Does your church celebrate Maundy Thursday? What does it do?

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   Marcy Goodfleischposted 9 years ago

   Does your church celebrate Maundy Thursday?  What does it do?
   
   Some churches celebrate Maundy Thursday during the Easter Season.  Have you been to one of those services?  What are they like?

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   bravewarriorposted 9 years ago

   I've never heard of it. In the Catholic religion, we have Holy Thursday before Good Friday.

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   connorjposted 9 years ago

   
   
   The word Maundy is derived from the Latin word for “command.” The “Maundy” in “Maundy Thursday” refers to the command Jesus gave to the disciples at the Last Supper, that they should love and serve one another. It is a good to remember the Last Supper and Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. Our parish celebrates by offering the Pass Over meal (I.e. Last Supper) on Thursday eve. It is a simple meal referred to as the Seder Meal.

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      connorjposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I am Catholic and this is how our parish celebrates it...

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   peachpurpleposted 9 years ago

   yeah, never heard of it, what is it all about? very curious.

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   Sparkleaposted 9 years ago

   Hi Marcy;
   Growing up my grandparents, who raised me, brought me up to attend the Union Presbyterian Church.  I eventually joined, but fell away as the years passed.  This church did celebrate Maundy Thursday...I don't recall too much about it, but I think there was a service on that night...and always a Good Friday service the next day, in the afternoon. 
   I believe it commemorated the Last Supper...and I think another church I attended years later - Union Center Christian Church - had a Passover feast of some sort...which I never attended.  Of course Good Friday was about the crucifixion of Christ...my grandmother said, many times, "It always rains on Good Friday." 
   I believe I did attend a few Maundy Thursday services, but I don't remember too much...my twin sister may...I will ask her. 
   The church I grew up in was dismal and negative...no energy at all, in fact, I never learned about salvation through Jesus Christ until I accidently attended a Baptist church.  The Presbyterian church hymns were awful and, to me, the people appeared to be a bunch of mannequins in church pews.
   This probably is not much help, but I do not attend church at all now - I haven't in years...I write personal letters to God, and communicate to Him with prayer lists on my own. 
   I have great faith in God, but not because of church, and I do believe when I pass into eternity I will be in Heaven, not because of my works on earth but because of God's love, grace and mercy for me. 
   Thanks for a great question.  Blessings, Sparklea

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   jansharesposted 9 years ago

   Yes, Marcy, my church celebrates Maundy Thursday. Every year during Holy Week in the Episcopal church, our tradition is to "reenact" Jesus's washing of the disciples feet. At 6:30p, church members gather for service which includes hymns, prayers, and communion. At a point in the service, twelve parishioners volunteer to come up front and sit in a row, remove their shoes and socks, and have the priest wash their feet. It is a very moving, humbling experience as the priest pours water onto each person's feet, one at a time, and dry them with a towel, as we sing a hymn. The message is for us to go out, like disciples, and live out the life that Jesus lived, loving one another unconditionally. Washing the feet is symbolic of humbling one's self to engage in service.

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