Maundy Thursday reflections

 

Tibebe Terffa - Ethiopia - used by permission CMU Winnipeg

Today is Maundy Thursday the last day of Lent and the day on which we remember the Last Supper and particularly Jesus washing the disciples’ feet.  I was particularly impressed this morning by Beth Stedman’s reflections here in which she asks

How can I enter into Christ’s command to “love one another as I have loved you” today? How can I commemorate and celebrate and remember the miraculous act of the God of the universe stooping down to wash the feet of dirty and sinful human beings – of stooping down to serve them and to serve me?”

Here is another powerful reflection by Doug Jones here

We all will face our own Gethsemane (if we haven’t already), where our desire and will collides with the clear will of God. When we come to this point we must face that teaching of dying to self, of taking up our cross and following – we can observe this is not mere words – this is Jesus’ example before us in this Holy Week.

And another from Ryan Lind here 

A far-off god would never be so silly as to entrust men with now-clean feet to walk about the world serving bread and wine.  But a God who became a man, who knew these men, even the one who would turn him over, even the one who would cower before a girl in order to deny this God, he might understand the power of liberation.  

Here from Joyce Titular in the Philippines is a very inspiring Stations of the Cross with some challenging and thought provoking questions for us to contemplate.  

My own thoughts this morning revolved around ! Corinthians 11: 28, 29 

Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink of the cup.  For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgement on themselves.  

I had never thought of discerning the body of Christ before as a need to consider God’s worldwide body with whom I share every time I take communion.  How can I fully enter into the Eucharist when some that i share it with are starving, or oppressed or persecuted?  Part of our remembrance this Maundy Thursday is also the giving of the new commandment love one another as I have loved you.  Again I find myself thinking of how far short I have fallen of this commandment.  How else should I be reaching out with the love of God this Easter Season?  

This Lenten synchroblog has inspired some wonderful reflections and ideas.    I want to thank all that have participated so far and look forward to continuing to reflect on our faith throughout the Easter season as well where hopefully we will answer some of the questions about how to be God’s love into our world.  If you have not downloaded the Easter Guide yet it is available here

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