WORSHIP RESOURCES

Maundy Thursday

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (A, B, C)

Do This in Remembrance

 

Additional Scriptures

John 13:1-17, 31b-35, Exodus 12:1-14, Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19

Preparation

This is a service of remembrance. At the end of this service are twelve brief stories from each of the disciples about their memories. Depending on the time allotted for this service, select all or just a few of the disciples’ stories to share at the proper time during the service. The setting should contain bread and juice, but not in the traditional Communion setting. The bread can be placed on two simple plates; the juice could be in small paper cups.

The center of the setting should contain the same number of small white, votive or battery candles to match the number of disciple readers selected and one large white one, all lit before the service begins. As each disciple reads their story, the reader will extinguish one of the smaller candles. The larger white candle will remain lit throughout the service.

Quiet Prelude

OR Enter in silence

Welcome

Welcome to this day of remembrance as we reflect on the last meal Jesus shared with his disciples. At that meal, he reviewed his teachings, answered their questions, challenged them to love one another, washed their feet to remind them of their calling to be servants.

Call to Worship: Exodus 12:14

Hymn of Centering               Sing several times.

“Listen in the Silence"
CCS 153

OR “Come, Holy Spirit, Come"
CCS 154

OR “Santo, santo, santo/Holy, Holy, Holy"
CCS 159

Encourage participants to sing in languages other than their own.

Scripture Reading: John 13:1-17, 31b-35

Prayer of Peace

Light the Peace Candle.

Prayer

Loving and humble God,

Today we make ourselves vulnerable to your spirit. You showed the disciples vulnerability as you stooped to wash their feet. How might we have the same courage to do the same with our friends and neighbors as we seek to create peace? You create spaces for each person at your table and feed us in a new way, allowing us to take peace into our hearts. Grace us with that peace so that we may share it. May the voices of servant leaders focused on peace be uplifted over the voices of hatred and division so that all may find their place at the table. Amen.

Prayerful Hymn

“O God We Call”       Sing several times.
CCS 195

OR “Breathe on Me, Breath of God"
CCS 190

OR “Kyrie Eleison"
CCS 184

Background

In the verses directly before today’s scripture passage, Paul confronts the Corinthians about their abuse of the Lord’s Supper. He calls out divisions found within the church about class and status—especially when they gather. In 1 Corinthians 11:23–26 (known as the words of institution for the Lord’s Supper), Paul passes on the tradition he received.

These verses are closest to the instruction found in Luke 22:15–20. Here Paul takes a break from chastising the Corinthian behavior to pass along important memories to strengthen and remind the people. His use of the Greek words for “received” and “handed on to you” shows how the practice in Corinth strayed from Jesus’s example. Straying from tradition and teaching caused divisions among the disciples in Corinth.

“On the night when he was betrayed” refers to the Last Supper—the meal Jesus shared with the disciples before he was betrayed, arrested, and crucified. This meal is a model for the way many Christians celebrate the Lord’s Supper: We give thanks; the bread (Christ’s body) is broken and given for us. The cup (Christ’s blood) is shared; we remember the covenant. We remember Christ and his sacrifice for us.

Reflections of Witnesses—The Disciples’ Stories See the script below.

We will hear disciples share memories about how and when Jesus called them to “follow me” and a little about what happened that night. Let’s listen to their stories…

Have twelve readers, if possible, one for each of the stories. If it is not possible to include all twelve, choose from this list. After each story is read, the reader extinguishes one of the candles.

1. Peter
2. Andrew
3. James the Greater
4. John the Beloved
5. Philip
6. Nathanael
7. Matthew
8. Thomas
9. James the Lesser
10. Simon the Zealot
11. Thaddeus
12. Judas Iscariot

Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

Reflections on the Sacred Meal

Yes, memories can be powerful. They shape who we are and define an identity for individuals and groups. Great care is made to pass along memories from generation to generation. Reminiscing on shared experiences within the community can bring people together and seal relationships; it can also divide relationships, as witnessed in Corinth. This shared memory-building creates legacy and shapes history. Jesus encouraged us to gather and “do this” regularly. Our memories can be lost when we don’t practice, including those in our collective memory.

Today, as we share the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, we also engage our memories. Symbols, signs, and images help us remember. We engage our memories more often when items of everyday life are involved in our sacred practices. Jesus chose the ordinary staples of bread and wine to signal a new covenant given through his self-sacrifice. Gods’ spirit works through these tokens and builds our shared memories. Christ is present because he promised to be in the bread and wine.

Bread—and breaking the bread—is part of the Jewish Passover tradition as found in Exodus Chapter 12. Christians understand it as a metaphor for Christ’s body and a symbol of unity. The wine is symbolic of the blood shed at Passover. It is a metaphor for suffering. Christians understand it as representing the blood shed for us.

On Maundy Thursday, we remember Christ’s great love through his self-sacrifice, forgiveness, and promise of eternal life. In the elegant and simple meal of bread and wine, Jesus invites us to become part of God’s story. The body and blood are offered to each one personally, yet the Lord’s Supper is also for the gathered community. When we eat, we remember God’s presence with us in times past. We trust God is with us now. We expect God will remain with us as we move toward the future.

Like Corinth, our congregations may also be divided. In breaking the bread and sharing the cup, Jesus commits to us his life given as a covenant.

As we prepare for the Sacred Meal, spend some time in silence to prepare. You can use the questions provided to guide your thoughts or go your own way.

Questions for Personal Reflection     
Project or print the questions for all to see.

• In what ways have you learned the sacred memories from generations past?
• How have sacred memories shaped you and sustained you? How have they shaped and sustained your congregation?
• Why do you come to the Lord’s table? For what do you hunger and thirst?

Hymn of Sharing at the Table

“Meet Me in a Holy Place"
CCS 162

OR “Come Now, You Hungry"
CCS 227

Encourage participants to sing in languages other than their own.

Communion Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Invitation to Communion

All are welcome at Christ’s table. The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is a sacrament in which we remember the life, death, resurrection, and continuing presence of Jesus Christ. In Community of Christ, we also experience Communion as an opportunity to renew our baptismal covenant and to be formed as disciples who live Christ’s mission. Others might have different or added understandings within their faith traditions. We invite all who participate in the Lord’s Supper to do so in the love and peace of Jesus Christ.  

Blessing of the Bread and Wine

Serving of the Bread and Wine

Have the participants come forward to receive the emblems in an informal manner.

Ask them to imagine themselves at the table with Jesus that night.

Invite them to silently reflect on what they might see, who might be present,

what they might be feeling remembering the stories of the disciples.

Hymn of Remembrance

“’Tis Midnight, and on Olive’s Brow"
CCS 456

“Jesus, Remember Me”          Sing three times.
CCS 459

“Bleibet hier"
CCS 468

Encourage participants to sing in German first, then sing in English. The words are printed at the bottom of the page with the German text meaning. Repeat this pattern at least three times.

Sending Forth

“Maundy” means commandment. As those who have received Communion and feasted in community, we end our service of remembrance with the new commandment Jesus gives us: “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

—John 13:34-35

Go now, remembering to live this new commandment every day.

Postlude

 

 

Reflections of Witnesses—Disciples’ Stories                   

PETER

You know my name as Peter, though my true name was Simon. I was born in Bethsaida and lived in Capernaum. My father was Jonah, and I was a fisherman.

At first, I was a follower of John the Baptist, but then my brother Andrew introduced me to Jesus of Nazareth. When I became his follower, Jesus renamed me for the Greek word for rock, Petros, and my new name became Peter!

Because of my impulsive and outspoken personality, I became spokesman for the twelve, but sometimes when I spoke too quickly and too plainly, it was embarrassing for others and me. Along with James and John, I was part of Jesus’s inner circle and witnessed many of his miracles firsthand.

On the night of the Last Supper, I was there when Jesus went to the Garden to pray, and I saw his agony. Then when the soldiers came to take him captive, I tried to protect him when I drew my sword and cut off the ear of the High Priest’s servant. To my shock and dismay, Jesus said to put away my sword and told us that all who draw the sword will die by it. Then he healed the ear of the servant.

That was when we all ran from the place because we knew we could not help him. I did not follow him to the cross.

Extinguish one of the candles.

 

ANDREW

Andrew is my name, and I am Simon Peter’s brother. We were both born in Bethsaida and were both followers of John the Baptist until John proclaimed Jesus as “the Lamb of God.” That was when I went to find Jesus and spent a day with him. After that I found my brother and told him I had found the Messiah and took him to meet Jesus. We both left our boats behind and followed Jesus.

I witnessed many of Jesus’s miracles. I was the one who brought the boy with two fish and five barley loaves to Jesus which he multiplied and fed the 5,000 people.

Though I was not as close to Jesus as Peter and James and John, I was loyal and always tried to bring others to meet him that they might hear his message and follow him, too. I had a great hunger for the truth which I found first in John and then in Jesus.

To my shame, I ran away when Jesus was captured and did not follow him to the cross.

Extinguish one of the candles.

 

JAMES THE GREATER

My name is James, known as James the Great. With our father Zebedee my brother John and I were fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. My home was in Capernaum.

One day as John and I were working on our nets in preparation to fish, a man walking along the shore called to us. There was something in his voice that spoke to me and when I turned to look at John, I could see it spoke to him, too, so we both simply dropped our nets and got out of the boat to go with him. We just left our father to tend the nets and fish alone.

Jesus called me one of the “sons of thunder” because I was sometimes a little volatile. When a Samaritan village rejected Jesus’s presence, I wanted to call down fire from heaven on the place. I guess we came by our fiery natures honestly because our blessed mother Salome overstepped her bounds in our behalf, asking Jesus to grant us special positions in his kingdom!

As one of three in Jesus’s inner circle, I witnessed events no one else saw. I was there when Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead and after the Last Supper I was in the garden and saw Jesus’s agony.

I, too, was there to witness Judas’s kiss and Jesus’s capture. And it saddens me to think I ran away and did not follow him to the cross.

Extinguish one of the candles.

 

JOHN, THE BELOVED

I am John, the brother of James and the son of Zebedee and Salome. When I heard Jesus’s voice calling me to follow him, there was no question in my mind but that I would go with him. So, I just dropped the net I was working on and, along with James, left our father behind to tend the nets and fish alone.

As a believer in Jesus as the Son of God, I became one of Jesus’s closest friends and was known as the disciple Jesus loved. Since I held the distinction of being one from his inner circle, I was there when he performed some of his greatest miracles including the raising of Jairus’s daughter and the casting out of demons.

At the Last Supper I held the place of honor, sitting beside Jesus during the meal and when he went out to pray, I was there with Peter and James to see his suffering. I did not run away when Jesus was captured and taken away but tried to be unnoticed as I followed along with the crowd.

Because I represented our fishing business and was known by people in the area including Caiaphas, I was permitted to enter the court where Jesus was tried after he was captured. To see the terrible punishment of this man I had come to love was almost unbearable.

Despite my distress, I followed all the way to the cross and witnessed the horror of his crucifixion.

Extinguish one of the candles.

 

PHILIP

My name is Philip, a follower of Jesus. I came from Bethsaida like others of Jesus’s disciples, and I knew Peter and Andrew. John the Baptist preached in the region where I lived, and I became his first disciple because I was seeking a path to salvation. John the Baptist told me that Jesus was the way to salvation, so I sought him out and when Jesus’s called me to follow him, I went willingly.

My belief was reinforced at the Wedding in Cana when Jesus turned the water into wine. I was there at the feeding of the 5,000, but when Jesus asked me where they could buy bread for that many people, I told him that eight month’s wages could not buy enough for one bite. It was then I realized how little I understood Jesus true message of salvation and the miracle of multiplying the bread and fish opened my eyes to his power.

I was at the Last Supper where Jesus washed each disciple’s feet but did not enter the garden when Jesus went to pray. When the soldiers came to take him captive, I ran and did not follow him to the cross.

Extinguish one of the candles.

 

NATHANAEL

I am Nathanael, sometimes called Bartholomew. I am from Cana in Galilee, the site of the Wedding Feast where Jesus turned water into wine. My father was Tolmai and we were an Israelite family.

My friend Philip was the one who introduced me to Jesus. I was skeptical about who Jesus was and said to Philip, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” But Jesus told me of a vision where he saw me sitting under a fig tree when Philip called me to be Jesus’s disciple. At that moment I knew Jesus was the Son of God! From then on, I was a faithful follower.

At the Last Supper my feet were washed and though at the time I did not fully understand what Jesus was trying to tell us, I felt the power of the message and did not doubt him. I did not go to the garden with him, but I witnessed his capture, and like the others, I ran away in fear. I did not follow him to the cross.

Extinguish one of the candles.

 

MATTHEW

My name is Matthew, but I was Levi before my call to follow Jesus. My father was Alphaeus, and I am a brother to another of Jesus’s disciples, James the Lesser. I was not a disciple of John the Baptist before I met Jesus. As a publican I was educated and knew several languages. My occupation was tax collector, so I collected duties on goods brought in by farmers, merchants, and caravans from afar. Because my collecting was not always honest, I became a wealthy man.

It was a surprise to most that Jesus would call a tax collector to follow him, but I was a keen observer of people and could capture and remember the smallest of details. When Jesus called me, my instincts told me that he truly was the Messiah. I immediately left my life of wealth and security and did not look back.

The day Jesus invited me to follow him, I threw a farewell feast at my home in Capernaum for all my friends so they could meet Jesus, too. From that day on, I no longer collected taxes, but collected souls for him.

After the Last Supper, I went to the gate of the garden, but did not enter. Jesus being taken captive was so frightening, I simply ran from there to a place of safety and did not go to the cross.

Extinguish one of the candles.

 

THOMAS

I am Thomas, also known as Didymas. I am a native of Galilee and I was a fisherman by trade. John and I knew each other from childhood, and I saw him and James sometimes while we were fishing. My nature was to question and doubt which sometimes caused problems for me, but when Jesus called me to follow him, I didn’t hesitate, I just left my nets and my boat and went with him.

Once when Jesus had gone across the Jordan to the place where John the Baptist had done his baptizing in the early days, he got word that Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, was sick unto death. We were surprised when Jesus did not go to be with them right away, but we knew his life was in danger if he went. He delayed two more days and when he finally told us he was going, I told the others that we should go so we could die with him.

So, I witnessed the raising of Lazarus and was at the Last Supper when Jesus washed all our feet. I did not go to the garden, but I saw him taken captive. Then, like all the others except my friend John, I ran away and did not follow him to the cross.

Extinguish one of the candles.

 

JAMES THE LESSER

My name is James. I am the son of Alphaeus and Mary and a younger brother to Matthew Levi. I came from Capernaum on the northwestern shore of Galilee. I did not go to the great party my brother threw to introduce Jesus to his friends, because I did not like what Matthew did for a living. Rather I first met Jesus when I heard him teaching about the kingdom of God. Something within told me that what he was teaching was truth and when he called me to follow, I immediately did so.

I traveled with Jesus in all the years of his ministry, listened to his teachings and witnessed many miracles and healings. As a small man, I sometimes was left unnoticed by those other followers…thus my name James the Lesser which also distinguished me from James the Great or James’s son of Zebedee.

I was deeply touched by Jesus’s washing my feet at the Last Supper but did not go into the garden when he prayed. Jesus’s capture was such a fearful thing, I simply ran away to find a safe place. I did not follow him to the cross.

Extinguish one of the candles.

 

SIMON THE ZEALOT

I am Simon, sometimes called a zealot because of my great enthusiasm for the message Jesus spoke, but I am sometimes called Simon the Canaanite because I was born in Cana of Galilee.

Jesus called me to follow him after he called Andrew and Peter and James and John and about the same time as he called Thaddaeus and Judas Iscariot at the Sea of Tiberias. Without hesitation or doubt I left my occupation and joined those other disciples who were following Jesus.

During Jesus’s three years of ministry, I saw him perform healings and other miracles and witnessed the conversion of many. My belief and faith became ever stronger the more I heard his message about the kingdom of God.

I was at the Last Supper when Jesus washed our feet, and I followed him to the entrance of the garden where he went to pray. When the soldiers captured Jesus and took him away, I was so afraid I could not bring myself to follow, so I ran and ran and found a safe place to hide.

Extinguish one of the candles.

 

THADDEUS

My name is Thaddeus, and I am the youngest of Jesus’s disciples. I am known to have two other names; Judas and Lebbaeus which means dear or beloved. My father is James the Great, so I am the grandson of Zebedee and the nephew of John. I was born and raised in a family of fishermen, and I followed my father to become a disciple of Jesus. As I followed him and witnessed his miracles, my devotion grew.

Simon the Zealot became my good friend during our travels. At the Last Supper, I began to sense that Jesus was trying to tell us goodbye, and my heart ached to understand. So, I asked him, “How is it you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” And Jesus’s answered, “If a man loves me and keeps my word, my father and I will love him, and we will come to him and abide with him.” I wondered how that could be if he was really going to die as he said.

When he left the supper and went to the garden to pray, I followed, but didn’t go into the garden. Then when the solders came and took him captive, in the chaos I slipped away and did not go to the cross.

Extinguish one of the candles.

 

JUDAS ISCARIOT

My name is Judas and I come from Kerioth. I am Judean and did not come from Galilee as did the other eleven disciples. My father’s name was Simon. I first met Jesus when he came through Judea preaching his message of salvation, but his call for me to follow came at the Sea of Tiberias at the same time as he called Thaddaeus and Simon the Zealot. It was exciting to listen to his teaching and something about him called to my heart so I followed him.

In the beginning the others trusted me and because I liked handling money, I became treasurer for the group. Later I started secretly taking money from the bag, always thinking I would repay it, but more often than not I didn’t.

As time passed, I could not quite understand why Jesus did some of the things he did. He spoke often of the Kingdom, and I thought that meant he would become a great ruler. That was an exciting thought because I could then become an important person in his kingdom. When I tried to question him about such things, he once called me a devil! And another time he implied I was a thief.

When Mary anointed Jesus with very expensive ointment, I wanted to know why the ointment wasn’t sold and the money given to the poor…not that I was concerned about the poor, but because there was nothing left in the money bag since I had taken it all. Angry that I had been caught, disappointed that the kingdom Jesus spoke of was not what I thought and trying to find a way out, I went to the temple and made an agreement with the high priests that for thirty pieces of silver I would turn Jesus over to them.

Those coins were in my bag as we ate the Last Supper. After Jesus had washed our feet, he said one of us was going to betray him.

When John asked him who was going to betray him, Jesus said it was the one to whom he would give a piece of bread. Then he dipped the piece of bread and gave it to me and told me that what I was about to do, do quickly! No one else seemed to understand what Jesus was saying and no one else could feel the darkness that entered me just then!

I fled into the night and went to the temple to get the high priests and the soldiers and my thirty pieces of silver!

Extinguish the last of the circle of candles.

—Glenna Henry, Columbia, Missouri, USA; used with permission

 

 

SERMON AND CLASS HELPS

Years ABC—Letters

Maundy Thursday

1 Corinthians 11:23–26

 

Exploring the Scripture

In the verses directly before today’s scripture passage, Paul confronts the Corinthians about their abuse of the Lord’s Supper. He calls out divisions found within the church about class and status—especially when they gather. In 1 Corinthians 11:23–26 (known as “the words of institution for the Lord’s Supper”), Paul passes on the tradition he received. These verses are closest to the instruction found in Luke 22:15–20. Here Paul takes a break from chastising their behavior to pass along important memories to strengthen and remind the people. His use of the Greek words for “received” and “handed on to you” shows how the practice in Corinth strayed from Jesus’ example. This straying from tradition and teaching has caused divisions among the disciples in Corinth.

“On the night when he was betrayed” refers to the Last Supper—the meal Jesus shared with the disciples before he was betrayed, arrested, and crucified (v. 23). This meal is a model for the way many Christians celebrate the Lord’s Supper:

• We give thanks; the bread (Christ’s body) is broken and given for us.
• The cup (Christ’s blood) is shared.
• We remember the covenant.
• We remember Christ and his sacrifice for us.

Memories can be powerful. They shape who we are and define an identity for individuals and groups. Great care is made to pass along memories from generation to generation. Reminiscing on shared experiences within the community can bring people together and seal relationships; it can also divide relationships, as witnessed in Corinth. This shared memory-building creates legacy and shapes history. Jesus encouraged us to gather and “do this” regularly (vv. 24, 25). Our memories can be lost when we don’t practice, including those in our collective memory.

When we share the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, we engage our memories. Symbols, signs, and images help us remember. We engage our memories more often when items of everyday life are involved in our sacred practices. Jesus chose the ordinary staples of bread and wine to signal a new covenant given through self-sacrifice. Gods’ Spirit works through these tokens and builds our shared memories. Christ is present because he promised to be in the bread and wine.

Bread—and breaking the bread—is part of the Jewish Passover tradition. Christians understand it as a metaphor for Christ’s body and a symbol of unity. The wine is symbolic of the shed of blood at Passover. It is a metaphor for suffering.

On Maundy Thursday, we remember Christ’s great love through his self-sacrifice, forgiveness, and promise of eternal life. In the elegant and simple meal of bread and wine, Jesus invites us to become part of God’s story. The body and blood are offered to each one personally, yet the Lord’s Supper is also for the gathered community. When we eat, we remember God’s presence with us in times past. We trust God is with us now. We expect God will remain with us as we move toward the future.

Like Corinth, our congregations may also be divided. In breaking the bread and sharing the cup, Jesus commits to us his life given as a covenant.

Central Ideas

1. The church received instructions about the Lord’s Supper (Communion) from Jesus’ example, outlined in his Last Supper with his disciples.
2. We can connect with Christ through the ordinary acts of eating the bread, drinking the cup, and remembering him.
3. Regularly celebrating the Lord’s Supper shapes our collective memory and strengthens our community through retelling the story of Christ’s self-sacrifice and the new covenant he enacted.
4. On Maundy Thursday, we remember Christ’s self-sacrifice and acts that delivered us from sin and death.

Questions for the Speaker

1. In what ways have you learned the sacred memories from generations past?
2. How have sacred memories shaped you and sustained you? How have they shaped and sustained your congregation?
3. Why do people come to the Lord’s table? For what do they hunger and thirst?
4. How has celebrating the Lord’s Supper helped build collective memories and practices in your congregation?
5. How can remembering Christ’s self-sacrifice and the new covenant in Christ heal divisions within the congregation?

 

SACRED SPACE: A RESOURCE FOR SMALL-GROUP MINISTRY

Year B Letters

Maundy Thursday

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 (A, B, C) NRSVUE

Gathering

Welcome

Maundy Thursday is the night on which the Lord’s Supper first was celebrated. The central theme of that first Lord’s Supper was one of humble service. Jesus washed the feet of the disciples and commanded that they do the same for each other. Jesus taught that he came not to be served, but to serve, to share the hospitality of God and the intimacy of breaking bread together.

Prayer for Peace

Ring a bell or chime three times slowly.

Light the peace candle.

Loving and humble God, today we make ourselves vulnerable to your Spirit. You showed the disciples vulnerability as you stooped to wash their feet. How might we have the same courage to do the same with our friends and neighbors as we seek to create peace? You create spaces for each person at your table and feed us in a new way, allowing us to take peace into our hearts. Grace us with that peace so that we may share it. May the voices of servant leaders focused on peace be uplifted over the voices of hatred and division so that all may find their place at the table. Amen.

Spiritual Practice

Body Prayer

Say: Today our spiritual practice will be a body prayer.

Show the group members three postures they will experience for this spiritual exercise.

First posture: Head bowed with hands folded.

Second posture: Sitting or standing with arms stretched outward.

Third posture: Hands clasped over the heart.

Say: “A chime will signal when to move into the next posture. You will not offer any words of prayer but instead will focus on sensing what type of prayer wants to emerge as you hold each posture.”

Lead the group in three deep cleansing breaths as preparation. Ring a chime.

First posture: Head bowed with hands folded (one minute). Ring a chime.

Second posture: Sitting or standing with arms stretched outward (one minute). Ring a chime.

Third posture: Hands clasped over the heart (one minute). Ring a chime.

Close with a spoken “Amen.”

Invite participants to share what they experienced during the body prayer.

Sharing Around the Table

1 Corinthians 11:23­–26 NRSVUE

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Corinth, the setting for today’s passage, was a multicultural, cosmopolitan city. The competition for status and privilege ruled social relations, and formal meals reinforced class distinction. This competition and class division were reflected in the way the church community met. Paul, bothered by this, reminded people of the moment Christ introduced the Lord’s Supper and what it meant.

Christ had torn down the social barriers between people, and the Lord’s table was a time to show this. Christ had shown solidarity with those who were poor, marginalized, and displaced. He had proclaimed a kingdom, or a new way of living, which in Jesus’s time was scandalous. There was a place at the table for everyone.

As Jesus started sharing bread and wine, he was setting up a new covenant of oneness and equality. We share the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Christ. To remember is not just a simple mental act. It means we retake this way of life and reshape our actions. It is life-changing every time. Jesus’s command to do this in “remembrance of me” is not about remembering our past as much as it is seeing everyone around the table as equals.

This covenant is at the heart of being a disciple of Jesus Christ. Through Communion, we proclaim that we are a new covenant people, called to live an alternate community lifestyle that “courageously challenge[s] cultural, political, and religious trends that are contrary to the reconciling and restoring purposes of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 163:3b).

When we come to the table, we cannot come while leaving others uninvited and unwelcomed. There are no places of honor, no persons more or less deserving. To act or think otherwise is to fail to “remember” him.

Questions

1. What cultural practices do we bring into our lives as disciples that are not Christ-like?
2. How can we remember Jesus in ways that enable us to take his way of life and reshape our actions?

Sending

Generosity Statement

Beloved Community of Christ, do not just speak and sing of Zion. Live, love, and share as Zion: those who strive to be visibly one in Christ, among whom there are no poor or oppressed.

—Doctrine and Covenants 165:6a

The offering basket is available if you would like to support ongoing, small-group ministries as part of your generous response.

The offering prayer is adapted from A Disciple’s Generous Response:

Ever-present God, forgive us when we are less than loving, less than hope-filled, less than you have created us to be. Your mercy and grace are always with us. May we find strength in your presence, and may we respond to your love with generous spirits. Amen.

Invitation to Next Meeting

Closing Hymn

Community of Christ Sings 519, “In the Singing”

Closing Prayer

Optional Additions Depending on Group

• Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
• Thoughts for Children

 

Thoughts for Children

You will need:

• Wet wipes

Say: On Maundy Thursday, after Jesus had shared a meal with his disciples, he did something pretty radical. He washed their feet.

He did this because he wanted them to know it was important to serve or take care of each other.

Use the wet wipes to take turns washing participants’ hands.

Say: What other opportunities can we take to serve people in our lives just like Jesus did?