Maundy Thursday, April 9 2020 St. George’s Anglican Church, Cadboro Bay https://www.stgeorgecadborobay.ca

Maundy Thursday: Garden Focus The following is a short prayer service with readings and intercessions that focuses on in the garden of Gethsemane asking his friends to pray with him. You might choose to use the whole prayer service or to utilize just some of the parts of the service. Thanks to Rev. Dawna Wall, parish at St. Michael and All , Royal Oak, for doing much of the planning of this beautiful .

If you’re a gardener, you might consider using parts of this service intermixed with your gardening.

If you like this service, you may also be interested in the Creating a and Garden resource also available on our website.

Gathering In her book Grounded, Diana Butler Bass writes that “We are animated dirt. Soil and life joined. From living ground we were made; to living ground we will return.” Our Lenten journey began on Ash Wednesday with the imposition of ashes and ends in this Holy Week during a Global Pandemic which finds us feeling the weight of our mortality more intimately than we might have imagined.

Steven Nightingale writes, “Gardens are where fate is decided; gardens mark decisive turns of events in the story of our life on earth; gardens safeguard wisdom; gardens hold beauties that help us learn how the order of nature offers the secrets of life.” As we move more deeply into Holy Week, we too, move to the garden to explore the complex story of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. The garden gives us a window into Jesus’ vulnerability, and our own. Asking others, even trusted friends, to pray with us is a very courageous thing to do. On this night, when Jesus retreated to a garden to pray, to share his grief and his questions with God, so, too, do we.

Opening Prayer Servant-Christ, we follow you into the garden, to watch with you. Help us to be ever vigilant For signs of the dawning of your day, To struggle unsparingly to understand, And to be obedient to your perfect will. Amen.

Isaiah 51:1-6 Listen to me, you that pursue righteousness, you that seek the Lord. Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, but I blessed him and made him many. For the Lord will comfort Zion; he will comfort all her waste places, and will make her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song. Listen to me, my people, and give heed to me, my nation; for a teaching will go out from me, and my justice for a light to the peoples. I will bring near my deliverance swiftly, my salvation has gone out and my arms will rule the peoples; the coastlands wait for me, and for my arm they hope. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and those who live on it will die like gnats; but my salvation will be forever, and my deliverance will never be ended.

Repotting by Gunilla Norris from her book Being Home How hard it is to know when the pot is too small for the plant. Some plants need to be contained, held very close. Others cannot be crowded. I don’t know when I myself am too pot-bound, lacking courage to be replanted, to take the shock of new soil, to feel into the unknown and to take root in it.

This drying out, this self-crowding sneaks up on me. It seems I must always feel a little wilted or deadened before I know I’m too pot-bound.

This African violet must first be cut and divided. The knife goes through the root. The white flesh exposed and moist looks as if it is bleeding. It must have soil immediately so the plant won’t die. Then water. Water taken in from below. This water must seep up into the plant by infusion. Then comes the waiting as the shock registers. Days and weeks of waiting.

It will be months before a new leaf appears. Perhaps the plant won’t make it. So it is when the time comes for me to be cut and divided so as to grow again.

Help me to see this not as a problem but as a process. Help me surrender to the growth that only comes with pain, with division, with helplessness, with waiting. Especially the days and weeks of waiting.

For the word of God in scripture, For the word of God among us, For the word of God within us, Thanks be to God.

Gospel After supper, when the disciples had sung a hymn, they went outside the city, across the Kidron Valley to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. On the way Jesus told them how they would all be scattered and confused and lost from themselves and his teachings. The disciples did not want to hear these difficult words and argued with him. When they arrived in the garden, Jesus invited them to sit and pray with him, as he went to a different part of the garden and knelt to pray. Weeping, Jesus allowed himself to express the grief and anguish he was feeling and offered them to God, pleading for another ending to the story. Seeking the comfort and reassurance of his friends, Jesus returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. Frustrated, he woke them up and urged them to pray with him in this difficult time. Returning to his prayer spot, Jesus again expressed his sadness to God, but also his willingness to share in the unfolding of the story of God’s saving love. Again, Jesus found the disciples sleeping and left them alone as he went and prayed a third time. Then he returned to the disciples and woke them with the news that Judas and a large crowd had come for him with swords and spears. Sleepy and sluggish, scared and confused, the disciples confronted the mob and were surprised to see Judas kiss Jesus. Everything seemed chaotic as Peter sliced off the ear of a slave of the high priest and Jesus healed it, admonishing them to trust that God’s will can be done even in dark and difficult circumstances. Then the disciples, slowly recognizing the danger they were in, fled. Alone with his enemies, Jesus left the garden and made his way back into the city. (Matthew 26:30-57)

Gethsemane by Mary Oliver from her book Thirst

The grass never sleeps. Or the roses. Nor does the lily have a secret eye that shuts until morning.

Jesus said, wait with me. But the disciples slept.

The cricket has such splendid fringe on its feet, and it sings, have you noticed, with its whole body, and heaven knows if it ever sleeps.

Jesus said, wait with me. And maybe the stars did, maybe the wind wound itself into a silver tree, and didn’t move, maybe the lake far away, where once he walked as on a blue pavement, lay still and waited, wild awake.

Oh the dear bodies, slumped and eye-shut, that could not keep that vigil, how they must have wept, so utterly human, knowing this too must be a part of the story.

Intercessions

Jesus said, a I give to you, that you love one another, as I have loved you, let us pray now for the Church and for the world.

On this night, as he gathered with friends, our Lord Jesus Christ shared food and conversation, cleansing and companionship, inclusion and forgiveness. We commit ourselves to follow that example of love and service. Holy God, graciously hear us.

On this night, Jesus prayed for his disciples to continue living into the expansive love of God, making space for those from different backgrounds and faith traditions, loving neighbour, loving self. We pray for the unity of the Church. Holy God, graciously hear us. On this night, Jesus prayed for those who share God’s love. We pray for the mission of the Church. Holy God, graciously hear us.

On this night, Jesus mandated that we should love one another, even as he suffered rejection himself. We pray for those who have suffered rejection and feel far from God’s love, draw them near to you and bring them healing and wholeness. Holy God, graciously hear us.

On this night, Jesus reminded the disciples that our faith can take us into difficult and dangerous territory. We pray for those who are persecuted for their faith. Holy God, graciously hear us.

On this night, he laid down his life for us. We pray for all who have died, that they may take up the new life of his resurrection. Holy God, graciously hear us.

Let us pray for a moment in silence.

Holy God, Jesus taught us that what we do for the least of these we do also for him: give us the will to be the servant of others as he was the servant of all, and who taught us to pray saying, 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 forever. Amen.

Closing Prayer Holy God, Source of all love, On this night Jesus gave the disciples a new commandment, to love one another as he loved them. Write this commandment on our hearts. Give us the will to stay awake and watch with Christ, and to love one another well, with forgiveness and grace, courage and tenacity. We pray these things in the name Jesus, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.