Maundy
Thursday
April
17, 2014
Exodus 12:1-4, 11-14 the Message Bible
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 the Message Bible
John 6:47-51 the Message Bible
Psalm 116:1-6, 12-19 the Message Bible
A Teachable Moment…
We
have almost come to the end of our Lenten journey together. On our journey we
have learned that through Jesus, God pours out so many blessings but the most
important is the free gift God Salvation only found through Jesus. As Psalm
116 said, God heard our cry for help. . . He heard and came to help, He
knew our need for a Messiah. God did not come and help in the form of a Davidic
king taking Rome by storm but in the form of a helpless babe who grew up to be
the King of all kings freeing all of humanity from a fate worse than death. . .
freeing us from our sin. How interesting it is that He would come in the
form of a helpless babe to help us in our helplessness of sin. . . He became
like us to conquer for us. . . And this gift. . . is absolutely FREE!
We
now enter the upper room where Jesus taught His disciples then and now one of
the most important lessons in His ministry. There was one last thing He needed
to show them…example for them…before He completed His work on the cross. Jesus
took something that they were taught as they grew up…the Passover Seder…and
turned into something new…something different. They were taught that the
Seder was a remembrance of how God delivered the Israelite's from the tyranny
of the Egyptians as is stated in the Exodus scripture I read this
evening. Now this new thing was about remembering Jesus and His
teachings…about remembering how Jesus acted and to go and do likewise.
At this Seder, Jesus did something that
a teacher would never have done. Instead of having others wash His feet…instead
of claiming the rights of one was above others…Jesus did a new thing. He was
the one who washed the feet. Taking on the posture of a servant instead of
being served, He taught the disciples and us to live a new way…one that puts
others above our selves.
I can understand how Simon Peter felt…he
knew who Jesus was. Peter understood that Jesus was special. Peter felt
unworthy of Jesus washing his feet but Jesus told him that if He didn’t, Peter
could have no part of what Jesus was doing…this new way of life. In taking on
this new lifestyle… of a servant…Jesus also gave them and us a new commandment.
To love others not as our self but as Jesus loved us. To be willing to put
aside self and take up theirs and our own cross and follow Jesus’ example.
Jesus taught the disciples many lesson
as they learned from their Rabbouni. We
continue to this day to remember those lessons by reenacting the Lords Supper.
This too was a new thing that night when the celebrated the Passover meal
together. You see not only did Jesus become their servant and gave that servant
example to them, He also changed the meaning behind the whole “Lords Supper”.
It not only was a remembrance of what God did in Egypt but also what God did in
Christ Jesus. . . He became that Pascal Lamb. . . He proclaims that He is the
“Bread of Life” as in the John scripture from tonight. You know John
the Baptist knew exactly who Jesus was. In John 1:29 John proclaims that Jesus
is the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” The disciples then
and now celebrate this meal that Jesus offers so that we may live life with Him.
Through Him there is life eternal instead of a life of death. Through His death
and resurrection we have new life in Christ. . . 1 Corinthians
reminds us that each time we celebrate. . . reenact this meal, we are drawn
back to the Upper Room and sit with Jesus. May we always cherish these
moments and never get to the point that we become so familiar that we just go
through the motions and miss out on the God inspired moment in the Upper Room.
. .
So. . . now Jesus gives one of His final
lessons at this meal in the Upper Room. They and we are called to live in a new
and radical way…much different than the world around us as Jesus’ disciples.
Now. . . they and we are called to serve. . . to set aside ourselves our
titles. . . our degrees. . . our self-interests. . . our ego's. . . we are
called to not see color. . . we are called to not see economic realities. . . we
are called to be a house of prayer and not a house of despair. . . we are
called to be the hands, feet, voice and image of the Servant of the Lord. We
are called to roll up our sleeves and get involved with a hurting world that truly
needs acts of Radical Hospitality.
We are called to love unconditionally. We are
called to serve others with the love and joy that Jesus did. We are called into
the family business, as beloved children of the Most High God. We are called to
be Christ to the world. Imagine what the world would be if we were more
interested in the family business than branching out on our own? Maybe the
world. . . humanity. . . needs to return to its original form and walk in the
cool of the evening with our God as Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden?
What to do you think would happen if you and I would unconditionally be the
hands and feet of Christ? Just imagine.
April
17, 2014
Maundy Thursday
Exodus 12:1-4, 11-14 (NRSV)
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (NRSV)
John 6:47-51 (NRSV)
Psalm 116:1-6, 12-19 (NRSV)
foot
washing
Communion
and Maundy
Thursday Reflections,
“A
Teachable Moment. . . ”
including
paraphrase of John 13:1-17
and John
1:29
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
meditation blog
“God’s
Whisper” blog
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
April 17, 2014
&
watching
film: “The Passion of the Christ”
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
April
16, 2014
&
Palm Sunday
Sermon 14 of “What’s In A Name…”
Sermon Series on “The Sacred
Names of God”
Isaiah
53:7-12 (The Message)
Isaiah
50:4-9a
Matthew
20:26-27
(Matthew
21:1-11)
“Praying the Names of God: A Daily
Guide”
By, Ann Spangler
Names of God and Definitions from Sermon
today:
-
Ish Makaboth à Man of Sorrows
song
and sacred dance by Erica Berberena
to
“Hosanna” by Kirk Franklin
distribution
of the palms
Communion
and sermon “Hello My Name
is . . . Ish Makaboth”
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
meditation blog
“God’s
Whisper” blog
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
April 13, 2014
. . .
&
Fourth Sunday in Lent
Sermon 12 of “What’s In A Name…”
Sermon Series on “The Sacred
Names of God”
Isaiah
53:1-9 (The Message)
“The
Suffering Servant”
1
Samuel 16:1-13
“God
Looks into the Heart”
“Praying the Names of God: A Daily
Guide”
By, Ann Spangler
Names of God and Definitions from Sermon
today:
-
Ebed Yahweh à Servant of God
Communion
and sermon “Hello My Name
is . . . Ebed Yahweh”
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
March 30, 2014
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reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage.
See all 29,170+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com
Poetry Where You Live.
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