On this night Christians commemorate the supper Jesus shared with his disciples before his crucifixion, when Jesus washed the disciples' feet (John 13:1–17) and instituted the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper (Matthew 26:26 –29; Mark 14:22 –25; Luke 22:13 –20; 1 Corinthians 11:23 –25).

 

We will have Holy Communion during the Maundy Thursday Service!

 

Online Worship information is here: www.LittleFallsUMC.org/maundy

YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/@lfumc

 

Join in Online Worship Services during Holy Week and on Easter Sunday!

• Maundy Thursday Service at 7 pm on April 17, Thursday 

• Good Friday Service at 7 pm on April 18, Friday at Sanctuary

• Easter Sunrise Service at 6:00 am on April 20, Sunday in the front yard

• Easter Sunday Worship at 10 am on April 20, Sunday at Sanctuary

 

 

Prepare yourself for Worship! 

 

Call to Worship

Leader: Come, beloved community, enter this holy night. We gather to remember Jesus, who gave everything for us.

People: We remember his body, broken in love. We remember his blood, poured out in grace.

Leader: On this night, our Savior knelt to serve, washing the feet of his disciples, even those who would deny and betray him.

People: We are called to follow his example— to love as he loved, and to serve as he served.

Leader: Come with hearts open to remember and to receive, Come with hands ready to serve and to bless.

All: Let us worship Christ, who gave himself for us, and calls us to live in love, humility, and service.

 

OPENING HYMN         What Wondrous Love is This          UMH 292 v 1-3

 

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!

What wondrous love is this, O my soul!

What wondrous love is this,

That caused the Lord of bliss,

To bear the dreadful curse, for my soul, for my soul,

To bear the dreadful curse for my soul.
 

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!

What wondrous love is this, O my soul!

What wondrous love is this,

That caused the Lord of life,

To lay aside his crown for my soul, for my soul,

To lay aside his crown for my soul.
 

To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing!

To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing!

To God and to the Lamb, Who is the great "I AM, "

While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing!

While millions join the theme, I will sing.

 

CONFESSION AND PARDON

 

Leader: My sisters and brothers, Christ shows us his love by becoming a humble servant. Let us draw near to God and confess our sin in the truth of God’s Spirit.

 

All: Most merciful God, we your Church confess that often our spirit has not been that of Christ. Where we have failed to love one another as he loves us, where we have pledged loyalty to him with our lips and then betrayed, deserted, or denied him, forgive us, we pray; and by your Spirit make us faithful in every time of trial; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Leader: Who is in a position to condemn? Only Christ. But Christ suffered and died for us, was raised from the dead and ascended on high for us and continues to intercede for us. Believe the good news: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!

 

All: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven! Glory to God. Amen.

 

THE LESSON FROM SCRIPTURE  

 

John 13:1-17, 31-35

 

Leader: 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.

 

All: The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. 

 

Leader: 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.

 

All: 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.

 

Leader: He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 

 

All: Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 

 

Leader: Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.”

 

All: Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 

 

Leader: 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.”

 

 All: For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

 

Leader: 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?

 

All: You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. 

 

Leader: So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

 

All: For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 

 

Leader: Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. 

 

All: If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

 

Leader: When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.

 

All: If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 

 

Leader: 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.’

 

All: 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.”

 

MEDITATION 1                         Remember                                   Rev. Jin Kook Kim

 

Today is Maundy Thursday, and we also call it Holy Thursday. We commemorate Maundy Thursday because of what Jesus did on Thursday, the day before he died on the cross two thousand years ago.

 

At the Last Supper, he instituted Holy Communion. At the table, he took the bread and gave thanks to God and broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take, Eat, this is my body which is given to you. Do this in remembrance of me.” When the supper was over, he took the cup, gave thanks to God, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Drink from this all of you. This is my blood of the new covenant poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.” As Jesus said, Jesus wants us to remember him for his body broken for us and his blood shed for us because he died on the cross for us, instead of us.

 

What do you think? Do we have to remember Jesus because he ordered us to do that? Is that the only reason? I don’t think so. I remember all the people who helped me to be who I am, and I am very thankful to them. Whenever I look back on my life, I remember them and feel grateful for their grace in each stage of my life. I remember the grace that God has given me to be who I am as God’s child. I remember God’s grace, which has led me in my journey till now.  The most important reason that we have to remember Jesus is his grace for us. His sacrifice is his grace for us. It is the grace of forgiveness and salvation. It is the grace of new life in God. We have received his grace, so we can be here. Through his grace, we become who we are now.

 

Jesus gives us the best way to remember him and his grace by instituting Holy Communion. The supper was originally a Passover meal that the Jews had annually to remember God’s grace to save them from Egypt, to be free from them, and to begin their journey to the promised land. He turned the supper into Holy Communion to remember his grace to save us from our sins and begin our journey to the kingdom of God.  The elements, bread and wine, were usual and popular, basic food and drink for the people at that time. Whether they were rich or poor, old or young, male or female, all people ate bread and drank wine for every meal. Everyone could remember Jesus and his grace through their daily bread and wine.

 

Church family, let us remember Jesus and his grace for us, which he showed through his cross. Let us remember Jesus whenever we have Holy Communion. Let us remember Jesus’ grace whenever we eat something or drink something because Jesus’ grace makes us live out our lives in God’s love and blessings.

 

Now, I invite you to the Holy Communion. Let us have Holy Communion in remembrance of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

 

HYMN OF REFLECTION             Broken for Me             TFWS 2263

 

 (Refrain)

Broken for me

Broken for you

The body of Jesus

Broken for you

 

1. He offered His body

He poured out His soul

Jesus was broken

That we might be whole

(Refrain) 

 

2. Come to My table

And with Me dine

Eat of My bread

And drink of My wine

(Refrain) 

 

3. This is My body

Given for you

Eat it remembering

I died for you

(Refrain) 

 

4. This is My blood

I shed for you

For your forgiveness

Making you new 

(Refrain)

 

The body of Jesus

Broken for you 

 

THANSKGIVING AND COMMUNION                         Rev. Jin Kook Kim

 

Response 1

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.

 

Response 2

Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

 

Response 3

Amen.

 

MEDITATION 2                         Serve                       Rev. Jin Kook Kim

 

During the supper, he took a towel, a basin, and water. He washed the disciples’ feet, one by one. At that time, washing one’s feet was a servant's job. Jesus was a teacher of disciples, so he was not supposed to serve them but should be served by disciples. However, he served his disciples by washing their feet. And said, “You ought to wash one another’s feet, as I, as your teacher, washed your feet. I showed the example. Serve one another.” He washed his disciples’ feet to teach them to serve one another. Considering that Jesus knew his time to die had come almost, we can see how important it was for Jesus to teach them to serve one another.  He intentionally chose to teach them the lesson of service. People usually don’t want to serve others but want to be served by others. However, Jesus taught them to serve one another by showing the example. Washing feet was not the sole instance of his service, but rather one of the numerous examples that Jesus demonstrated. His entire life was dedicated to serving God and humanity. Look at his ministry. He served people by healing, feeding, and teaching them. He had served them because of his love for them, and he served them with love. Jesus invites us to serve one another. Jesus wants us to serve one another because of our love for them. Jesus wants us to serve one another with love for them as following Jesus’ life.

 

Church family, let us serve one another with not only our labor or strength but also with love and grace. Let us serve one another because we love them as Jesus serves us because he loves us. We are called to serve one another with love and grace! Let’s remember Jesus’ precious teaching and live out the teaching by serving one another with love.

 

Now, I invite you to a symbolic act of hand washing. While you wash others’ hands and the other washes your hands, remember Jesus’ washing of disciples’ feet, his teaching, and his heart of love and service. I hope we re-commit ourselves to serve one another with love by washing one another’s hands.

 

HANDWASHING by One Another

 

CLOSING HYMN       Go to Dark Gethsemane                     UMH 290 v 1-3
 

Go to dark Gethsemane, ye that feel the tempter's power.

Your Redeemer's conflict see, watch with Him one bitter hour,

Turn not from His griefs away; learn of Jesus Christ to pray.

 

See Him at the judgment hall, beaten, bound, reviled, arraigned.

the wormwood and the gall! O the pangs His soul sustained!

Shun not suffering, shame, or loss; learn of Christ to bear the cross.

 

Calvary's mournful mountain climb; there, adoring at His feet,

Mark that miracle of time, God's own sacrifice complete.

"It is finished!" hear Him cry; learn of Jesus Christ to die.

 

BENEDICTION                                                                         Rev. Jin Kook Kim

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.” The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you.   Amen!

 

* See you tomorrow night at 7 pm for Good Friday Tenebrae Service. 

Have a good night!