As I Have Loved You
Sermon
Leading To Easter
Sermons And Worship Resources
Setting
Social Hall with tables arranged in a large square. Two smaller tables in the middle of the square arranged in a cross.
One chair set up at the top of the cross draped in a cloth to symbolize Christ's presence.
The room is darkened with light from seven candles on the cross table. One of the candles is elevated as the Christ candle.
Offering plates are on stands by the entrance. They will not be passed and the only mention is in the bulletin. The offering is designated to Hospice (or a charitable organization in your community).
On the center cross table is:
• Matzah -- unleavened bread
• Wine or grape juice
• Maror (bitter herb) -- endive
• Haroset -- sweet honey
• Hard-boiled egg
• Salt
• Roasted lamb bone (symbol of Passover lamb; Jesus is our lamb)
Have a sample of each element near the pastor.
Two options for serving meal:
1. Have places previously set with each element of the meal.
2. Have trays with each item. One lamb bone will suffice for an entire table. A purple napkin can be set at each place. It can be meaningful if someone in the congregation bakes the unleavened bread.
Readers and pastor are seated together with the congregation at the ring of tables around the cross-shaped tables.
Parts
Pastor
Four readers (Reader #1 shares many of Jesus' own words)
Appoint someone to extinguish the candles at the appropriate times.
* * * * *
Pastor: Welcome to Maundy Thursday worship. In John's telling of the event of the Last Supper, after Jesus washed the disciples' feet and spoke of his coming betrayal and Peter's denial of him, Jesus imparts to them a new calling. "A new command I give to you: love one another as I have loved you. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." Maundy Thursday draws its name from this event; Maundy is Latin for mandate or commandment.
This evening, imagine we are gathered around the table with Christ Jesus as well. As he washes your feet he looks into your eyes and says,
(John 13:34-38)
Reader 1: A new command I give to you. Love one another as I have loved you. My children, I am only going to be with you a little while longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I will tell you now: Where I am going you cannot come.
Reader 2: Where are you going?
Reader 1: Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.
Reader 2: Why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.
Reader 1: Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, yet before the rooster crows, you will deny that you even know me.
Pastor: It is around the Lord's table that we have gathered tonight. In this time of prelude, I invite you to meditate and feel his company and presence.
Soft Piano Prelude
Call To Worship (edited from UCC Book of Worship, p. 193)
Pastor: We are gathered in the presence of God, who asks us to choose between life and death.
All: We are gathered like the people of Israel, who were challenged to choose the way of life.
Pastor: Like them we often follow the ways of death.
All: Yet like them, we have the freedom by the grace of God, to begin each day anew.
Pastor: By our presence here this evening, we are saying that we choose life.
All: Let us praise the God of love and life, who has called us to this place.
Hymn
"Beneath The Cross Of Jesus"
Pastor: For the Jew every meal was a religious experience, and the Passover meal was the most important religious meal.
(Exodus 13:3-10)
Reader 3: Then Moses said to the people, "Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival to the Lord. On that day tell your son, 'I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.' This observance will be like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the law of the Lord is to be on your lips. You must keep this ordinance at the appointed time."
(Exodus 11:4-7)
Pastor: And so at the first full moon after the spring equinox, the Passover is celebrated to remember how God heard the cries of Israel when they were slaves in Egypt and acted decisively in freeing them. It was the final plague, the death of the firstborn throughout all of Egypt, that changed Pharaoh's mind. About midnight God went throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son died, from the firstborn of Pharaoh to the firstborn of the slave girl, and the firstborn of all the cattle as well. And there was a loud wailing throughout all of Egypt. But among the Israelites, not a dog barked at man or animal.
(Exodus 12:1-14)
Reader 4: Then the Lord said to Moses, "Each man is to take a lamb for his family, slaughter them at twilight, eat the meat roasted over a fire with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. They are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the door frames. On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down the firstborn of both men and animal, the blood will be a sign and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. This is a day you are to remember, for the generations to come."
Pastor: And so the Passover was established. It was a feast that Jesus too celebrated. The annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem was a part of his faith.
(Luke 2:41-42)
Reader 1: Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. And when Jesus was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival.
(Hold up the Matzah bread)
Pastor: The bread or Matzah that is eaten is unleavened, as a reminder that during the Exodus the Jews had to leave with such haste their dough had insufficient time to rise. Matzah therefore is a symbol of freedom. It is often circular to represent our unending need to strive for freedom.
On the first and second nights of the week-long Passover, the Seder meal is a part of the celebration. It is a festival meal much like the American Thanksgiving with a focus on the Haggadah or telling of the story, and several symbolic foods.
(Hold up the lamb bone)
Pastor: The roasted lamb bone is a reminder of the sacrificial lamb and that it was the Lord himself who redeemed the children of Israel from slavery. We are reminded by Moses that ...
(Deuteronomy 26:8-9)
Reader 4: The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with miraculous signs and wonders.
Pastor: It was the Lord himself
Reader 1: and not an angel
Reader 2: and not a seraph
Reader 3: and not a messenger.
Reader 4: It was the Lord and none other.
Special Music
Choir Anthem
Reader 2: How is this night different from other nights?
Pastor: Tonight we eat unleavened bread -- Matzah, bitter herbs -- maror, sweet -- haroset, salt, and a hard-boiled egg, and we drink wine. The bitter herbs are a reminder of the bitterness the Israelites experienced in Egypt.
(Exodus 1:11-13)
Reader 3: So the Egyptians put task masters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor, and they built store cities for Pharaoh. The more the Israelites multiplied, the more the Egyptians came to dread them and worked them ruthlessly.
Pastor: The honey into which we dip the bitter herbs symbolizes the mortar and bricks which our ancestors were forced to use in the building of cities and treasure houses for the Pharaoh.
(Exodus 1:14)
Reader 4: The Egyptians made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar.
Pastor: But life is a bittersweet experience. The sweet and pleasant taste impresses upon us that no matter how bitter the present may appear, life is sweetened by the hope we have in God. Sweet are the uses of adversity.
(Psalm 71:10-11, 14)
Reader 1: For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together. They say God has forsaken him ... no one will rescue him ... But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.
All: All praise to you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe, creator of the fruit of the earth.
Pastor: Dip with me, remembering the bitter and the sweet.
(Dip the bitter herb into the honey; then eat)
Pastor: The roasted egg, another holiday food, is unlike most foods. It does not become softer when it is cooked; it becomes harder. This is a reminder of the stubborn resistance of the Jewish people against those who sought to crush them. The egg, then, is also a symbol of life.
(Psalm 126:1-3)
Reader 3: When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them."
(Isaiah 37:31-32)
Reader 4: Once more a remnant of the house of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above. For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant and out of Mount Zion, a band of survivors.
Pastor: We dip our egg into the salt as a reminder of the salty tears shed by Israel in their years of oppression.
(Psalm 126:5-6)
Reader 2: Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping ... will return with songs of joy.
All: All praise to you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe, creator of the fruit of the earth.
Pastor: Dip with me, remembering the tears that were shed and new life from God.
(Dip the egg in the salt; then eat)
Pastor: It was a feast something like the one we have just had that Jesus and his followers shared. Some believe those who gathered in the upper room were more than just the disciples, and included many others who followed Jesus' teaching. Yet even while they were eating together the very forces which sought to destroy Jesus and his message were being set in motion. Jesus had just begun to walk through the darkest valley of his life. That evening would also be a test for all of his followers. Could they walk where he walked; could they drink from his cup?
The Darkness Of The Journey
(First candle is extinguished)
Hymn
"Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley" (vv. 1, 2)
Sacrament Of Holy Communion
Pastor: Indeed it was a night very much like this one in which Jesus took those things from the table, the bread and the cup, and he blessed them. He held up the bread and said, "This is my body which is broken for you; eat this in remembrance of me." Then in the same way he took the cup and said, "This cup is my blood which is shed for you; drink this in remembrance of me."
Let us pray: Father in heaven, you revealed yourself to us in the giving of the law, the preaching of the prophets, and most fully in the gift of your son Christ Jesus who is present here with us tonight through the bread and cup. We find his body and lifeblood in our presence around the table. Bless all who partake that they may be filled with your living spirit. Amen.
(Pass the Matzah, each person taking a piece and holding until all are ready)
Pastor: As a symbol of our oneness in Christ we eat together. As often as you eat of this bread you participate in the body of Christ.
(Eat the bread)
(Pass the tray with the cups of wine/juice on it)
Pastor: As a symbol of our unity in Christ we drink together. Drink of it all of you, for this is the blood of the covenant which is poured out for the forgiveness of your sins.
Let us pray: O Lord, the giver of life, we ask that tonight our lives might be changed. In the receiving of Christ into our hearts and minds and lives, may we be a new creation in him, made in your holy image. Amen.
(Drink the wine/juice)
Pastor: Jesus was beginning the journey through the darkest night of his life. Indeed our life does have many dark times. We have all walked with Christ in the darkness of being misunderstood by our friends and our enemies. It is as if a great blanket of darkness is covering us and we want to cry out, "Don't you understand?" I wonder if his followers understood what he was doing around the table. Did anyone understand what Jesus was doing that whole week? Do we understand?
(Mark 11:15-18)
Reader 2: On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And he taught them saying,
Reader 1: Is it not written, "My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations"? But you have made it a den of robbers.
Reader 3: The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
The Darkness Of Betrayal
(Extinguish second candle)
Pastor: Has someone you trusted ever betrayed you? Jesus knew the darkness of betrayal. He knew what it was like to open up and have his trust betrayed.
(Matthew 26:20-25)
Reader 4: When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table. And while they were eating, he said ...
Reader 1: I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.
Reader 3: Is it I, Lord? Is it I?
Reader 2: Is it I, Lord? Is it I?
Reader 4: Is it I, Lord? Is it I?
Reader 1: One who has dipped his hand in the bowl with me will betray me.
Reader 4: Is it I, Lord? Is it I?
Reader 1: You yourself have said so.
The Darkness Of Temptation
(Extinguish third candle)
Pastor: At the beginning of Jesus' ministry, he was tempted by the evil one. Scriptures tell us that even though Jesus did not succumb, the evil one was not gone. He only left until a more opportune time. Now on the eve of his death, he must walk through the darkness of temptation.
(Matthew 26:37-42)
Reader 2: He took Peter, and the two sons of Zebedee along with him. Then he said to them ...
Reader 1: My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.
Reader 2: And going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground, praying.
Reader 1: My Father, if it is possible, may this cup pass from me. (Pauses) Yet, not as I will, but as you will.
Reader 2: Then he returned to the disciples and found them sleeping.
Reader 1: Could you not keep watch with me for one hour? Watch and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the body is weak.
Reader 2: Jesus went away a second time and prayed.
Reader 1: Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.
The Darkness Of Injustice
(Extinguish fourth candle)
Pastor: We learn at an early age that human life is not always just and fair. Sometimes good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. Jesus' life is an example of injustice. He was without sin, yet he bore the consequence of sin on our behalf.
(Luke 22:66--23:4)
Reader 4: Then the council of the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the law ... led Jesus off to Pilate and they began to accuse him. "We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes paying taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ the King."ÊSo Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus replied ...
Reader 1: Yes, it is as you say.
Reader 4: Then Pilate announced, "I find no basis for a charge against this man." But they insisted.
The Darkness Of Rejection
(Extinguish fifth candle)
Pastor: In Jesus' journey through the valley of shadows Jesus also had to journey through rejection. Where were all the crowds who just a few days earlier shouted, "Hosanna"? Where were his friends with whom he had celebrated in an intimate feast only the day before?
(Mark 15:6-14)
Reader 2: Pilate asked, "What should I do with the one you call the king of the Jews?"
Reader 3: Crucify him, crucify him.
Reader 2: Pilate asked, "Why? What crime has he committed?" But they all shouted louder:
Reader 3: Crucify him.
The Darkness Of Denial
(Extinguish sixth candle)
Pastor: The darkness of denial nibbles always at our soul. There are many times that we deny our Savior. We deny Christ when we sit idly by and let injustices happen that we could have spoken up against. We deny him each time we let the opportunity slip through our fingers to stand up and voice what we believe in or fail to invite another to him. We keep company with Peter when others look at our lives and they do not see the reflection of Jesus in how we live and what we say.
(Mark 14:66-72)
Reader 4: While Peter was below in the courtyard, a servant girl of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself by the fire she looked at him closely and said, "You were with that Nazarene, Jesus."
Reader 3: I don't know or understand what you are talking about.
Reader 4: And again two more times he denied knowing the man Jesus. He denied knowing God's son.
Hymn
"Were You There?" (vv. 1, 2, 3)
Pastor: We have eaten together just as Christ did with his friends. The theme of the Seder meal is remembering -- remembering what God did in the past. We do remember how God acted through Moses, how God sent the prophets as teachers, and how God acted in sending Jesus. But we do more than just remember. We look for him to act in our lives today. God is a living God who is active in the present. So while we look back tonight, we also look around to see the ways in which God is acting in our world today; and we look forward to how he will be present tomorrow as well.
We have journeyed together through the darkness. But there is one candle left lit, one light that is not to be extinguished. It is the light of Christ. That light is the hope of the world.
(John 1:5)
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
(John 8:12 and "I Am The Light Of The World," 1969, J. Strathdee)
Jesus told us he is the light of our world and he invites us to follow him. For if we follow and love, then we'll learn the mystery of all that we are meant to do and be.
As you journey through your darkness, remember you are not alone. Christ is by your side.
Benediction
Go now in silence; go in the peace of Christ and the power of Easter morning. Amen.
Postlude
(Suggestion: A prayer vigil at the church may follow the service with someone in the building praying at all times from the close of Maundy Thursday until sundown Friday.)
Social Hall with tables arranged in a large square. Two smaller tables in the middle of the square arranged in a cross.
One chair set up at the top of the cross draped in a cloth to symbolize Christ's presence.
The room is darkened with light from seven candles on the cross table. One of the candles is elevated as the Christ candle.
Offering plates are on stands by the entrance. They will not be passed and the only mention is in the bulletin. The offering is designated to Hospice (or a charitable organization in your community).
On the center cross table is:
• Matzah -- unleavened bread
• Wine or grape juice
• Maror (bitter herb) -- endive
• Haroset -- sweet honey
• Hard-boiled egg
• Salt
• Roasted lamb bone (symbol of Passover lamb; Jesus is our lamb)
Have a sample of each element near the pastor.
Two options for serving meal:
1. Have places previously set with each element of the meal.
2. Have trays with each item. One lamb bone will suffice for an entire table. A purple napkin can be set at each place. It can be meaningful if someone in the congregation bakes the unleavened bread.
Readers and pastor are seated together with the congregation at the ring of tables around the cross-shaped tables.
Parts
Pastor
Four readers (Reader #1 shares many of Jesus' own words)
Appoint someone to extinguish the candles at the appropriate times.
* * * * *
Pastor: Welcome to Maundy Thursday worship. In John's telling of the event of the Last Supper, after Jesus washed the disciples' feet and spoke of his coming betrayal and Peter's denial of him, Jesus imparts to them a new calling. "A new command I give to you: love one another as I have loved you. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." Maundy Thursday draws its name from this event; Maundy is Latin for mandate or commandment.
This evening, imagine we are gathered around the table with Christ Jesus as well. As he washes your feet he looks into your eyes and says,
(John 13:34-38)
Reader 1: A new command I give to you. Love one another as I have loved you. My children, I am only going to be with you a little while longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I will tell you now: Where I am going you cannot come.
Reader 2: Where are you going?
Reader 1: Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.
Reader 2: Why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.
Reader 1: Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, yet before the rooster crows, you will deny that you even know me.
Pastor: It is around the Lord's table that we have gathered tonight. In this time of prelude, I invite you to meditate and feel his company and presence.
Soft Piano Prelude
Call To Worship (edited from UCC Book of Worship, p. 193)
Pastor: We are gathered in the presence of God, who asks us to choose between life and death.
All: We are gathered like the people of Israel, who were challenged to choose the way of life.
Pastor: Like them we often follow the ways of death.
All: Yet like them, we have the freedom by the grace of God, to begin each day anew.
Pastor: By our presence here this evening, we are saying that we choose life.
All: Let us praise the God of love and life, who has called us to this place.
Hymn
"Beneath The Cross Of Jesus"
Pastor: For the Jew every meal was a religious experience, and the Passover meal was the most important religious meal.
(Exodus 13:3-10)
Reader 3: Then Moses said to the people, "Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival to the Lord. On that day tell your son, 'I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.' This observance will be like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the law of the Lord is to be on your lips. You must keep this ordinance at the appointed time."
(Exodus 11:4-7)
Pastor: And so at the first full moon after the spring equinox, the Passover is celebrated to remember how God heard the cries of Israel when they were slaves in Egypt and acted decisively in freeing them. It was the final plague, the death of the firstborn throughout all of Egypt, that changed Pharaoh's mind. About midnight God went throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son died, from the firstborn of Pharaoh to the firstborn of the slave girl, and the firstborn of all the cattle as well. And there was a loud wailing throughout all of Egypt. But among the Israelites, not a dog barked at man or animal.
(Exodus 12:1-14)
Reader 4: Then the Lord said to Moses, "Each man is to take a lamb for his family, slaughter them at twilight, eat the meat roasted over a fire with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. They are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the door frames. On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down the firstborn of both men and animal, the blood will be a sign and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. This is a day you are to remember, for the generations to come."
Pastor: And so the Passover was established. It was a feast that Jesus too celebrated. The annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem was a part of his faith.
(Luke 2:41-42)
Reader 1: Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. And when Jesus was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival.
(Hold up the Matzah bread)
Pastor: The bread or Matzah that is eaten is unleavened, as a reminder that during the Exodus the Jews had to leave with such haste their dough had insufficient time to rise. Matzah therefore is a symbol of freedom. It is often circular to represent our unending need to strive for freedom.
On the first and second nights of the week-long Passover, the Seder meal is a part of the celebration. It is a festival meal much like the American Thanksgiving with a focus on the Haggadah or telling of the story, and several symbolic foods.
(Hold up the lamb bone)
Pastor: The roasted lamb bone is a reminder of the sacrificial lamb and that it was the Lord himself who redeemed the children of Israel from slavery. We are reminded by Moses that ...
(Deuteronomy 26:8-9)
Reader 4: The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with miraculous signs and wonders.
Pastor: It was the Lord himself
Reader 1: and not an angel
Reader 2: and not a seraph
Reader 3: and not a messenger.
Reader 4: It was the Lord and none other.
Special Music
Choir Anthem
Reader 2: How is this night different from other nights?
Pastor: Tonight we eat unleavened bread -- Matzah, bitter herbs -- maror, sweet -- haroset, salt, and a hard-boiled egg, and we drink wine. The bitter herbs are a reminder of the bitterness the Israelites experienced in Egypt.
(Exodus 1:11-13)
Reader 3: So the Egyptians put task masters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor, and they built store cities for Pharaoh. The more the Israelites multiplied, the more the Egyptians came to dread them and worked them ruthlessly.
Pastor: The honey into which we dip the bitter herbs symbolizes the mortar and bricks which our ancestors were forced to use in the building of cities and treasure houses for the Pharaoh.
(Exodus 1:14)
Reader 4: The Egyptians made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar.
Pastor: But life is a bittersweet experience. The sweet and pleasant taste impresses upon us that no matter how bitter the present may appear, life is sweetened by the hope we have in God. Sweet are the uses of adversity.
(Psalm 71:10-11, 14)
Reader 1: For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together. They say God has forsaken him ... no one will rescue him ... But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.
All: All praise to you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe, creator of the fruit of the earth.
Pastor: Dip with me, remembering the bitter and the sweet.
(Dip the bitter herb into the honey; then eat)
Pastor: The roasted egg, another holiday food, is unlike most foods. It does not become softer when it is cooked; it becomes harder. This is a reminder of the stubborn resistance of the Jewish people against those who sought to crush them. The egg, then, is also a symbol of life.
(Psalm 126:1-3)
Reader 3: When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them."
(Isaiah 37:31-32)
Reader 4: Once more a remnant of the house of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above. For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant and out of Mount Zion, a band of survivors.
Pastor: We dip our egg into the salt as a reminder of the salty tears shed by Israel in their years of oppression.
(Psalm 126:5-6)
Reader 2: Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping ... will return with songs of joy.
All: All praise to you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe, creator of the fruit of the earth.
Pastor: Dip with me, remembering the tears that were shed and new life from God.
(Dip the egg in the salt; then eat)
Pastor: It was a feast something like the one we have just had that Jesus and his followers shared. Some believe those who gathered in the upper room were more than just the disciples, and included many others who followed Jesus' teaching. Yet even while they were eating together the very forces which sought to destroy Jesus and his message were being set in motion. Jesus had just begun to walk through the darkest valley of his life. That evening would also be a test for all of his followers. Could they walk where he walked; could they drink from his cup?
The Darkness Of The Journey
(First candle is extinguished)
Hymn
"Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley" (vv. 1, 2)
Sacrament Of Holy Communion
Pastor: Indeed it was a night very much like this one in which Jesus took those things from the table, the bread and the cup, and he blessed them. He held up the bread and said, "This is my body which is broken for you; eat this in remembrance of me." Then in the same way he took the cup and said, "This cup is my blood which is shed for you; drink this in remembrance of me."
Let us pray: Father in heaven, you revealed yourself to us in the giving of the law, the preaching of the prophets, and most fully in the gift of your son Christ Jesus who is present here with us tonight through the bread and cup. We find his body and lifeblood in our presence around the table. Bless all who partake that they may be filled with your living spirit. Amen.
(Pass the Matzah, each person taking a piece and holding until all are ready)
Pastor: As a symbol of our oneness in Christ we eat together. As often as you eat of this bread you participate in the body of Christ.
(Eat the bread)
(Pass the tray with the cups of wine/juice on it)
Pastor: As a symbol of our unity in Christ we drink together. Drink of it all of you, for this is the blood of the covenant which is poured out for the forgiveness of your sins.
Let us pray: O Lord, the giver of life, we ask that tonight our lives might be changed. In the receiving of Christ into our hearts and minds and lives, may we be a new creation in him, made in your holy image. Amen.
(Drink the wine/juice)
Pastor: Jesus was beginning the journey through the darkest night of his life. Indeed our life does have many dark times. We have all walked with Christ in the darkness of being misunderstood by our friends and our enemies. It is as if a great blanket of darkness is covering us and we want to cry out, "Don't you understand?" I wonder if his followers understood what he was doing around the table. Did anyone understand what Jesus was doing that whole week? Do we understand?
(Mark 11:15-18)
Reader 2: On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And he taught them saying,
Reader 1: Is it not written, "My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations"? But you have made it a den of robbers.
Reader 3: The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
The Darkness Of Betrayal
(Extinguish second candle)
Pastor: Has someone you trusted ever betrayed you? Jesus knew the darkness of betrayal. He knew what it was like to open up and have his trust betrayed.
(Matthew 26:20-25)
Reader 4: When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table. And while they were eating, he said ...
Reader 1: I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.
Reader 3: Is it I, Lord? Is it I?
Reader 2: Is it I, Lord? Is it I?
Reader 4: Is it I, Lord? Is it I?
Reader 1: One who has dipped his hand in the bowl with me will betray me.
Reader 4: Is it I, Lord? Is it I?
Reader 1: You yourself have said so.
The Darkness Of Temptation
(Extinguish third candle)
Pastor: At the beginning of Jesus' ministry, he was tempted by the evil one. Scriptures tell us that even though Jesus did not succumb, the evil one was not gone. He only left until a more opportune time. Now on the eve of his death, he must walk through the darkness of temptation.
(Matthew 26:37-42)
Reader 2: He took Peter, and the two sons of Zebedee along with him. Then he said to them ...
Reader 1: My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.
Reader 2: And going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground, praying.
Reader 1: My Father, if it is possible, may this cup pass from me. (Pauses) Yet, not as I will, but as you will.
Reader 2: Then he returned to the disciples and found them sleeping.
Reader 1: Could you not keep watch with me for one hour? Watch and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the body is weak.
Reader 2: Jesus went away a second time and prayed.
Reader 1: Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.
The Darkness Of Injustice
(Extinguish fourth candle)
Pastor: We learn at an early age that human life is not always just and fair. Sometimes good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. Jesus' life is an example of injustice. He was without sin, yet he bore the consequence of sin on our behalf.
(Luke 22:66--23:4)
Reader 4: Then the council of the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the law ... led Jesus off to Pilate and they began to accuse him. "We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes paying taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ the King."ÊSo Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus replied ...
Reader 1: Yes, it is as you say.
Reader 4: Then Pilate announced, "I find no basis for a charge against this man." But they insisted.
The Darkness Of Rejection
(Extinguish fifth candle)
Pastor: In Jesus' journey through the valley of shadows Jesus also had to journey through rejection. Where were all the crowds who just a few days earlier shouted, "Hosanna"? Where were his friends with whom he had celebrated in an intimate feast only the day before?
(Mark 15:6-14)
Reader 2: Pilate asked, "What should I do with the one you call the king of the Jews?"
Reader 3: Crucify him, crucify him.
Reader 2: Pilate asked, "Why? What crime has he committed?" But they all shouted louder:
Reader 3: Crucify him.
The Darkness Of Denial
(Extinguish sixth candle)
Pastor: The darkness of denial nibbles always at our soul. There are many times that we deny our Savior. We deny Christ when we sit idly by and let injustices happen that we could have spoken up against. We deny him each time we let the opportunity slip through our fingers to stand up and voice what we believe in or fail to invite another to him. We keep company with Peter when others look at our lives and they do not see the reflection of Jesus in how we live and what we say.
(Mark 14:66-72)
Reader 4: While Peter was below in the courtyard, a servant girl of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself by the fire she looked at him closely and said, "You were with that Nazarene, Jesus."
Reader 3: I don't know or understand what you are talking about.
Reader 4: And again two more times he denied knowing the man Jesus. He denied knowing God's son.
Hymn
"Were You There?" (vv. 1, 2, 3)
Pastor: We have eaten together just as Christ did with his friends. The theme of the Seder meal is remembering -- remembering what God did in the past. We do remember how God acted through Moses, how God sent the prophets as teachers, and how God acted in sending Jesus. But we do more than just remember. We look for him to act in our lives today. God is a living God who is active in the present. So while we look back tonight, we also look around to see the ways in which God is acting in our world today; and we look forward to how he will be present tomorrow as well.
We have journeyed together through the darkness. But there is one candle left lit, one light that is not to be extinguished. It is the light of Christ. That light is the hope of the world.
(John 1:5)
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
(John 8:12 and "I Am The Light Of The World," 1969, J. Strathdee)
Jesus told us he is the light of our world and he invites us to follow him. For if we follow and love, then we'll learn the mystery of all that we are meant to do and be.
As you journey through your darkness, remember you are not alone. Christ is by your side.
Benediction
Go now in silence; go in the peace of Christ and the power of Easter morning. Amen.
Postlude
(Suggestion: A prayer vigil at the church may follow the service with someone in the building praying at all times from the close of Maundy Thursday until sundown Friday.)
