Today is “Maundy Thursday.” The word Maundy is derived from the Latin mandatum, and in particular from Jesus' words Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos. Or, as it is more commonly known, A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another; as I have loved you.
At the service this evening, we read Scripture about Jesus instituting the Lord’s Supper. He tells us to do this in remembrance of me. We also read about his washing the disciples’ feet and then saying you should do as I have done for you”
It’s interesting to me that the church picked up the one command and institutionalized it in Holy Communion. Thus, when many people think of church, they primarily think of a building and a one hour service that occurs weekly in it.
The other command goes largely ignored and forgotten. If we did remember it, we would realize that the church is primarily people, and that we are the church when we live in such a way as to cultivate the kind of profound relationships that allow us to engage in such a deeply personal act as washing one another’s feet.
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