Thursday of Holy Week
Hi Church Family,
Instead of a service on TV this evening here is something you can do at home at supper time and bedtime.
You will need a Bible and some candles and if you don’t have candles you can innovate - using torches or the lights in your house. You will need 7 lights (or sets of lights) that you can extinguish one by one.
God bless,
A note about communion:
As a congregation we believe in the importance of having communion together as a church and not in our own ‘private’ meals. This is rooted in Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 11:20-22. We feel that a ‘public’ meal held in community at church honors the tradition of the Lord’s Supper. When we eat and drink in memory of Jesus in our private homes we may refer to it as a ‘love feast’ following the tradition of Acts 2 which describes the meal fellowship of the early church:
“...they had their meals together in their homes, eating with glad and humble hearts.” (Acts 2:46)
Even though we will read the words that Jesus read when he instituted his supper instead of having ‘communion’ we are simply remembering what Jesus said and did. The first thing we will do when we gather as a church again is share communion.
Supper Time
Before you eat, read this verse from Mark 14:22, you can read from this page but it is nice to use a paper Bible if you have one.
22 While they were eating, Jesus took a piece of bread, gave a prayer of thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples. “Take it,” he said, “this is my body.”
While you eat, talk about what it means to have a meal together and eat with a glad and humble heart? (Acts 2:46)
[Although these notes are written with families in mind if you’re eating alone you can still do this in prayerful solitude and reflection - or you can phone somebody and share in the meal like that.]
Keep some water or cooldrink for the end of the meal and at the end of the meal read this passage from Mark 14:23-26 -
23 Then he took a cup, gave thanks to God, and handed it to them; and they all drank from it. 24 Jesus said, “This is my blood which is poured out for many, my blood which seals God’s covenant. 25I tell you, I will never again drink this wine until the day I drink the new wine in the Kingdom of God.” 26 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
The disciples would probably have sung from one of the Psalms that were traditionally sung during the time of Passover. You can read Psalm 116:1-2 and 12-16.
I love the Lord, because he hears me; he listens to my prayers. 2 He listens to me every time I call to him.
12 What can I offer the Lord for all his goodness to me?
13 I will bring a wine offering to the Lord,
to thank him for saving me.
14 In the assembly of all his people
I will give him what I have promised.
15 How painful it is to the Lord
when one of his people dies!
16 I am your servant, Lord;
I serve you, just as my mother did.
You have saved me from death.
They went to the garden of Gethsemane to pray. As a family say some simple prayers for yourselves, for others and for the church.
Bed Time
(Extinguishing the Lights)
On Thursday night we remember how Jesus' disciples deserted him when he was arrested and handed over to be crucified. Jesus probably didn’t sleep that night but he stayed up late praying with the disciples in the garden of Gethsemane.
First Candle
Mark 14:32-38
32 They came to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took Peter, James, and John with him. Distress and anguish came over him, 34 and he said to them, “The sorrow in my heart is so great that it almost crushes me. Stay here and keep watch.”
35 He went a little farther on, threw himself on the ground, and prayed that, if possible, he might not have to go through that time of suffering. 36 “Father,” he prayed, “my Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet not what I want, but what you want.”
37 Then he returned and found the three disciples asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Weren't you able to stay awake for even one hour?” 38 And he said to them, “Keep watch, and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Extinguish the first light.
Second Candle
Mark 14:39-46
39 He went away once more and prayed, saying the same words. 40 Then he came back to the disciples and found them asleep; they could not keep their eyes open. And they did not know what to say to him.
41 When he came back the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come! Look, the Son of Man is now being handed over to the power of sinners. 42 Get up, let us go. Look, here is the man who is betraying me!”
43 Jesus was still speaking when Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs and sent by the chief priests, the teachers of the Law, and the elders. 44 The traitor had given the crowd a signal: “The man I kiss is the one you want. Arrest him and take him away under guard.” 45 As soon as Judas arrived, he went up to Jesus and said, “Teacher!” and kissed him. 46 So they arrested Jesus and held him tight.
Extinguish the second light.
Third Candle
Mark 14:47-52
47 But one of those standing there drew his sword and struck at the High Priest's slave, cutting off his ear. 48 Then Jesus spoke up and said to them, “Did you have to come with swords and clubs to capture me, as though I were an outlaw? 49 Day after day I was with you teaching in the Temple, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must come true.”
50 Then all the disciples left him and ran away.
51 A certain young man, dressed only in a linen cloth, was following Jesus. They tried to arrest him, 52 but he ran away naked, leaving the cloth behind.
Extinguish the third light.
Fourth Candle
Mark 14:53-56
53 Then Jesus was taken to the High Priest's house, where all the chief priests, the elders, and the teachers of the Law were gathering. 54 Peter followed from a distance and went into the courtyard of the High Priest's house. There he sat down with the guards, keeping himself warm by the fire. 55 The chief priests and the whole Council tried to find some evidence against Jesus in order to put him to death, but they could not find any. 56 Many witnesses told lies against Jesus, but their stories did not agree.
Extinguish the fourth light.
Fifth Candle
Mark 14:57-59
57 Then some men stood up and told this lie against Jesus: 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will tear down this Temple which men have made, and after three days I will build one that is not made by men.’” 59 Not even they, however, could make their stories agree.
Extinguish the fifth light.
Sixth Candle
Mark 14:60-65
60 The High Priest stood up in front of them all and questioned Jesus, “Have you no answer to the accusation they bring against you?”
61 But Jesus kept quiet and would not say a word. Again the High Priest questioned him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed God?”
62 “I am,” answered Jesus, “and you will all see the Son of Man seated at the right side of the Almighty and coming with the clouds of heaven!”
63 The High Priest tore his robes and said, “We don't need any more witnesses! 64 You heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?”
They all voted against him: he was guilty and should be put to death.
65 Some of them began to spit on Jesus, and they blindfolded him and hit him. “Guess who hit you!” they said. And the guards took him and slapped him.
Extinguish the sixth light.
Seventh Candle
Mark 14:66-72
66 Peter was still down in the courtyard when one of the High Priest's servant women came by. 67 When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked straight at him and said, “You, too, were with Jesus of Nazareth.”
68 But he denied it. “I don't know … I don't understand what you are talking about,” he answered, and went out into the passageway. Just then a rooster crowed.[b]
69 The servant woman saw him there and began to repeat to the bystanders, “He is one of them!” 70 But Peter denied it again.
A little while later the bystanders accused Peter again, “You can't deny that you are one of them, because you, too, are from Galilee.”
71 Then Peter said, “I swear that I am telling the truth! May God punish me if I am not! I do not know the man you are talking about!”
72 Just then a rooster crowed a second time, and Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows two times, you will say three times that you do not know me.” And he broke down and cried.
