An Order for Communion, using a Litany on the Ten Commandments.
Worship
GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD
WORSHIP SERVICES FOR ASH WEDNESDAY AND HOLY WEEK
Notes for Maundy Thursday Communion
This is an Order of Service with Communion, using a Litany on the Ten Commandments. It is intended for use on Maundy Thursday, but may also be used on Ash Wednesday or for a special Communion service.
For many people, it is very important to receive the Lord's Supper on the night before Good Friday. For one reason, according to tradition, it was Thursday evening when Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples in the upper room. Another reason may be that there is a definite appeal for the experience of an evening Communion. This is one occasion when we celebrate a "Supper" in the evening, rather than in the morning. The mood is different. Evening services lend themselves to a bit more freedom. You can do things in an evening setting that may seem out of place on a Sunday morning.
Because of this, Thursday evening is an ideal time to allow for a more intimate setting for worship; to try to help people feel closer to their Lord and to one another. The attempt is well worth the effort.
If you normally use wafers for Communion, consider the use of a whole loaf (not sliced) of wheat or white bread. Ask someone who makes bread to provide it, or put out a request in the Sunday bulletin. One loaf, shared by all, is central to St. Paul's concept of the Lord's Supper, as he says in 1 Corinthians 10:17, "Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread." The loaf should be brought to the altar on a plate or in a basket at the time when the offering is brought forward. The bread is to be symbolically broken by the minister during the Words of Institution: "Our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples."
A young married couple, living on the Gulf Coast, had a father out West who had a bake shop, and who was a well-known baker. They always rejoiced when they received a box of his special rye bread, still fresh from the oven. The young couple said, "It's a taste of home!"
The use of one loaf is also a taste of home. lt's real bread, the kind we are used to eating. It's one more way to add meaning to the unique experience of receiving Christ, the Bread of life.
Consider the use of a free standing altar (or table) for Communion if your sanctuary does not have one. Place a banquet-size table on the floor level where it is easily accessible. Cover it with a white tablecloth and keep it simple. If trays of individual cups are used, place enough trays on the table so that persons standing around the table can easily reach a cup. If a chalice is used, have it filled and ready prior to the service.
Here is a suggested announcement to make prior to the time when persons come forward to commune:
As you gather around the table of the Lord, the loaf of bread will be passed from one person to another. Please break off a small piece for yourself, and give the loaf to the next person, using the words, "Take and eat, the body of Christ." The chalice will be passed in the same way with the words, "Take and drink, the blood of Christ."
If individual cups are used, after the bread has been passed around, invite communicants to take a cup from the nearest tray, as the minister offers the words, "Take and drink, the blood of Christ, shed for you."
One, two, or three persons may take the Leader's part in the Litany on the Ten Commandments. If there is to be more than one person serving as Leader, parts should be assigned beforehand.
Maundy Thursday
Opening Hymn
"Just as I Am, without One Plea."
Invocation (Minister)
"You are kind and forgiving, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my cry for mercy." (Psalm 86:5-6 NIV)
"The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace." (Psalm 29:11 NIV)
Grace, mercy, and peace to you in the name of the triune God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Introduction to Litany (Minister or lay leader)
The Lord God has given us his law - in terms that we can understand and appreciate. His commands have a special meaning, for we believe God cares how we live our lives. His law speaks of our responsibility to him and to those around us.
As we reflect on his commands, let this be a time of self. examination and of honest appraisal of what we have done and what we have not done.
Please turn to the litany in your order of service and respond where indicated.
Litany on the Ten Commandments
The spoken invitation (Hear my prayer) at the end of each petition is optional. If the whole litany is printed in the order of service, it may be omitted. If only the congregation's responses are printed in the order of service, the invitation, "Hear my prayer," can serve as a cue for the congregation's responses.
Leader:
Lord God, you are holy and mighty. Your ways are higher than my ways; your thoughts are higher than my thoughts. (Hear my prayer)
People:
LOOK ON ME IN MERCY, O LORD.
Leader:
I have failed to follow your way, and often haven't even tried; I confess that I am like a child who chooses not to do what is expected. (Hear my prayer)
People:
SPARE ME AND DO NOT TURN YOUR BACK ON ME, O LORD.
Leader:
For having other gods before you,
For indifference to your might and power,
For thinking that security lies in weapons and war tools humans have devised. (Hear my prayer)
People:
LET ME REMEMBER AND TURN, AND LIVE WITH TRUST IN YOU, O GOD OF MIGHT.
Leader:
For using your name without respect,
For cursing and swearing without thinking,
For the pitiful lack of prayer and praise in my life; (Hear my prayer)
People:
DO NOT LET ME EVER FORGET THAT YOUR NAME IS HOLY, O LORD.
Leader:
For ignoring the meaning of the Sabbath, For forsaking the assembly of believers, For honoring you with my lips and not with my life; (Hear my prayer)
People:
FORGIVE ME FOR SAYiNG ONE THING AND DOING ANOTHER.
Leader:
For not honoring those who are over me,
For my lack of concern for my parents,
For evading my responsibility as a citizen; (Hear my prayer)
People:
HELP ME TO SEE THROUGH RATIONALIZATIONS AND EXCUSES, AND TO GIVE HONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS DUE.
Leader:
For the ways I cheapen human life and mistreat my own body,
For the desire to get even when I have been wronged,
For nourishing hatred and allowing it to grow; (Hear my prayer)
People:
LET ME NEVER HURT SOMEONE INTENTIONALLY OR CAUSE THEM PHYSICAL HARM.
Leader:
For making light of the marriage bond,
For nourishing impure and lustful thoughts and desires,
For allowing sex to be an overpowering force in my life; (Hear my prayer)
People:
HELP ME TO CONTROL MYSELF, O GOD, AND GIVE ME THE DESIRE TO WANT TO BE PURE.
Leader:
For my lack of concern for my neighbor's needs,
For the poor use I make of my time, abilities, and possessions,
For stealing and calling it something else. (Hear my prayer)
People:
LET ME TREAT OTHERS AS I WANT TO BE TREATED.
Leader:
For careless words that can hurt someone else's reputation,
For making fun of others and laughing at them,
For talking unkindly about other people; (Hear my prayer)
People:
LET ME LEARN TO SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE.
Leader:
For trying to get what someone else has,
For thinking that happiness lies in material things,
For jealousy which eats away at contentment; (Hear my prayer)
People:
TEACH ME WHAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE ARE.
Leader:
For thinking that I can fool you with a half-hearted life of discipleship,
For pretending you are my God when I don't really care,
For living as a hypocrite; (Hear my prayer)
People:
HAVE MERCY ON ME, O LORD, AND TEACH ME TO LOVE YOU WITH MY HEART, MY SOUL, AND MY MIND, AND MY
NEIGHBOR AS MYSELF.
Absolution (Minister)
All of us have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God; but we as his people take heart. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
You are God's child. May God himself assure you of his everlasting love. Amen
Hymn
"I Lay My Sins on Jesus" or "There Is a Green Hill Far Away"
Scripture (Minister or Lay Reader)
Whenever we consider the Commandments of God, we begin to learn what it is to love one another. As we believe in Jesus, we learn even more about love.
1 John 5:1-12
Luke's Gospel tells of the preparations Jesus and his disciples made for the Passover, and how he gave them the wine and the bread.
Luke 22:7-20
Hymn
"Jesus Thy Blood and Righteousness"
A Message for Maundy Thursday
The Offering
Hymn
"Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" or "Bread of the World, in Mercy Broken"
The Invitation to Commune
Jesus said, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst." (John 6:35 RSV)
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." (Matthew 5:6 RSV)
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and 1 will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28 RSV)
That invitation still stands for the followers of Jesus. He is here; he is the host for this meal. He is the one who promises us forgiveness. He is the one who assures us of eternal life. We are his disciples, and as we gather around this table, our faith in him binds us together as brothers and sisters.
Hear the words from the upper room:
"In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks: broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: 'Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me,'
"Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me'." (LBW version)
The Lord's Prayer
The Communion
Worshipers come forward to receive the elements of Communion.
Closing Prayer of Dedication
O Christ, Lamb of God, it is good for us to be here.
For the gifts you offer at this table, we give you thanks.
We come, and receive, in remembrance of you.
We come in weakness and leave with strength;
We come with anxieties, and experience your peace;
We come with doubts, and discover the assurance of your love.
For it is in being forgiven that we are able to forgive,
And it is in receiving your love that we are empowered to love others.
Here you provide the nourishment we need for living out our lives of discipleship.
Accept our thanks and praise, for your great love's sake. Amen.
Benediction *
May the love of the Lord Jesus draw us to himself;
May the power of the Lord Jesus strengthen us in his service;
May the joy of the Lord Jesus fill our souls; and
May the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be upon us and remain with us always. Amen.
Hymn
"I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say" or "Break Now the Bread of Life"
* From the Minister's Prayer Book by John W. Doberstein, Muhlenberg Press, Philadelphia (From the Christian Year. 1827, Second Advent)
This is an Order of Service with Communion, using a Litany on the Ten Commandments. It is intended for use on Maundy Thursday, but may also be used on Ash Wednesday or for a special Communion service.
For many people, it is very important to receive the Lord's Supper on the night before Good Friday. For one reason, according to tradition, it was Thursday evening when Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples in the upper room. Another reason may be that there is a definite appeal for the experience of an evening Communion. This is one occasion when we celebrate a "Supper" in the evening, rather than in the morning. The mood is different. Evening services lend themselves to a bit more freedom. You can do things in an evening setting that may seem out of place on a Sunday morning.
Because of this, Thursday evening is an ideal time to allow for a more intimate setting for worship; to try to help people feel closer to their Lord and to one another. The attempt is well worth the effort.
If you normally use wafers for Communion, consider the use of a whole loaf (not sliced) of wheat or white bread. Ask someone who makes bread to provide it, or put out a request in the Sunday bulletin. One loaf, shared by all, is central to St. Paul's concept of the Lord's Supper, as he says in 1 Corinthians 10:17, "Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread." The loaf should be brought to the altar on a plate or in a basket at the time when the offering is brought forward. The bread is to be symbolically broken by the minister during the Words of Institution: "Our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples."
A young married couple, living on the Gulf Coast, had a father out West who had a bake shop, and who was a well-known baker. They always rejoiced when they received a box of his special rye bread, still fresh from the oven. The young couple said, "It's a taste of home!"
The use of one loaf is also a taste of home. lt's real bread, the kind we are used to eating. It's one more way to add meaning to the unique experience of receiving Christ, the Bread of life.
Consider the use of a free standing altar (or table) for Communion if your sanctuary does not have one. Place a banquet-size table on the floor level where it is easily accessible. Cover it with a white tablecloth and keep it simple. If trays of individual cups are used, place enough trays on the table so that persons standing around the table can easily reach a cup. If a chalice is used, have it filled and ready prior to the service.
Here is a suggested announcement to make prior to the time when persons come forward to commune:
As you gather around the table of the Lord, the loaf of bread will be passed from one person to another. Please break off a small piece for yourself, and give the loaf to the next person, using the words, "Take and eat, the body of Christ." The chalice will be passed in the same way with the words, "Take and drink, the blood of Christ."
If individual cups are used, after the bread has been passed around, invite communicants to take a cup from the nearest tray, as the minister offers the words, "Take and drink, the blood of Christ, shed for you."
One, two, or three persons may take the Leader's part in the Litany on the Ten Commandments. If there is to be more than one person serving as Leader, parts should be assigned beforehand.
Maundy Thursday
Opening Hymn
"Just as I Am, without One Plea."
Invocation (Minister)
"You are kind and forgiving, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my cry for mercy." (Psalm 86:5-6 NIV)
"The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace." (Psalm 29:11 NIV)
Grace, mercy, and peace to you in the name of the triune God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Introduction to Litany (Minister or lay leader)
The Lord God has given us his law - in terms that we can understand and appreciate. His commands have a special meaning, for we believe God cares how we live our lives. His law speaks of our responsibility to him and to those around us.
As we reflect on his commands, let this be a time of self. examination and of honest appraisal of what we have done and what we have not done.
Please turn to the litany in your order of service and respond where indicated.
Litany on the Ten Commandments
The spoken invitation (Hear my prayer) at the end of each petition is optional. If the whole litany is printed in the order of service, it may be omitted. If only the congregation's responses are printed in the order of service, the invitation, "Hear my prayer," can serve as a cue for the congregation's responses.
Leader:
Lord God, you are holy and mighty. Your ways are higher than my ways; your thoughts are higher than my thoughts. (Hear my prayer)
People:
LOOK ON ME IN MERCY, O LORD.
Leader:
I have failed to follow your way, and often haven't even tried; I confess that I am like a child who chooses not to do what is expected. (Hear my prayer)
People:
SPARE ME AND DO NOT TURN YOUR BACK ON ME, O LORD.
Leader:
For having other gods before you,
For indifference to your might and power,
For thinking that security lies in weapons and war tools humans have devised. (Hear my prayer)
People:
LET ME REMEMBER AND TURN, AND LIVE WITH TRUST IN YOU, O GOD OF MIGHT.
Leader:
For using your name without respect,
For cursing and swearing without thinking,
For the pitiful lack of prayer and praise in my life; (Hear my prayer)
People:
DO NOT LET ME EVER FORGET THAT YOUR NAME IS HOLY, O LORD.
Leader:
For ignoring the meaning of the Sabbath, For forsaking the assembly of believers, For honoring you with my lips and not with my life; (Hear my prayer)
People:
FORGIVE ME FOR SAYiNG ONE THING AND DOING ANOTHER.
Leader:
For not honoring those who are over me,
For my lack of concern for my parents,
For evading my responsibility as a citizen; (Hear my prayer)
People:
HELP ME TO SEE THROUGH RATIONALIZATIONS AND EXCUSES, AND TO GIVE HONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS DUE.
Leader:
For the ways I cheapen human life and mistreat my own body,
For the desire to get even when I have been wronged,
For nourishing hatred and allowing it to grow; (Hear my prayer)
People:
LET ME NEVER HURT SOMEONE INTENTIONALLY OR CAUSE THEM PHYSICAL HARM.
Leader:
For making light of the marriage bond,
For nourishing impure and lustful thoughts and desires,
For allowing sex to be an overpowering force in my life; (Hear my prayer)
People:
HELP ME TO CONTROL MYSELF, O GOD, AND GIVE ME THE DESIRE TO WANT TO BE PURE.
Leader:
For my lack of concern for my neighbor's needs,
For the poor use I make of my time, abilities, and possessions,
For stealing and calling it something else. (Hear my prayer)
People:
LET ME TREAT OTHERS AS I WANT TO BE TREATED.
Leader:
For careless words that can hurt someone else's reputation,
For making fun of others and laughing at them,
For talking unkindly about other people; (Hear my prayer)
People:
LET ME LEARN TO SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE.
Leader:
For trying to get what someone else has,
For thinking that happiness lies in material things,
For jealousy which eats away at contentment; (Hear my prayer)
People:
TEACH ME WHAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE ARE.
Leader:
For thinking that I can fool you with a half-hearted life of discipleship,
For pretending you are my God when I don't really care,
For living as a hypocrite; (Hear my prayer)
People:
HAVE MERCY ON ME, O LORD, AND TEACH ME TO LOVE YOU WITH MY HEART, MY SOUL, AND MY MIND, AND MY
NEIGHBOR AS MYSELF.
Absolution (Minister)
All of us have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God; but we as his people take heart. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
You are God's child. May God himself assure you of his everlasting love. Amen
Hymn
"I Lay My Sins on Jesus" or "There Is a Green Hill Far Away"
Scripture (Minister or Lay Reader)
Whenever we consider the Commandments of God, we begin to learn what it is to love one another. As we believe in Jesus, we learn even more about love.
1 John 5:1-12
Luke's Gospel tells of the preparations Jesus and his disciples made for the Passover, and how he gave them the wine and the bread.
Luke 22:7-20
Hymn
"Jesus Thy Blood and Righteousness"
A Message for Maundy Thursday
The Offering
Hymn
"Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" or "Bread of the World, in Mercy Broken"
The Invitation to Commune
Jesus said, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst." (John 6:35 RSV)
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." (Matthew 5:6 RSV)
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and 1 will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28 RSV)
That invitation still stands for the followers of Jesus. He is here; he is the host for this meal. He is the one who promises us forgiveness. He is the one who assures us of eternal life. We are his disciples, and as we gather around this table, our faith in him binds us together as brothers and sisters.
Hear the words from the upper room:
"In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks: broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: 'Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me,'
"Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me'." (LBW version)
The Lord's Prayer
The Communion
Worshipers come forward to receive the elements of Communion.
Closing Prayer of Dedication
O Christ, Lamb of God, it is good for us to be here.
For the gifts you offer at this table, we give you thanks.
We come, and receive, in remembrance of you.
We come in weakness and leave with strength;
We come with anxieties, and experience your peace;
We come with doubts, and discover the assurance of your love.
For it is in being forgiven that we are able to forgive,
And it is in receiving your love that we are empowered to love others.
Here you provide the nourishment we need for living out our lives of discipleship.
Accept our thanks and praise, for your great love's sake. Amen.
Benediction *
May the love of the Lord Jesus draw us to himself;
May the power of the Lord Jesus strengthen us in his service;
May the joy of the Lord Jesus fill our souls; and
May the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be upon us and remain with us always. Amen.
Hymn
"I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say" or "Break Now the Bread of Life"
* From the Minister's Prayer Book by John W. Doberstein, Muhlenberg Press, Philadelphia (From the Christian Year. 1827, Second Advent)
