This week, I would like to guide you in putting together a Maundy Thursday service. Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus, so part of the service would involve the congregation partaking of the Lord’s Supper. I will present a few ideas, and I encourage each of you to share other ideas through the comments section below.
1) Present a dramatized Last Supper. Professional scripts are available, or you can write your own. Have the stage set in the da Vinci setting and utilize monologues from each of the characters. Close the service with the congregation taking part in the Lord’s Supper. Consider non-conventional methods of having people partake of the Lord’s Supper.
2) Utilize appropriate congregational music, a devotional on the Last Supper, and then allow people to come forward to partake of the Lord’s Supper as they feel ready to do so. You can have the elements served to them or allow people to serve themselves.
3) Add to the two previous services with a “Gethsemane” experience. After a person partakes of the Lord’s Supper, they then journey to another area that represents the Garden of Gethsemane. The are encouraged to spend time in mediation and prayer, reflecting on Christ’s last hours before the crucifixion. You can use audio tracks and lighting to help set the scene for this area. People can depart whenever they feel ready to do so.
I encourage you to use your imagination in producing a service that will help people experience the evening of the Last Supper.
What are some things you have done to make your Maundy Thursday service meaningful?
