Maundy Thursday

Maundy

Etymology: Middle English maunde ceremony of washing the feet of the poor on Maundy Thursday, from Anglo-French mandet, from Latin mandatum command; from Jesus' words in John 13:34

While I think it's clear I don't like footwashing, I do believe that living out the command "love one another" is our calling.

I'm ending my sermon tonight with this.

Edward Hays wrote GIVE ALL OF YOURSELF in "Psalms for Zero Gravity: Prayers for Life's Emigrants"

Beloved Jesus, Lord of the Meal, I rejoice
that a mother and a father,
laboring for their family,
begin and end each day's work saying,
"This is my body, this is my blood."

An adult child nursing a sick elderly parent
with compassion and patient care says,
"This is my body, this is my blood."

A volunteer giving time to a needy cause
without thanks or acknowledgment says,
"This is my body, this is my blood."

A preacher, with prayerful study, preparing a homily
that no one may remember or be moved by, says,
"This is my body, this is my blood."

A singer forgetting self and the audience,
making love out of the music, says,
"This is my body, this is my blood."

Artist or teacher, dancer or doctor,
auto mechanic or office worker
attending to each detail of their work
with full-hearted involvement, proclaim,
"This is my body, this is my blood."

Ten thousand thousand consecrations occur daily,
as all heaven's angels chime in,
"Holy, holy, holy,"
to the thunderous praise
of a thousand silent silver bells.
Listen. Listen.