Maundy Thursday
Ritual is all around us. From the Seventh inning stretch of the baseball game to the Lambeau leap after the Packers make a touch down, the way cards are dealt at a bridge table and the custom of leaving a ghost light on in an empty theater. Sometimes ritual is frowned on--People say, "we just do the same things over and over again for no apparent reason" But Ritual can also be a good thing--giving form and shape and expectation to life. The Augsburg Youth and Family Institute suggests ritual is one of the four keys for families in the development of strong and resilient children. The ritual of the family mealtime gives opportunity to talk and to share ideas. The ritual of Family holiday celebrations promotes the development of extended relationships and bed time rituals give assurance of security and safety.
This night is a most holy night. A set apart night, full of ritual action. We begin with words of confession as we do at so many services. But this night we come forward to individually and personally receive the forgiveness of our sins. This is the end of our Lenten journey that began so many weeks ago when we received the mark of the ash on Ash Wednesday.
Tonight in our lessons we recall God's saving act in the Exodus as we hear the explicit directions for the Passover meal and are reminded "this day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord, throughout the generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance."
We read again from Paul's letter, the oldest writings of the new Testament the very specific and ritualized words of Jesus as he institutes the Last supper. We see Jesus washing the disciples feet and commanding the disciples to wash one another's feet and hear the command. Love one another... Just as I have loved you love one another.
And then we will not only hear about but participate in our Lord's supper.
Finally the altar will be stripped reminding us of Jesus humiliation and we will be carried forward into the crucifixion of Jesus on Good Friday.
We've been through it all before, we know the story. Why cover this ground again? Because it's not the activity of the head that we're after it's the activity of the heart. We don't want to know about Jesus we want to know Jesus and to love Jesus.
When you confess tonight you will not be hearing or learning about forgiveness you will actually be forgiven.
When you hear Jesus words "For I have set you an example, that you should do as I have done to you." And when you hear Jesus' command "love one another. Just as I have loved you, you should love one another." You should know these are not just pretty words for the disciples of a time and place long ago but they are commands for all of us gathered here as well.
And when you taste the bread and the wine it is not a reproduction of that first supper hosted by Jesus it is a current, actual meal joining us to the body of Christ in the communion of saints.
The ritual calls to mind the ever-present reality
Amen