr warden or the Bishop's Committee, it is definitely not those who "have put in their time". Hospitality calls all of us to service, Maundy Thursday commands us all to remember our Baptismal covenant, love one another, serve one another, welcome all people.
Be well,
A+
Another piece I read pointed out that though this Thursday service is about service and reaching out to others, why we wash feet, it is first and foremost about Jesus identifying to the disciples WHO he was. As the article said, eschatology before ethics. I liked that, although this week I will focus on the service aspect as I believe it is time for Gethsemane to learn how to serve people, reaching out to the strangers and welcoming guests into our midst.
It comes down to love I guess, truly love and how we care tenderly for one another to do justice in the world. How we live together in a loving community willing to serve, not for our own benefit, and not even to be filled with he spirit, but rather so that others may be filled with the spirit, so that others will experience the example of Christ, how do we seek and serve Christ in all people? I love our baptismal covenant that states just that.
Maundy Thursday has always been an agnostic day for, I never really feel moved one way or another, I believe that this is all going to change now that it is going to be a great opportunity for people to truly change their behavior. We need to grow and we need to grow first and foremost by welcoming guests into our community, well, into this community that gathers to celelbrate God. We need to change our own behavior and our own actions in order to experience Christ like examples that will change the world. Hospitality has become the center of the authority of this place, it is not me the priest, not the Sr or Jr warden or the Bishop's Committee, it is definitely not those who "have put in their time". Hospitality calls all of us to service, Maundy Thursday commands us all to remember our Baptismal covenant, love one another, serve one another, welcome all people.
Be well,
A+
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