We begin by "acting up" - shouting and singing loud "Hosannas" and waving palm fronds as we remember how Jesus was raucously welcomed into Jerusalem by the crowds who very much wanted him to be their king. We want him to be our King as well. The service quickly turns somber, though, as we reenact the story of his betrayal, trial and crucifixion. Were some of the people who shouted "Crucify him!" the same ones who had earlier welcomed him with joy? Did they turn on Jesus because he wasn't the kind of king they wanted? Could we ever behave so badly? What would be His response to us if we did?

Maundy is an Old English form of the Latin mandatum, which means mandatory. Jesus says we must wash each other's feet if we are to truly belong to him. We will explore the deep meaning of these words, as we literally wash each other's feet as an expression of our desire to serve any and all, and (even harder) to be vulnerable enough to accept their ministry to us. Yes, foot washing is a bit awkward and embarrassing; that's the point! We are the Body of Christ, and we are to love and serve each other.   We are the Body, and yet we also eat the Body: After the foot washing, we move on to the Last Supper, where Jesus instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist. He told us to remember His works,  and to eat and drink His very Life, that He may live in us, and we in Him.

Called "Good" because it was good for us, though immeasurably painful for Jesus, we will walk the Stations of the Cross. At each station there will be scripture, a prayer together, and a short time of silent reflection. We walk, to act out our desire to walk with Jesus through thick and thin, and we acknowledge that only through his grace can we have the strength to do so. I find this to be a very tender yet powerful service, which makes me more vividly aware of Christ's extravagant, incomprehensible love for us sinners.