Midweek Holy Week Prayer

On Maundy Thursday Eve, we make ready to step into the streams of disciples who have feasted at the Last Supper.
Grandmothers who kneaded the dough,
Vine dressers who grew the grapes.
Faithful folks who ironed the communion cloth and poured just the right amount of juice into tiny cups.
Christ bids all of us to come...there is a place set for you and plenty of room to spear.
Jesus took a loaf of ordinary, every day bread...just as you did for lunch.
But he torn it in half.
Sending crumbs scattered around the table.
Broken bread given to broken disciples.
One who betrayed him and had one foot out the door already.
One who stood at a distance and denied he knew him.
All the others ran away, deserted him into the darkness of the night, afraid to face the powers that be.
We take a tiny cube of bread perfectly cut, but the truth is messier.
The truth is we all know betray, desertion, and denial.
We have had words like that fall from our lips...and been on the receiving end of those painful moments from others.
We know...broken bread every bit as much as the earliest disciples did.

But...
Whereas...
Therefore...
Jesus continued...brokenness was not the last word.
He took a cup of healing and wholeness.
Promise and presence.
The fruit of the vine that reminds us of our still creating God...echoing Genesis 1 where God began to create...which was to imply that God is not finished with us yet.
Sip the juice that reminds us of grace.
Dunk, saturate and soak the bread in love.
Taste and see that God is good.

An ordinary loaf of bread and juice some say.
But for me, it is a table of plenty,
A table of acceptance and embrace.
A table of wholeness for the whole people of God.
Come, come all who hunger and thirst.
Come, come all who have ever shaken your head at this messy world.
Come, come all who have ever asked, "Why" or "How long"?
Come to Christ's table where you will not find memorized answers, but a presence of God.
Come to Christ's table where you will find peace.
Come to Christ's table where people have and continue to gather to celebrate in remembrance of Jesus.

Amen.

Grace and peace ~