Virtual Worship – Maundy Thursday, April 1, 2021

First Presbyterian Church

Delavan, Illinois

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April 1, 2021

Maundy Thursday

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We do not presume to come to Your table, merciful Lord, trusting in our own goodness, but in Your all-embracing love and mercy.  We are not worthy even to gather up the crumbs under Your table, but it is Your nature always to have mercy.  So feed us with the body and blood of Jesus Christ, Your Son, that we may forever live in Him and He in us.  Amen.

Prelude “Beneath The Cross Of Jesus”      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql9kGw2PPKo&t=25s        

Welcome and Announcements

We offer praise and prayer to God

^Call to Worship

Jesus said: I give you a new commandment,

that you love one another.

Just as I have loved you,

you also should love one another.

LET US WORSHIP GOD!

^ Prayer of the Day

Holy God, source of all love, on the night of his betrayal Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment, to love one another as he loved them. Write this commandment in our hearts; give us the will to serve others as he was the servant of all, who gave his life and died for us, yet is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

^Hymn “Jesus, The Very Thought Of Thee” #102  (1-3)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF1cFxJ2Yhw

Call to Confession

The proof of God’s amazing love is this: while we were sinners Christ died for us. Because we have faith in him, we dare to approach God with confidence. In faith and penitence let us confess our sin before God and one another.

Confession of Sin

Eternal God, whose covenant with us is never broken, we confess that we fail to fulfill your will. Though you have bound yourself to us, we will not bind ourselves to you. In Jesus Christ you serve us freely, but we refuse your love and withhold ourselves from others. We do not love you fully or love one another as you command. In your mercy, forgive and cleanse us. Lead us once again to your table and unite us to Christ, who is the bread of life and the vine from which we grow in grace.

Time of Silent Confession

Agnus Dei (Lamb of God)

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world,

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world,

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world,

grant us peace.

Assurance of Pardon

The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. May the God of mercy, who forgives you all your sins, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.

^Gloria Patri (Glory be to the Father) #35

^Passing the Peace

Since God has forgiven us in Christ, let us forgive one another. The peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Peace be with you.

We listen to God’s Word

Prayer for Illumination

Eternal God, whose word silences the shouts of the mighty: Quiet within us every voice but your own. Speak to us through the suffering and death of Jesus Christ that by the power of your Holy Spirit  we may receive grace to show Christ’s love in lives given to your service. Amen.

First Reading                  Exodus 12:1–14      

(The institution of the Passover)

1The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: 2This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. 3Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. 4If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it. 5Your lamb shall be without blemish, a year-old male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembled congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight. 7They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 9Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted over the fire, with its head, legs, and inner organs. 10You shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. 11This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the LORD. 12For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. 13The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

14This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.

The Word of The LORD.  Thanks be to God.

Psalm 116:1–2, 12–19 (Thanksgiving is offered to the LORD) Responsive

I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my supplications.

Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

What shall I return to the LORD for all his bounty to me?

I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD,

I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones.

O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the child of your serving girl. You have loosed my bonds.

I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD.

I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,

in the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Second Reading             1 Corinthians 11:23–26      

(The institution of the Lord’s Supper.)

23For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

The Word of The LORD.  Thanks be to God.

Gospel Reading            John 13:1–17, 31b–35  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COx8ZljlSt8

(Jesus washes His disciples’ feet and gives a new commandment.)

1Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper 3Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. 6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” 9Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” 11For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

12After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. 14So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 16Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. 17If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

“Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The Word of The LORD.  Thanks be to God.

Sermon “The Road To The Cross – See His Amazing Love” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0k2Lj5qyMU

^Affirmation of Faith  Nicene Creed (325/381 A.D.)

I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen;

I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father; God from God; Light from Light; true God from true God; begotten, not made; of one being with the Father, through Him all things were made.  For us and for our salvation He came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human.  For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate.  He suffered death and was buried.  On the third day He rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.  He shall come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His Kingdom shall have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, The Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.  I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.  I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins.  I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.  Amen.

^Hymn “Let Us Break Bread Together” #425  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egk-pX_1nHg

Holy Communion   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62zYoGjUOP0

Invitation to the Lord’s Table

Hear the words of the institution of the Holy Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ: The Lord Jesus, on the night of his arrest, took bread, and after giving thanks to God, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat. This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way he took the cup, saying: This cup is the new covenant sealed in my blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me. Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the saving death of the risen Lord, until he comes. With thanksgiving, let us offer God our grateful praise.

Great Thanksgiving

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up Your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is truly right and our greatest joy to give you thanks and praise, O Lord our God, creator and ruler of the universe. You bring forth bread from the earth, and create the fruit of the vine. You made us in your image, and freed us from the bonds of slavery. You claimed us as your people, and made covenant to be our God. You fed us manna in the wilderness, and brought us to a land flowing with milk and honey. When we forgot you, and our faith was weak, you spoke through prophets, calling us to turn again to your ways. Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with the celestial choirs and with all the faithful of every time and place, who forever sing to the glory of your name:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of Your glory.  Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

You are holy, O God of majesty, and blessed is Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord whom you sent to deliver us from the bondage of death and slavery to sin. In humility he descends from your heights, to kneel in obedience to love’s commands. He who is boundless takes on the bondage of our sin. He who is free takes our place in death’s prison. In the deserts of our wanderings, he sustains us, giving us his body as manna for our weariness. The cup of suffering which he drank has become for us the cup of salvation. In his death, he ransomed us from death’s dominion; in his resurrection, he opened the way to eternal life.  Remembering all your mighty and merciful acts, we take this bread and this wine from the gifts you have given us, and celebrate with joy the redemption won for us in Jesus Christ. Accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving as a living and holy offering of ourselves, that our lives may proclaim the One crucified and risen. Christ is the bread of life:

When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus, until you come in glory.

Gracious God, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these your gifts of bread and wine, that the bread we break and the cup we bless may be the communion of the body and blood of Christ. By your Spirit unite us with the living Christ and with all who are baptized in his name,  that we may be one in ministry in every place. As this bread is Christ’s body for us, send us out to be the body of Christ in the world.

Lead us, O God, by the power of your Spirit to live as love commands. Bound to Christ, set us free for joyful obedience and glad service. As Jesus gave his life for ours, help us to live our lives for others with humility and persistent courage. Give us strength to serve you faithfully until the promised day of resurrection, when, with the redeemed of all the ages, we will feast with you at your table in glory.

Through Christ, all glory and honor are yours, almighty Father, with the Holy Spirit in the holy church, now and forever. Amen.  

Lord’s Prayer

Breaking of the Bread

Communion of the People

Prayer after Communion

God of grace, your Son Jesus Christ left us this holy meal of bread and wine in which we share his body and blood. May we who have celebrated this sign of his great love show in our lives the fruits of his redemption; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

We depart to serve Christ in the world

Stripping Of The Church

Hymn “Were You There” # 198  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq1Wly5G9bc

^Charge

Go in Peace. As Christ loved you, love one another.

There is no benediction as the service continues on Easter Sunday.

All depart in silence.            

First Presbyterian Church

P.O. Box 602, 201 W. Fourth Street, Delavan, IL 61734

(309) 244-7105

E-mail: firstpresdelavan@gmail.com

www.firstpresdelavan.org

Rev. Jean Sparks, Pastor

Linda Clauser, Organist