Maundy Thursday Service

Maundy Thursday is the day in the church year which recalls the institution of the sacrament of communion. The word maundy is derived from a Latin word, mandatum, which means “command.” The commandment that our Lord left with his disciples, and with us, is to love one another. Communion is our gathering at the table of the Lord as one Body to feed upon him who is our life.

This service is also called Tenebrae, from a word that means “shadows.” As the service proceeds, the sanctuary will gradually be darkened by the extinguishing of the lights, one by one. The service will conclude in near darkness, symbolizing the darkness in which Jesus was robed as he bore the wrath of God in our place; a darkness that covered the earth at the time of our Lord’s death.