Thursday, April 9, 2009

Great Thursday (Maundy Thursday)

For the next three days, we will submerge ourselves in an intentional downer. Just as we think a party is beginning, we hear this evening that the party is over. I pray for the ability to be stunned yet again by the message and desertion of the day. I want to be confused by the cryptic message of Christ--Let not your heart be troubled. Believe...I am going away... to prepare...

This evening we have a service of scripture reading and communion. In fact, beginning tonight, through tomorrow night and concluding Sunday AM, our congregation will read through the entirety of the passion texts for this year. Dark texts. Death texts.

Tomorrow we extinguish the "Christ candle" that has joined us for every gathering since lighting it on Christmas. We will snuff its flame, and walk it out of the room. And it will be the last flame to be extinguished as we recognize all of the failures, desertions and betrayals that light faced before losing life.

And on Sunday morning. We might as well not meet for church. Because God, as of tomorrow afternoon, will be neatly tucked into a hollow tomb.

Dark days indeed. Can you live your way through them? Or will you shop for bright clothing and feast foods, ignoring the death on our hands?

Don't go to Easter without living Great Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

1 comment:

Zee said...

i forgot that it's Thursday and that it's Easter for you guys this glorious Sonday... our (i.e. Orthodox) Easter is only next week - still in preparation for the truimphant entry and the last week.

i like the phrase "the Light faced before losing life..."... you're a great pastor and i wish i could hear ya preach sometime. i wasn't old enough to understand anything back when you were over here. *sigh*