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Maundy Thursday March 29, 2018

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Maundy Thursday March 29, 2018 Maundy Thursday March 29, 2018 Preparing for worship Tonight, our worship will conclude in include those who shut the Bible and declare it darkness with the traditional slamming of to be irrelevant to modern life and those who the Bible. This is a standard feature in several shut their minds to the living Word of God Christian traditions, typically occurring on in order to worship a Bible set in interpretive Good Friday. stone. This event, known as the “strepitus,” takes The Bible says that the word of God is “living various forms in congregational settings. The and active,” not a closed book that has no point is to symbolize the earthquake and agony relevance to our time. And in that same passage of creation at the time of Jesus’ death on the from the book of Hebrews, we are encouraged Cross. It is a loud noise intended to startle as a result to “approach the throne of grace with all who are present, to shake them awake to boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find the reality of what has just happened. Some grace to help in time of need.” churches ask all the worshippers to pick up We welcome our invited guests tonight from hymnals and bang them on the pews. Some Cathedral of Hope and hope that you find here use loud noises from the organ. Some drop a evidence of our vision to become bold witnesses wooden block on the floor. to the way of Christ in our time. In our case, George will gather up the huge Closed Bibles, closed minds, closed spirits, Bible from the Lord’s Supper table, as darkness closed communities are not open to the living has fallen over the room and only the single and active word of God. We are reminded Christ candle remains lit nearby. Amid the tonight and on Good Friday tomorrow that darkness, he will violently slam the Bible shut, the Bible slams shut when Jesus the Christ making a thunderclap that startles you even if is betrayed and put to death. When we close you know it is coming. Then he will walk slowly ourselves to Jesus, the living Word of God, we out of the Sanctuary, carrying with him the too may find ourselves walking in darkness. single flame of the Christ candle, leaving us in And that should be startling, indeed. utter darkness. —Mark Wingfield This makes me think of the pain of those who slam the Bible shut in real life. That would Wilshire Baptist Church 4316 Abrams Road | Dallas, Texas 75214 (214) 452-3100 | www.wilshirebc.org Partnered with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Building a Community of Faith Shaped by the Spirit of Jesus Christ ON THE COVER: Did I Not See You in the Garden © 2013 Wayne Forte | Eyekons 2 Maundy Thursday March 29, 2018 7:30 p.m. Chiming of the Hour Prelude O Sacred Head, Now Wounded Burkhardt/Thompson Cathedral Ringers; Les Holben, interim director Quince Holman, violin Welcome to Worshipers George Mason Opening Sentences Erin Wyma Tonight we continue the Lenten journey with Jesus toward Jerusalem and the cross of suffering. On this journey we are propelled by the same Spirit of God who takes dead things and breathes them back to life. As we gather for worship now, may we draw hope from the knowledge that the perishable cannot inherit the kingdom of God, that what we sow as mortal blossoms in immortality through the breath of God. Scripture tells us that in the midst of healing the sick and preaching good news to the poor, Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem, knowing this was the road he must travel to bring redemption to humankind. Tonight we hear the story once again. Lord, have mercy. Invocation Heather Mustain +Hymn 171 What Wondrous Love Is This wondrous love Stanzas 1-3 The Passover with the Disciples — John 13:1–17, 31b–35 George Mason and Neil Cazares-Thomas Reader 1: 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. Hearing devices are available in the Narthex and South Atrium. 3 Reader 2: 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.” The Lord’s Supper Tiffany Wright All followers of Christ are invited to partake of the Lord’s Supper, whether you are a Wilshire member or not. Communion Meditation Ave Verum Corpus Elder Sanctuary Choir Ave verum corpus, natum de Maria Virgine vere passum, immolatum in cruce pro homine cujas latus perforatum unda fluxit et sanguine esto nobis praegustatum in mortis examine. O Jesu dulcis, O Jesu pie, O Jesu, Fili Mariae. Miserere mei. Amen. Hail, true Body, born of the Virgin Mary, having truly suffered, sacrificed on the cross for humanity, from whose pierced side water and blood flowed: Be for us a foretaste (of the heavenly banquet) in the trial of death! O sweet Jesus, O holy Jesus, O Jesus, son of Mary, have mercy on me. Amen. +Hymn 180 Go to Dark Gethsemane redhead76 Stanzas 1 and 2 The Arrest of Jesus and the Denial of Peter — John 18:1–27 Reader 1: After Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas 4 brought a detachment of soldiers together with police from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to him, came forward and asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” They answered, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus replied, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they stepped back and fell to the ground. Again he asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So if you are looking for me, let these men go.” This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken, “I did not lose a single one of those whom you gave me.” Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?” Reader 2: So the soldiers, their officer, and the Jewish police arrested Jesus and bound him. First they took him to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was better to have one person die for the people.
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