Hi First Presbyterian,
It’s Holy Week, and I wanted to send out my Mid-Week Meet-Up a little early. I mostly wanted you to give you a couple days to consider the nature of our Maundy Thursday service this week. First, have you ever wondered what the word “maundy” means? As a kid, I misheard it as “Monday Thursday,” and I thought it was nonsensical and was somehow connected to the utter incomprehensibility of the Son of God dying for us. It turns out that “maundy” comes from the Latin word mandatum, which means “mandate” or “command.” The command it refers to is from John 13:34, in which Jesus says: “I give you a new commandment: that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” In other words, “Maundy Thursday” refers to the Thursday on which Jesus gave us a command to love one another. We could reasonably call this day “Love Commandment Thursday.”
Second, I want to make you aware that our Maundy Thursday service this year is going to be a service of foot-washing. In other words, Pastor Erin and I will be washing your feet during worship on Thursday evening. You will be invited to come forward during worship, remove your socks and shoes, and we will wash and dry your feet. I can hear some of you saying right now, “Why in the world is this happening?!?!” Let me say right away: no one will be forced to participate in the foot-washing. If you want to participate in the foot-washing, please come to worship on Thursday. If you don’t want to participate in the foot-washing, please come to worship on Thursday anyway! I encourage you to be open to it and to even try it. Everyone worshiping online will also have a way to participate from home.
The truth is: Christians from all different denominations have been doing foot-washing services for at least hundreds of years. In fact, it goes all the way back to Christ himself, which is kind of the point of doing it today. I encourage you to read about foot-washing on the internet and to read John 13:1-20 (read all the way to verse 35 to see how it’s connected to the Love Commandment I mentioned above) between now and Maundy Thursday. Then worship with us at 7pm and see if Holy Week opens up to you in a new and more meaningful way.
Peace to you,
Pastor Aaron