Maundy Thursday
Thursday, March 28
Read about the Agape Meal | Sign up for the overnight prayer vigil
The story of this night – Jesus’ last night with his disciples and friends – is filled with beauty and contradiction. It is a story of great tenderness and love, made manifest in the simple rituals of a shared meal and a selfless act of service. It is also a story of heartbreak, as the drama of that night descends into betrayal and cruelty. By recalling and re-enacting these events, we bring our own hearts and lives into the story of our Savior. By sharing in his Passion, we make space to share in his resurrection.
This Maundy Thursday liturgy ends with the stripping of the altar, followed by the ritual washing and anointing of the altar. When the sanctuary is stripped bare and the altar stands completely unadorned, we recall the desolation and abandonment that Jesus knew at the time of his arrest, trial, and crucifixion. The altar is then washed, as a body would be washed, and the five crosses in the top of the altar, which symbolize the five wounds of Christ, are anointed with oil.
Finally, the reserved sacrament of consecrated bread and wine, which recalls Christ’s presence, is processed to the Chapel of the Holy Spirit (an altar of repose), which represents the Garden of Gethsemane. It was here that Jesus went when he was deeply troubled and asked his closest friends to wait, watch, and pray. When Jesus found them sleeping, he asked, “Could you not stay awake for one hour?”
An all-night vigil is kept in the chapel with the reserved sacrament, and parishioners come and go throughout the night, taking turns staying awake and praying for at least one hour. We pray that what you experience in this time and place will awaken you more completely to the unfailing love of God and to God’s dream for the world – a dream that not even death could unravel.
Services
8:10 a.m.: Morning Prayer and Communion in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit (livestream is here)
5:30 p.m.: Agape Meal in the Fellowship Hall; suitable for all ages. Read more.
7:30 p.m.: Holy Eucharist in the church, followed by the Stripping, Washing, and Anointing of the Altar, and the Procession to the Altar of Repose | Service bulletin | Livestream is on the Holy Week page
9:00 p.m.: All-night vigil begins in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, lasting until 8 a.m. on Good Friday; come for an hour during the night | Sign up HERE
(Use the first breezeway entrance if you are coming for the vigil; all other entrances will be locked. Security will be present throughout the night.)