Daily Thought for Thursday 17th April 2024
“The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you.’”
1 Corinthians 23-24
Food for the journey
Lisa-Jane Rankin
On the evening of Maundy Thursday, I invite my congregation to the manse. I’ve done this for a number of years now. It’s a funny thing, but only a few take me up on the invitation (strange as many folk like a quick look round!), but for those who do, it is a meaningful experience for them and for me too.
We begin with chat and drink – there’s always a lot of laughter, and then we have food – what Hyacinth Bucket would describe as a ‘finger buffet.’ I’m so-o-o-o not her, though! It’s informal and fun and a great night. From there, we move on to the Communion. Again, informal, but so full of meaning when we meet on the same night as Jesus and his disciples did.
We stand around our dining table, and the bread and wine are handed round – you could hear a pin drop – Jesus, the unseen guest is with us that night. There are often twelve or thirteen in number… I’ve ministered here for 21 years (I used to be young!), and I know each person well. They’re my friends, my companions on the journey of this Christian life. I often wonder if Jesus felt the same, and I get the feeling, deep down, that he did: looking around the table, smiling at friends, but for him, knowing that the next day was going to be full of pain and heartache. It may be called Good Friday, but it is anything other than good for him.
To come back to tonight, the laughter continues, post-Communion. People finish their drinks and go out into the night. They’ve eaten, communed, been blessed, and they leave, fortified for the next day and the different feelings surrounding Good Friday. But they go, knowing that they are loved by a God who loves us more than we can ever imagine, and that they’re part of the Church and the community of faithful people.
Shall we pray?:
Lord Jesus, we remember you tonight at the Last Supper. You blessed your disciples through the washing of feet and through the institution of Communion. Help us to remember your sacrifice and help us to be good disciples as we share our faith with everyone we meet. Amen.
Lisa-Jane Rankin is minister of Hawick: Wilton linked with Teviothead. She has always been fascinated by the story of the Last Supper in the different gospels and tries to practise the idea of “the congregation that eats together, stays together.” She is also a very keen cook! She’s given up on ever being a size 12 again …