First Congregational Church of Braintree  
  United Church of Christ   

Why is Maundy Thursday my favorite church service of the year? Maundy Thursday brings together all the human emotions of life. We see Jesus joyfully eating with his disciples but also mournfully talking about his coming death. There is anger as he accuses Judas and resignation when all the disciples say they will not abandon him.  We hear Jesus anguish and see the disciples' failure. Jesus also shares the essentials he wants them to remember: Love. Serve. Remember. 

 

Maundy Thursday starts with a meal, with simple bread and wine, that becomes THE meal that we celebrate as Christians. It is the moment when the ordinary became extraordinary. Somehow in this service as we gather at night like the disciples did, and tell the longer story of the meal, it feels closer like living history.

 

The Tenebrae part of the service--where we extinguish the candles one by one--is one of the few mystical services we do in the mainline Protestant church.  As the candles go out, the dark gets darker. It is such a visually compelling scene. How many of us have known a dark night of the soul where all around is shadowed and hollowed out?

 

Celtic Christians talk about "thin places." These are specific places in the world where the presence of God is particularly easy to feel, the space between heaven and earth is "thin."   Maundy Thursday always feels like a thin place to me.  It is where the human and holy touch and the presence of God fills the room.

 

I hope you are able to come to worship this Maundy Thursday. As always, if you need a ride, please call the office or Pastor Karen.