Our traditional Maundy Thursday service uses low-lighting to symbolize the decent into darkness, representing Jesus’ death – the darkness before the light….In anticipation of Jesus’ resurrection in the following days… in anticipation of Easter Day.
Below, please find this virtual service’s program and all are welcome to share in a virtual communion with your bread and cup.
Charles Town Presbyterian Church
Maundy Thursday, April 9, 2020
Welcome and Opening Prayer
Scripture Reading Exodus 12:1-7, 12-14
Song “Lamb of God” No.518
Your only Son, no sin to hide, but you have sent him from your side
to walk upon this guilty sod, and to become the Lamb of God.
(Refrain) O Lamb of God, sweet Lamb of God, I love the holy Lamb of God!
O wash me in his precious blood, my Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.
Your gift of love, we crucified; we laughed and scorned him as he died;
The humble King we named a fraud and sacrificed the Lamb of God.
(Refrain) I was so lost, I should have died, but you have brought me to your side
To be led by your staff and rod, and to be called a lamb of God. (Refrain)
Scripture Reading John 13:1-16
Hymn “Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us With Your Love” No. 203
(Refrain) Jesu, Jesu, fill us with your love;
Show us how to serve the neighbors we have from you.
Kneels at the feet of his friends, silently washes their feet,
Master who acts as a slave to them. (Refrain)
Neighbors are wealthy and poor, varied in color and race;
Neighbors are near us and far away. (Refrain)
These are the one we should serve; these are the ones we should love;
All these are neighbors to us and you. (Refrain)
Loving puts us on our knees, willing to wash others’ feet;
This is the way we should live like you. (Refrain)
Scripture Matthew 26:17-30
Message “At the Table”
Prayer of Confession (in unison)
Holy and gracious God, our sin is too heavy to bear.
Trusting in your mercy, we lay before you the truth of who we are.
We confess our failure to love as Christ loved…
We confess our covetousness and greed…
We confess our weakness before temptation…
We confess our frailty before the challenges of this world…
Merciful God, forgive us. Heal us, and make us whole, for the sake of your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, in whose name we humbly pray. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
Friends, hear the good news of the gospel.
In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.
*Hymn “Longing For Light, We Wait in Darkness” No. 314
Longing for light, we wait in darkness. Longing for truth, we turn to you.
Make us your own, your holy people, light for the world to see.
(Refrain) Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts. Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light! Shine in your church gathered today.
Longing for peace, our world is troubled. Longing for hope, many despair.
Your word a lone has power to save us. Make us your living voice. (Refrain)
Longing for food, many are hungry. Longing for water, many still thirst.
Make us your bread, broken for others, shared until all are fed. (Refrain)
Longing for shelter, many are homeless, longing for warmth, many are cold.
Make us your building, sheltering others, walls made of living stone. (Refrain)
Many the gifts, many the people, many the hearts that yearn to belong.
Let us be servants to one another, making your kingdom come. (Refrain)
Presentation of Gifts with Prayer of Thanksgiving
Celebration of the Lord’s Supper
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving…
The Lord be with you;
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise…
Scripture Reading Revelation 21:1-4
*Hymn “Were You There” No. 228
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
*Benediction
Online Giving. For several months we have made available online giving as a tool to help people bring their offering before God. This past week, we set up our online giving through the Presbyterian Foundation. The exciting part about working with the foundation is that they have mobile app connected to our account. The app is called Give Plus and you can find it at the Google Play Store or Apple app store. The great part about the Give Plus app is that you can set up for weekly, monthly or one time giving! If you have any questions, please contact the church office.
On Good Friday, people are welcome to check out this video, produced by members of the presbytery.