Supper Time
It is Thursday afternoon. My daughter Kassie and I are making dinner tonight. Since I’m not the cook in the family, we will be sticking with what we know. Burgers, fries and salad. A simple, traditional American meal that I probably can’t screw up.
Today is Holy Thursday. Maundy Thursday. The beginning of the end for Jesus. There is another supper for this time. I’m not sure what was on the menu that night, but it was another traditional fare I expect. Jesus and His twelve disciples sat and ate. Jesus washed their feet. The symbolism of that is of service to others, the washing away of sins by Jesus upcoming death and burial. John 13:1-9. A “transaction” occurred later. We know now that Jesus knew exactly what was going to happen.
Maundy Thursday. Maundy comes from the Latin for commandment. The command to love one another as He has loved us. By this you will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34-35
We will not be having our traditional Maundy Thursday service this year due to the corona virus. But we will probably have a dinner on Thursday night. And the Church is not a building, it is the people. We don’t need a building to worship our God. How many times did Jesus and the disciples have church in a building? And you don’t need a pastor or other minister to have a remembrance of this night. As a believer you have enough of an understanding, no matter what that is, to be able to foster that yourself.
I gotta say, folks, I don’t know God’s plan or intent for this virus. President Trump was hoping a few weeks ago we would be done with this threat in time to gather back in our church buildings for Easter. That’s not gonna happen. We are being forced out of the building, out of our normal routine of Holy Week. And Easter week. My sister told me that her parish priest took the Monstrance out the church doors and walked it down the main street in a small procession last weekend, to another nearby church that he also ministers at. Everyone there on that street saw it. It wasn’t cooped up in a building. It was on display for the world to see. Many Christians, especially Catholics, know what that is about. They might have been surprised to see it on the sidewalk in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, but I’m sure it registered quickly. Lots of people in our neighborhood down here in Sugar Land, Texas are decorating their yards with reminders of the upcoming Easter holy day. Some I saw had chalk pictures and sayings on the driveway or on their vehicles. There will be some who see these signs and do not understand. But they will see something that has been cooped up inside four walls for thousands of years. (Yes, I know, there are outdoor Easter Sunday services and such, but nothing like this.) They might be confused, but the Holy Spirit will take care of that. We might be called on to assist or support.
It is our duty and responsibility to take the situation and turn these circumstances into a new way of worshipping our Lord. Or, actually, to do it like they did back in Biblical times. The Church has crashed the doors of the building, and the Church is on every street in America, and the world. Has been for several weeks actually. Any type of denominational worship is available to you. There is literally no barrier to the world being able to see what Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday are like. I encourage you to use your spiritual gifts, personality, creativity and love for the Lord to show those around you how this works, what you believe, and why.
This looks to be an exciting Easter, not because of what we think it should be, but because of what God can use it to be. Despite the tragedy and despair and uncertainty. God has a way of cleaning all that up. And then it will be supper time again on Sunday, when we can rejoice and celebrate with another meal. God Bless Us All.
Parts from the Baptist News, catholic.org and Scripture as referenced.
