| New Book now Available Here is an anthology of over 1100 brief prayers and thought-starters, for each day of the year, with almost 400 original prayers by Bruce Prewer. Included is both a subject index and an index of authors-- an ecumenical collection of about 300 different sources. |
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| Title: Brief Prayers for Busy People. Author: Bruce D Prewer ISBN 978-1-62880-090-6 Available from Australian Church Resources, web site www.acresources.com.au email service@acresources.com.au or by order from your local book shop or online on amazon. |
Year C/ MAUNDY THURSDAY
John 13: 1-7, 31b-35
! Corinthians 1: 11: 23-26
Exodus 12: 1-14
Psalm 116: 1-2, 12-19
A SERVICE OF SOLEMN
REMEMBRANCE
*
The church should be in near darkness or deep shadow,
A
long table is partly set. One large candle stands unlit in front of the centre,
and two slender candles are set at each end of the long table.
At
the back of the table is the large “Christ Chair,” with a purple band of violet
cloth,
crossing from shoulder height to waist level.
To
one side is a font (or a large basin on a stand) with a jug of water and a
towel displayed.
On
the other side, fixed at head height, is a large olive branch, wet with
enough ‘dew’ to glisten in candle
light.
Two
candles are placed in position so as to later illuminate first the font and
towel, and then the olive branch.
These will be lit later in the service.
*
General music to be by organ or keyboard.
A solo musician (oboe, violin, clarinet or
flute) is prepared at the rear of the church, or out
of sight in a transept.
A soloist is at the
rear to lead the Kyrie and to sing
the Agnus Dei
Readers
are also at the rear of the church: Narrator, a Disciple, Jesus, Peter.
*
Please note: In the following drama, there is no physical representation of
Jesus. It is left
to the imagination.
THE SERVICE
Bearing a small lamp, the Minister, enters,
stands beside the “Jesus Chair” and says:
PASTOR: We are here to
remember the love of our “Lord Jesus Christ,
who although he was rich, or our sakes became poor,
taking upon himself the form of a lowly servant,
and humbled himself” for the suffering which would test a
man to the utmost,
and during this night of sorrows, would even sorely test
God.
Let us prepare to hear the story of
the passion of our Lord, as it begins to unfold
on the
evening of Maundy Thursday, by singing the Kyrie eleison.
I invite you to respond to the
cantor:
* A
solo voice from the rear of the Church leads the singing-
Kyrie, Kyrie, eleison
Kyrie,
Kyrie, eleison
Christe eleison, Christe eleison
Christe eleison, Christe eleison
Kyrie,
Kyrie, eleison
Kyrie,
Kyrie, eleison
* sing
twice, then a short period of silence.
During the singing the minister moves to the
rear of the congregation,
and extinguishes
his lamp.
NARRATOR: On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened
Bread,
the disciples came to ask Jesus:
DISCIPLE: Master, where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for
you?
JESUS: Go into the city to a man whose name I will give you, and say to
him:
“The master’s hour
has arrived. We will celebrate the Passover at your house.”
NARRATOR: The disciples followed his directions, and went into the city
and prepared
the
Passover meal.
* Mood music,
organ or keyboard. Two people enter with an oil lamps,
light the large Christ Candle in front of the formal chair,
and set bread -preferably
crisp matzos-
on about 4 plates, with a wine jug,
and 4 small dishes of a sour herb “dip”.
NARRATOR: That evening, Jesus knew that his time had come to leave this
world and go to the Father. Having loved his own friends in this world, he
loved them to the very end.
* A child lights
a taper from the Christ candle and then
the candle by the Font is lit.
Knowing that he came from God and was about to return to God,
Jesus rose up from the table, took off his outer robe, poured water into a bowel,
and began to wash his disciples feet and to dry them with the towel.
** Very soft
organ or keyboard music for about 60 seconds.
When Jesus came to Peter, this disciple protested:
PETER: Are you, Lord, going to
wash my dirty feet?
JESUS: At this moment, you don’t understand what I am doing; in the
future you will.
PETER: No, Lord I will never let you wash my feet.
JESUS: If I do not wash your feet, Peter, you will no longer be a
disciple of mine.
PETER: Then Lord, please wash me; not only my feet but also my hand and
my head.
JESUS: Those whom I have washed, will never
need to be washed again.
NARRATOR: When Jesus had finished, he put on his robe, returned to the
table and the Passover meal. He said to his disciples:
JESUS : Do you understand what I have done for you? You call me Rabbi and Lord,
and you say that truly. If then I your Lord and Rabbi have washed your feet,
then it is up to you to wash one another’s feet.
NARRATOR: While they were at supper, Jesus took some bread, blessed it
and broke it, and gave it to his disciples saying:
JESUS: Take this and eat, this it is my body.
NARRATOR: Likewise he took the cup saying: This is my blood shed for
you.
SHARING THE BREAD
AND BITTER HERBS
* Soft music. The MINISTER
invites the people to come forward informally, gather around the table, take a
piece of unleavened bread and dip it into the sour dip and eat, then return to
their seats.
*
During the meal, the narration will continue.
NARRATOR:
While they were eating, Jesus became agitated and said:
JESUS: One
you will betray me. One of you whose hand has dipped
with me in this dish, will betray
me.
NARRATOR:
After eating the bread, Judas immediately left and went out; and it was dark.
A little later, an argument broke
out among them as to which disciple was the greatest..
Jesus
addressed them:
JESUS: Among
you, the greatest must live like the youngest,
and the leader as a servant.
I am giving you
a new commandment:
You must love
one another.
Even as I have
loved you, so you are to love one another.
*
The congregation sings
“A new
commandment.......”
NARRATOR: After supper Jesus again lifted up the cup, saying:
JESUS: This cup which is poured out for you
is the new covenant sealed with my blood.
* A brief musical
interlude
NARRATOR: A little later Jesus turned to Peter
JESUS: Simon., dear Simon, Satan has wanted to have you, but I have
prayed
that your faith may not fail.
NARRATOR:
Peter answered:
PETER: Lord,
I am ready to go with you to prison and death.
JESUS: I
tell you this, Peter, before cock crow you will have denied me three times.
*
Brief musical interlude-: foreboding theme.
NARRATOR: They sang a psalm of praise
JESUS: What shall I offer to my God
for all his bounty to me?
I
will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of God.
I
will pay my vows to my Lord
in the presence of his people.
Precious
in the sight of God
is the death of his saints.
O
Lord, I am your servant,
the son of your handmaid.
I
will pay my vows to my Lord
in the presence of his people.
NARRATOR:
After singing the psalm, they went out into the night
* As organ or keyboard play softly, a
child lights a small lamp from the Christ candle.
Then
the all three candles on the Table are extinguished.
NARRATOR: They came to an olive grove known as
Gethsemane.
* As the story continues,
walks very slowly from the Table
to where the olive
branch is stationed, and lights that lone candle,
then extinguishes the lamp and sits nearby in the shadows.
Jesus said to his disciples.
JESUS: You
wait here while I go and pray.
NARRATOR:
Taking Peter, James and John, he went deeper into the dark olive grove
and said to the three:
JESUS: My spirit
is deeply troubled; watch and pray with me.
NARRATOR:
Going a few steps further on, he threw himself down, face to the ground.
* Solo music: plaintive
oboe, violin or clarinet, for about 3 minutes.
JESUS:
Father, if it be possible, remove this bitter cup from me.
Yet
not my will but yours be done.
* Solo music; for 1
minute.
NARRATOR: As
he prayed, his sweat was like clots of blood, falling to the ground.
* Solo
music, about 30 seconds.
Jesus
returned three times to the three disciples, and found them not praying but
asleep.
The third time he woke them and
said:
JESUS: That’s enough. My time has come. The Son of
man is now to be betrayed into the hands
of sinners. Get up on
your feet. My betrayer is at hand.
NARRATOR: While he was speaking, Judas arrived with
armed men, sent by the Chief Priests.
As a sign to the armed men, the betrayer went up to Jesus, kissed
him and said:
JUDAS: My dear Rabbi!
NARRATOR:
The armed men seized Jesus, and dragged him off to the court of the chief
priests
and
elders.
The disciples scattered and fled, although Peter
did follow from a safe distance.
*
The last candle beside the olive branch is extinguished by the child.
*
A solo voice sings the Agnes Dei.
“Lamb of God, you take way the sin of the
world.”
THE SENDING OUT
*
Carrying a small lamp, the Pastor moves from the congregation to the Table
and says:
PASTOR: This is the
Table of the Lord. I bid you return to this trysting place on the
third
day.
BLESSING
Now the God of peace,
who brought back from the dead that great Shepherd of the sheep with the blood
of the eternal covenant, even our Lord Jesus, make you perfect in every good
thing to do his working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ to
whom be the glory for ever and ever.
Amen!
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