The Liturgy of Maundy Thursday St. Paul’s Parish April 17, 2025

 
The Liturgy of Maundy Thursday
St. Paul’s Parish
April 17, 2025
 
Preludes: Sarabande J.S. Bach; Written on the Sky Max Richter; With Friends Dean Perry
 
35 Wash, O God, Our Sons and Daughters
 
The Gathering of the Community
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with you
        and also with you.
 
Words of welcome
–       Institution of Holy Communion
–       The washing of the disciple’s feet
–       The commandment to love one another
 
Prayers of Penitence
The Invitation to Confession
Our Lord Jesus Christ says: ‘If you love me, keep my commandments.’ ‘Unless I wash you, you have no part in me.’ ‘Let us confess to almighty God our sins against his love, and ask him to cleanse us.
 
Silence is kept.
 
Have mercy on us, O God, in your great goodness; according to the abundance of your compassion blot out our offences. Lord, have mercy.
        Lord, have mercy.
Against you only have we sinned and done what is evil in your sight. Christ, have mercy.
        Christ, have mercy.
Purge us from our sin and we shall be clean; wash us and we shall be whiter than snow. Lord, have mercy.
        Lord, have mercy.
 
The Absolution
May the Father forgive us
by the death of his Son
and strengthen us
to live in the power of the Spirit
all our days. Amen.
 
365 Glory to God on High
 
The Collect
Let us pray that we may love one another as Christ has loved us.
God our Father, you have invited us to share in the supper which your Son gave to his Church to proclaim his death until he comes: may he nourish us by his presence, and unite us in his love; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
 
The Proclamation of the Word
A Reading From The Book Of Exodus
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbour in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it. This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the Passover of the Lord. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgements: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance. 12:1-4, 11-14
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church         
      Thanks be to God
 
Psalm 116:1, 10-17
I love the Lord, because he has heard the voice of my supplication, because he has inclined his ear to me whenever I called upon him.
        I will lift up the cup of salvation.
How shall I repay the Lord for all the good things he has done for me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord.
        I will lift up the cup of salvation.
I will fulfil my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his servants.
        I will lift up the cup of salvation.
O Lord, I am your servant; I am your servant and the child of your handmaid; you have freed me from my bonds. I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call upon the name of the Lord.
        I will lift up the cup of salvation.
I will fulfil my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, In the courts of the Lord's house, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Hallelujah!
        I will lift up the cup of salvation.
 
A Reading from The First Letter of Paul To The Corinthians
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. 11:23-26
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church
      Thanks be to God
 
A New Commandment 
 
Gospel Reading
The Lord be with you
And also with you
The Holy Gospel Of Our Lord Jesus Christ according To John
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ
Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you." For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, "Not all of you are clean." After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord - and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.' I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. 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." 13:1-17, 31B-35
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Sermon: Archdeacon John Clarke
 
Prayers of the People
In the power of the Spirit let us pray to the Father through Christ the saviour of the world.
Father, on this, the night he was betrayed, your Son Jesus Christ washed his disciples’ feet. We commit ourselves to follow his example of love and service. Lord, hear us
        and humble us.
On this night, he prayed for his disciples to be one. We pray for the unity of your Church. Lord, hear us
        and unite us.
On this night, he prayed for those who were to believe through his disciples’ message. We pray for the mission of your Church. Lord, hear us
        and renew our zeal.
On this night, he commanded his disciples to love, but suffered rejection himself. We pray for the rejected and unloved. Lord, hear us
        and fill us with your love.
On this night, he reminded his disciples that if the world hated them it hated him first. We pray for those who are persecuted for their faith. Lord, hear us
        and give us your peace.
On this night, he accepted the cup of death and looked forward to the new wine of the kingdom. We remember those who have died in the peace of Christ. Lord, hear us
        and welcome all your children into paradise.
 
The Peace
Jesus says: ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.’
The peace of the Lord be always with you
        and also with you.
 
The Celebration of the Holy Eucharist
 
56 I Am the Bread, the Bread of Life
 
Prayer over the Gifts
Let us pray
Father, we spread this table to remember the loving sacrifice of Jesus Christ, your Son. Accept all we offer you this day. Bind us together in his love and in the love he has commanded us to bring one another; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
Eucharistic Prayer 3
The Lord be with you.
        And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
        We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
        It is right to give our thanks and praise.
 
Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of heaven and earth; we give you thanks and praise through Jesus Christ our Lord, who for our salvation became obedient unto death. The tree of defeat became the tree of victory: where life was lost, life has been restored.
 
Therefore with angels and archangels and all the heavenly chorus, we cry out to proclaim the glory of your name.
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
 
We give thanks to you, Lord our God, for the goodness and love you have made known to us in creation; in calling Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus your Son.
 
For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Saviour and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.
 
On this very night he was handed over to suffering and death, a death he freely accepted, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “ Take, eat: this is my body which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”
 
After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, “Drink this, all of you: this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”
 
Therefore, Father, according to his command,
we remember his death,
we proclaim his resurrection,
we await his coming in glory;
and we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.
 
We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts, that they may be the sacrament of the body of Christ and his blood of the new covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we, made acceptable in him, may be sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
 
In the fullness of time, reconcile all things in Christ, and make them new, and bring us to that city of light where you dwell with all your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation;
 
by whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory are yours, almighty Father, now and for ever. Amen.
 
The Lord’s Prayer
As our Saviour taught us, let us pray,
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.
 
The Breaking of the Bread – Lent and Holy Week
We break this bread,
        Communion in Christ’s body once broken.
Let your Church be the wheat
which bears its fruit in dying.
If we have died with him,
we shall live with him;
if we hold firm,
we shall reign with him.
 
The Communion
Draw near with faith. Receive the body of our Lord Jesus Christ which he gave for you, and his blood which he shed for you. Eat and drink in remembrance that he died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving.
 
The gifts of God for the People of God.
        Thanks be to God.
 
Lamb of God
Lamb of God you take away the sin of the world
        have mercy on us.
Lamb of God you take away the sin of the world
        have mercy on us.
Lamb of God you take away the sin of the world
        grant us your peace.
 
Hymns-during-Communion:
194 Stay With Us
 
Prayer after Communion
Silence is kept.
Holy God, source of all love, on the night of his betrayal Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment, to love one another as he loved them. Write this commandment in our hearts; give us the will to serve others as he was the servant of all, who gave his life and died for us, yet is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
 
Anthem: So Said the Lord That Night, Robert C. Lau
 
The Stripping of the Sanctuary
The holy table and the sanctuary will be stripped bare.
How lonely sits the city that once was full of people! How like a widow she has become, she that was great among the nations! She weeps bitterly in the night, with tears on her cheeks; among all her lovers she has no one to comfort her.
        Jerusalem, Jerusalem, return to the Lord your God.
 
The roads to Zion mourn, for no one comes to the festivals; all her gates are desolate, her priests groan; her young girls grieve, and her lot is bitter. Her children have gone away, captives before the foe. Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow.
        Jerusalem, Jerusalem, return to the Lord your God.
 
From on high he sent fire; it went deep into my bones; he spread a net for my feet; he turned me back; he has left me stunned, faint all day long. For these things I weep; my eyes flow with tears; for a comforter is far from me, one to revive my courage; my children are desolate, for the enemy has prevailed.
        Jerusalem, Jerusalem, return to the Lord your God.
 
All who pass along the way clap their hands at you; they hiss and wag their heads at daughter Jerusalem; ‘Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of all the earth?’ The thought of my affliction and homelessness is wormwood and gall.
        Jerusalem, Jerusalem, return to the Lord your God.
 
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’ The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.
        Jerusalem, Jerusalem, return to the Lord your God.
 
It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for one to bear the yoke in youth, to sit alone in silence when the Lord has imposed it, to put one’s mouth to the dust (there may yet be hope), to give one’s cheek to the smiter, and be filled with insults. For the Lord will not reject for ever.
        Jerusalem, Jerusalem, return to the Lord your God.
 
Mark 14:32-50 is read, “Go to Dark Gethsemane” played under
The congregation, choir and ministers leave in silence.