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Maundy Thursday Invitation to the Table: Share, See, Sense, & Experience

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The parade is in the past…
the hosannas have hushed…
and Jesus has retreated to an upper room
to quietly dine with his disciples.

We’ve been invited to the table
to share in the mystery
of broken bread…
of a cup of wine…
and of feet humbly washed,
challenging us to eat, drink, and remember…together,
and to love and serve one another
just as Jesus loves and serves us.

We’ve been invited to the table
to see Judas get up from his seat
and walk out the door…
challenging us to look into our hearts,
and glimpse the signs of our own acts of betrayal.

So let’s take our place at this table…
where we sense our brokenness
and experience God’s grace
all at once.

Let us pray…

Submitted by Scott Cervas, pastor at Meadowthorpe Presbyterian Church (Lexington, KY)

CTW: share the mystery & wonder

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The sun had just risen from behind the horizon…
the world was quiet, but for the chirping birds and buzzing insects…
the three women walked slowly to the tomb
only to quickly leave with shocking news they never expected to receive:

JESUS IS RISEN!
HE IS RISEN, INDEED!

Let’s share in the mystery and wonder of those words…
let’s allow our hearts to ponder and our minds to reflect…
and let’s celebrate the glory of God, together!

Submitted by Scott Cervas, pastor at Meadowthorpe Presbyterian Church (Lexington, KY)

confession: fear of “uns”

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God of new life…
too often, we we seem to be controlled by our fear of “uns”;
fear of the unexpected…the unknown…the uninhibited.
Sometimes, like the magi from the East,
we respond to our fear by taking an alternative path,
because that really is the best plan.
And sometimes, like Mary, Mary, and Salome,
we respond by running away as fast as we can,
not saying a word to anyone…
even when what we’re afraid of is your life-changing good news.
Give us the wisdom and the courage to know
how to respond to our fears…
and more importantly, to your renewing presence…
even now…as we offer our silent confessions…

Submitted by Scott Cervas, pastor at Meadowthorpe Presbyterian Church (Lexington, KY)

call 2 confession / declaration of grace: good news / bad news

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Call to Confession

We are capable of making decisions that show regard for everyone…
but we are also capable of making decisions that don’t.
So please join me in the prayer of confession, printed in the bulletin,
followed by a moment of silent reflection and personal confession.

Declaration of Grace

The bad news is…
no matter what you do or don’t do,
these lush, shiny, green palm leaves
are going to eventually wither, dry, and turn brown.

But the good news is…
no matter what you do or don’t do,
The tireless, relentless, limitless love of God
Always remains, unshakably, the same.

So let’s sing and give thanks to God!

Submitted by Scott Cervas, pastor at Meadowthorpe Presbyterian Church (Lexington, KY)

illumination: hush our sure grasp of your truth

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Holy God,
in the midst of the loud “Hosannas!”,
as the waving palm leaves rustle in unison,
quiet our pre-conceived notions…
and hush our sure grasp of your truth…
so that we may, perhaps, discover something
about your vision…your hope…your purpose for our life…
that changes the way we think, act, and do.
Amen.

Submitted by Scott Cervas, pastor at Meadowthorpe Presbyterian Church (Lexington, KY)