Kendall Harmon’s Maundy Thursday entries – including 7 Maundy Thursday prayers

Here are some entries for Maundy Thursday (from this year and past years) at Kendall Harmon’s fabulous TitusOneNine blog.  First his collection of Maundy Thursday prayers, posted various years:

Still Another Prayer for Maundy Thursday

Blessed Lord Jesus, who, when about to depart out of this world, having loved thine own, and loving them to the end, didst institute the holy sacrament of thy Body and Blood, the dying legacy of thy love: Vouchsafe, we earnestly pray thee, that we may never draw near thine altar, save with hearts enkindled by love for thee and for one another; for thy dear name’s sake.

Another Prayer for Maundy Thursday

O Lord Jesus Christ, who in the garden didst teach us, by word and example, to pray, that we might overcome the perils of temptation: Graciously grant that we, always continuing in prayer, may gain abundantly the fruit thereof, and be partakers of thy victory; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.

A Prayer to Begin the Day from The Royal Maundy

Lord Jesus Christ, who when thou wast about to institute thy holy Sacrament at the Last Supper didst wash the feet of the apostles, and teach us by thy example the grace of humility: Cleanse us, we beseech thee, from all stain of sin, that we may be worthy partakers of thy holy mysteries; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end.

A Prayer for Maundy Thursday

O Christ, the true vine and the source of life, ever giving thyself that the world may live; who also hast taught us that those who would follow thee must be ready to lose their lives for thy sake: Grant us so to receive within our souls the power of thine eternal sacrifice, that in sharing thy cup we may share thy glory, and at the last be made perfect in thy love.

A Prayer for Maundy Thursday

O Lord Christ, who in the days of thy flesh didst hallow bread and wine to be a perpetual memorial of thy passion, and a never-failing means of fellowship with thee: Make us so to thirst after thy righteousness that through these holy mysteries we may be filled with all the fullness of thy divine life, and be made partakers of thy heavenly treasure; for thy glory’s sake.

One Last Prayer for Maundy Thursday

O Saviour of the world, who in Gethsemane didst accept the bitter cup in submission to the Father’s will: Look mercifully upon our weak and wayward lives, and arm us with such strength and courage that we may tread without fear the appointed path of duty, and evermore follow the pattern of thy costly obedience; for thy honour and glory, who now livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.

Still Another Prayer for Maundy Thursday

O Lord Jesus Christ, enthroned in the majesty of heaven, who, when thou camest forth from God, didst make thyself as one that serveth: We adore thee because thou didst lay aside the garment of thy glory, and gird thyself with lowest humility, and minister to thy disciples, washing their feet. Teach us to know what thou hast done and to follow thine example; deliver us from pride, jealousy and ambition, and make us ready to be subject one to another, and with lowliness to serve one another for thy sake, O Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.

***

Music,  Poems, Sermons & Quotes:

• “The most profound revelation of the heart of God apart from the crucifixion”
• Music for Maundy Thursday: Paul Mealor – Ubi Caritas
• God in Private and Public: A Bishop Tom Wright Maundy Thursday Sermon
• The Bp of Chelmsford—An act of love or a photo opp?
• Saint Peter (Christina Rossetti poem)
• The Archbishop of York for Maundy Thursday 2014—True Friends
• This Bread I Break (Dylan Thomas Poem)
• Maundy Thursday (–Wilfrid Owen)

and also recommended:

Kendall Harmon’s Sermon from Sunday for Holy Week—‘It is finished’

A Prayer for Maundy Thursday

In his prayer for Maundy Thursday, Pastor Scotty Smith remembers that “Maundy” is the Latin word for “Mandate” – Christ’s command to us to love one another as He loved us….

***

Now before Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. (John 13:1) A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:34-35)

 Dear Lord Jesus, as I meditate and pray my way through these Scriptures, my heart is stunned, silenced and left in awe. What but the gift of faith can enable us to grasp the wonder of these words and the magnificence of this moment? What but the power of the gospel can free us, to believe and obey them? Grant us both, I pray, grant me both.

     On our Holy Week calendar we call today Maundy, or “Mandate” Thursday. It’s a day in the history of redemption brimming over with glory and grace. Passover will soon become the Lord’s Supper—your supper. The promises of the Old Covenant are about to be fulfilled by the blood of the New Covenant—your life given as a ransom for us on the cross.

     Having shared eternal glory with the Father, you now show measureless grace to your disciples. Having loved this ragtag bunch of broken men—who vied for positions of honor a few hours earlier (Mk. 10:35-45), and who would all scatter and deny you later that same evening—having loved them so well, you now show them the full extent of your love.

     Your disrobing to wash their feet was with a full view to your being stripped naked to wash their hearts, and our hearts. What wondrous love is this indeed! How wide, long, high, and deep! (Eph. 3:14-19)

      “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). This is the new and never-ending mandate you’ve given us as your disciples. The most obvious expression of our “getting” the gospel is our loving others as you have loved, and do love, us. Jesus, fill my heart with an even greater knowledge of your love, that I may love others, more spontaneously, sacrificially, and joyfully. So very Amen I pray, in your triumphant and tender name.

from here.

A Prayer for Wednesday in Holy Week

Kendall Harmon has this prayer posted at TitusOneNine tonight:

O God our heavenly Father, who to redeem the world didst deliver up thine only Son to be betrayed by one of his disciples and sold to his enemies: Take from us, we beseech thee, all covetousness and hypocrisy; and so strengthen us, that, loving thee above all things, we may remain steadfast in our faith unto the end; through him who gave his life for us, our Saviour Jesus Christ.

–the Rev. Lawrence Tuttiet (1825–1897)

 

Don’t miss all of Kendall’s posts in his Holy Week category.  He usually has some wonderful entries.

 

A Prayer for Holy Week

Don’t miss the lovely original prayer for Holy Week by Christine Sine posted at Godspace this week.  I really like the series of prayer cards Christine has designed and posted throughout Lent.

Pastor Scotty Smith: A prayer for Tuesday in Holy Week

I *REALLY* like Pastor Scotty Smith’s prayer today at Heavenward.  Yes.  How amazing that Jesus wept for those who would crucify Him, and how thankful I am that He shows the same love and compassion to me as marred and scarred and broken by sin as I am.

***

 As he [Jesus] approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.” Luke 19:41-42

    Dear Jesus, everything about Holy Week reveals the depth of your compassion for sinful, broken people, like me. The tears you wept coming into Jerusalem, and even the passion you showed driving the moneychangers from the temple—every encounter, parable, and action gives staggering clarity to Paul’s words,

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:6-8).

Paul was writing about me. I’m one of the powerless, ungodly sinners for whom you died—demonstrating God’s incomparable, irrepressible love for the ill deserving. I wasn’t an impassioned seeker; I was God’s enemy when I received the gift of reconciliation (Rom. 5:10). I have peace with God only because God made his peace with me, through you.

I would still be blind to what alone brings us peace, if you hadn’t opened my eyes to see my need and your provision. The gospel would still remain hidden from my eyes unless you had given me sight to behold you as the Lamb of God, who took away my sin. I have no claim to salvation… no boast, no hope, no assurance of sins forgiven and righteousness received, apart from sovereign grace.

How I long for the Day when I will no longer even be tempted to look for peace anywhere else, but in you, Lord Jesus. I yearn for the Day when we will see you as you are and we will be made like you (1 John 3:1-3).

This is my great hope—until that Day, keep healing the eyes of my heart of all spiritual myopia, astigmatism, or anything else that keeps me from seeing the magnificence of your glory and the full measure of your grace. So very Amen I pray, in your tenacious and tender name.

A Prayer for Wednesday in Holy Week

From Pastor Scotty Smith and his Heavenward prayer blog, comes this great prayer for Wednesday in Holy Week – a confession of who Christ is, and an admission of how much yet we have to understand about His love and His salvation:

While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, “What do you think about the Christ?” Matt. 22:41-42

Dear Lord Jesus, just a few days after riding into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, you confronted the Pharisees, with the same question you still put before us: “What do you think about the Christ?”

There’s no more important question with which to wrestle, at any season in life or in any state of faith. For what we think about you affects everything about us. Please continue to free us from all wrong notions we have about you—those generated in our fallen hearts; the ones that come to us from the father of lies, Satan; others which simply reveal our complete absence of knowledge, or the wrong and incomplete teaching we have received through the years.

But what do I think about you today, Lord Jesus? What do I believe in my heart? You are everlasting God, and I am a mere man. I would despair if you were anything less, and I am weary of trying to be more. You are the Creator, Sustainer, and Restorer of all things. You don’t just care about my soul; you care about everything you have made and you are making all things new.

Lord Jesus, I affirm you to be the second Adam—our substitute in life and in death. You lived a life of perfect obedience for us, and you exhausted God’s judgment that stood against us. You are the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world; the Lord of Lords, who is working in all things for our good and your glory; and the Light of the New Jerusalem, whose glory will illumine the new heaven and new earth forever.

By you, we have been completely forgiven; and in you, we have received your perfect righteousness. I humbly stake my life and my death upon what you’ve done for us. Lord Jesus, you are all this and so much more. Eternity will be an endless revelation of your glory and grace.

But this Holy Week, what stuns me the most is to realize you are always thinking about us. We are in your heart and on your mind all the time. You are always praying for us and advocating for us before the Father. You’re the One who knows us the best and loves us the most. You love us as only a perfect Bridegroom would and could. With fresh gratitude and awe, we worship you. So very Amen we pray, in your gracious name and for your everlasting glory.

Anima Christi

Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from the side of Christ, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Separated from Thee let me never be (“Permit me not to be separated from Thee”)
From the malicious enemy defend me (“From the malignant enemy defend me”)
In the hour of my death call me
And bid me come unto Thee
That I may praise Thee with Thy saints (“That with thy Saints I may praise Thee”)
Forever and ever Amen

An excerpt from Scotty Smith’s Maundy Thursday prayer

From Pastor Scotty Smith’s Maundy Thursday prayer, posted today at Heavenward:

Your disrobing to wash their feet was with a full view to your being stripped naked to wash their hearts and our hearts, my heart. What wondrous love is this indeed! How wide, long, high, and deep? Don’t let us ever forget that the measure of your love is not just the basin and towel of the upper room, but your cross and death at Calvary. There simply is no greater love—none.

The full prayer is here.

I’m powerfully moved by that image that Christ disrobed to wash the disciples’ feet as a prelude to being stripped naked to wash MY heart.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

A Prayer for Holy Tuesday – Acknowledging that We Too Were Christ’s Enemies

In today’s Gospel reading in the Lectionary (Mark 11:27-33) we read of how the Scribes tried to trap Jesus:

    And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.” And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”  (Mark 11:27-33 ESV)

It’s easy to be self-righteous and indignant as we read of yet another trap set by those who oppose and fear Jesus.

But, in his prayer for Holy Tuesday today at Heavenward blog, Pastor Scotty Smith reflects on the fact that we too were once enemies of Christ.  It’s a powerful prayer of confession and thanksgiving that brings this portion of the Lectionary alive for me today.

***

Dear Lord Jesus, everything about Holy Week reveals the riches of your mercy for sinful, broken people, just like me. The tears you wept coming into Jerusalem, the anger you showed driving money changers from the temple—every encounter, parable, and action underscore Paul’s words…

  “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:6-8).

Jesus, with no hesitation I gladly affirm, Paul was writing about me with those words. I’m one of the powerless, ungodly sinners for whom you died. Your death on the cross is the indisputable demonstration of God’s incomparable, irrepressible, indefatigable love for me—the rebel, fool and idolater that I am. I wasn’t God’s darling when you reconciled me to him through your death on the cross; I was his enemy (Rom. 5:10). May I never believe otherwise.

I would still be blind to the only thing that can bring peace if you hadn’t opened my eyes to see my need for you and your death for me. The gospel would still remain hidden from my eyes unless you’d given me sight to see you as the Lamb of God—the one who, alone, could take away my sin.

I have no right to sneer at a single Pharisee, Sadducee, priest, teacher of the law, or anyone else who tried to trick or trap you during Holy Week. I am just as worthy of judgment as any of them.

The full prayer is here.