Maundy Thursday…please join us this evening at Christ Church Belleville 7pm for the commemoration of the Last Supper, washing of feet and the stripping of The Altar.

An upper room did our Lord prepare…what’s for dinner, a feast and plenty to the feast. The 12, true and tense, the womenr all knowing, the children, delighting. Plenty of distraction, and Jesus, centredl calm, loving as usual. Everybody’s needs met. He calmly talks to us, we listen, we are grateful…a new commandment…given to us….that we love one another as he has loved us…tall order. He’s so good at it. Something turns the moment…the hint, the notion of betrayal, our euphoric state is altered, spoiled, shattered like glass, and we self accuse…not I Lord, not I ? Exit Judas…he’s dipped his bread into the common cup. One of the ones…he’s gone, confusion begins to creep in, fear too.

Jesus takes a towel and wraps it around his waist, and water, and kneels at our feet all the time soothing talk…tells us we are no longer servants but friends, everything suddenly feels round the wrong way, feet on arrival surely and now a walk in the park…the beautiful wild garden of gethsemane, cool of the evening, moon lit, grey green of olive trees generations old….still there. Perfect. We’re exhausted and we wait aside whilst he goes to pray…take this cup from me…not my will but yours be done, we fall asleep and we’re awoken to a gentle rebuke…keep watch, keep watch…to be or not to be…to sleep, to sleep, aye there’s the rub.

Torches and soldiers, chaos and Judas, a kiss, and arrest, bloodshed and healing and forgiveness and he’s gone and we panic and run away…they only wanted him…they only ever wanted him, they’re not going to bother with us…yet.

Fed and washed, confronted and dispersed and back to our isolation…we need to be alone for awhile, fearful is ok, but faithful to the cause and the result the promise of salvation.

Take eat, this is my body, this is my blood, drink…whenever you do this, do it to remember me. No end there is, we depart in peace for service too is sacrament for those he loved…and loves us still. Amen amen amen and I say to you again amen!