Maundy Thursday

As far back as I can remember I went to church.  My Mother tells me that I was on the cradle roll at First Baptist Church Stillwater, Oklahoma before I was born.  We were Southern Baptists and everywhere we moved to, we found and joined a Southern Baptist Church.  When it began, Southern Baptists were a very rural denomination that focused on Biblical basics, salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone, the Bible is God’s infallible and inerrant word for all matter of theological doctrine and practice, there were two symbolic ordinances observed by the church, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and the church purpose was to evangelize and be missionary.  Southern Baptists are not rural anymore, but these basic tenets are still fairly consistent throughout the denomination.  I say all of this to say I did not have a lot of exposure to other religious practices, Christian or otherwise.

So, when we come to the “Holy Week” or “Passion Week” prior to the Sunday resurrection celebration, I did not have any experience with the days observed or their meaning.  They were not a part of our church practice.  However, through college, seminary, and years of ministry I have learned more about the liturgical practices surrounding the crucifixion and resurrection.  For instance today is “Maundy Thursday” or “Holy Thursday”, it is part of the Holy Week and is observed to commemorate the establishment of the Lord’s Supper or communion, that is remembering Jesus last Passover meal with His disciples in which He instituted the bread and the wine to be a remembrance of His suffering, His shed of blood, and death on the cross.  Many churches hold a special observance on the Thursday before Easter.

The word Maundy is derived from a Latin word meaning command.  The command referenced is the one to love and serve one another as demonstrated by Jesus when He washed the disciple’s feet calling them to humble servitude.  Some churches not only observe the Lord’s Supper on this day, but they also have foot washing as a part of their service or gathering. 

The Bible does instruct to observe or not observe the practice of Maundy Thursday. If it is a meaningful practice for a body of believers it may be a beautiful thing, but if it only an annual ritual it can lose its meaning.  As for our church, we observe the Lord’s Supper to “proclaim the Lord’s death until He returns” as the Bible instructs.  I had planned for our church family to observe together last Sunday, plans change.

Sometime today in a few moments of prayer with the Lord it may be a very good thing to reflect on Jesus’ last Supper with the disciples and what it means to you as one of His disciples today.


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