Maundy Thursday

Say what!?  If you don't come from a high church or liturgical background you are probably thinking what in the world is Maundy Thursday?  It is the day that traditionally the church remembers the Last Supper and His time with His disciples on the Mount of Olives before His arrest during Holy Week.  This was the last time that He sat and taught His disciples.  This was the time that He used to prepare Himself for the cross.  So I would ask you to spend Thursday, as Jesus did, preparing for the cross which comes Friday.  I leave you with two poems to meditate on.

A Psalm for Maundy Thursday by Joseph Bayly

Tonight 

Lord Jesus Christ

You sat at supper

with your friends.

It was a simple meal

that final one

of lamb

unleavened bread

and wine.

Afterward

You went out to die.

How many other meals you shared

beside the lake

fried fish and toasted bread

at Simon's banquet hall a feast

at Lazarus' home in Bethany

the meal that Martha cooked

on mountain slope

where you fed the hungry crowd

at close of tiring day.

Please sit with us tonight

at our small meal

of soup  and rolls and tea.

Then go with us

to feast of bread and wine

that you provide

because afterward

you went out to die.

A Ballad of Trees and the Master  by Sidney Lanier

Into the woods my Master went,
Clean forspent, forspent.

Into the woods my Master came,

Forspent with love and shame.

But the olives they were not blind to him,

The little grey leaves were kind to him:

The thorn trees had a mind to him

When into the woods he came.

Out of the woods my Master went,
And he was well content.

Out of the woods my Master came,

Content with death and shame.

When death and shame would woo him last,

From under the trees they drew him last;

'Twas on a tree they slew him last

When out of the woods he came.