Maundy Thursday

March 28, 2023 7 pm

Prelude: Fantaisie in C major: Poco Lento - César Franck

Opening Welcome & Announcements

Processional Hymn: #304 I come with joy to meet my Lord (v1-4)

Opening Acclamation

Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen.

Collect of the Day

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.

Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Word Of God

Old Testament Lesson:  Exodus 12:1-4, 11-14

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it.

This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the Lord. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.

Reader: The Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God.

Psalm  116:1, 10-17

1 I love the Lord, because he has heard the voice of my | suppli |cation, *

because he has inclined his ear to me when | ev • er I | called up | on him.

10 How shall I re | pay the | Lord *

for all the | good things | he has | done for me?

11 I will lift up the | cup • of sal | vation *

and call upon the | Näme | of the | Lord.

12 I will fulfill my | vows • to the | Lord *

in the | presence • of | all his | people.

13 Precious in the | sight • of the | Lord *

is the | deäth | of his | servants.

14 O Lord, | I am • your | servant; *

I am your servant and the child of your handmaid;

you have | freed me | from my | bonds.

15 I will offer you the | sacri • fice  of | thanksgiving *

and call upon the | Näme | of the | Lord.

16 I will fulfill my | vows • to the | Lord *

in the | presence • of | all his | people,

♰17 In the | courts • of the | Lord’s house, *

in the | midst of • you, | O Je | rusalem. [Hallelujah is omitted]

New Testament Lesson:  1 Corinthians 11:23-26

I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Reader: The Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God.

Sequence Hymn:  #323 Bread of heaven, on thee we feed

The Gospel: John 13:1-17, 31b-35

Gospeller: The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray Him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off His outer robe, and tied a towel around Himself. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around Him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, "Lord, are You going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." Peter said to Him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with Me." Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you." For He knew who was to betray Him; for this reason He said, "Not all of you are clean."

After He had washed their feet, had put on His robe, and had returned to the table, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord--and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

“Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, `Where I am going, you cannot come.’ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Gospeller: The Gospel of the Lord. People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

The Homily: The Rev. Todd Blackham

The Washing of the Feet

The Lord Jesus, after He had supped with His disciples and had washed their feet, said to them, "Do you know what I, your Lord and Master, have done to you? I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done. I give you a new commandment: Love one another as I have loved you. By this shall the world know that you are My disciples: That you have love for one another.

Wash Me Throughly - David Halls

Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness, and forgive me all my sin.
For I acknowledge my faults, and my sin is ever before me.

In Darkness Deep - Carl Hirsch

In darkness deep our savior prayed: “Thy will, not mine, my God, be done.” The cup of bitterness he took and drank what we did merit. Forsaken by disciples, he did suffer bitter pain for all. Upon the cross, he cried aloud, and yielded up his spirit. All this for us transpired then, and we were spared what he endured. The curse of sin, from us removed, no longer can us torture. We thank thee, Christ, for thy great love, we cherish thee, our savior. To thee we dedicated anew our lives beside our spirit.

The Servant Song

The Prayers

Let us pray.

On this night, Lord Jesus, before your betrayal and crucifixion, when you shared a supper with your disciples and friends, we pray that, as you commanded us to love one another, we would call to mind how you have loved us, then go and do likewise,

as You washed the feet of your disciples, we would be humbled by your example, and remember our call to be servants of all, as you took, blessed, broke, and gave bread, instituting the Eucharist, we would be comforted by the promise of your presence, whenever we gather in remembrance,

as you left supper and bid your friends to keep vigil with you in the Garden, we would remember that even when we falter and fall asleep, you remain faithful and vigilant,

and as you were betrayed, imprisoned, beaten, scorned, and stripped,we would see your willful submission as the assertion of your rightful dominion,      

O Savior and Servant, Lord and Lamb, Victim and Victor, to you be glory, who with the Father and Spirit, live and reign, now and for ever. Amen.

The Confession and Absolution

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.

The Holy Communion

The Peace & Offertory Sentence

Offertory Music: Drop, Drop Slow Tears - Kerry Andrew

Drop, drop, slow tears, and bathe those beauteous feet,
which brought from heaven the news and Prince of Peace.
Cease not, wet eyes, his mercies to entreat;
to cry for vengeance sin doth never cease.
In your deep floods drown all my faults and fears;
nor let his eye see sin, but through my tears.

The Great Thanksgiving

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give him thanks and praise.

It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. For our sins he was lifted high upon the cross, that he might draw the whole world to himself; and, by his suffering and death, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who put their trust in him.

Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:

We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have made known to us in creation; in the calling of Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, your Son. For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.

On the night before he died for us, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."

After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, "Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me."

Therefore, according to his command, O Father,
We remember his death, We proclaim his resurrection, We await his coming in glory;

And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.

We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts that they may be the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and his Blood of the new Covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us to that heavenly country where, with [___ and] all your saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage of your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation.

By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant breaks Bread; silence is kept.

Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; Therefore let us keep the feast.

Invitation to Communion

The Gifts of God for the People of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.

Communion Music

LEVAS 154: Taste And See

Post-Communion Prayer

Let us pray.

Almighty and everliving God, we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; and for assuring us in these holy mysteries that we are living members of the Body of your Son, and heirs of your eternal kingdom. And now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord. To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

Nunc Dimittis - Caleb Burhans

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word.
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation; Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

The Stripping of the Altar

The Main Altar is now stripped, calling to mind the scorning and stripping of Our Lord after He was betrayed and taken into custody by the Romans.

The Vigil at the Altar of Repose

We will now commence our Vigil (or “Night Watch”) at the Altar of Repose, ritually recalling how Jesus left the Last Supper in the Upper Room and journeyed with His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane at the foot of the Mount of Olives––where He asked His disciples to pray and “keep watch.”

Join the Vigil with other members of your Christ Church family in person or virtually. The Vigil will continue throughout the night, ending at 8 am, followed by the continuation of our Triduum worship at the 12 noon Good Friday service.

Exit in Silence