YHWH said to Moshe and to Aharon in the land of Egypt, saying: Let this New-Moon be for you the beginning of New-Moons, the beginning-one let it be from you of the New-Moons of the year. Speak to the entire community of Israel, saying: On the tenth day after this New-Moon they are to take them, each-man, a lamb, according to their Fathers’ House, a lamb per household. Now if there are too few in the house for a lamb, he is to take it, he and his neighbor who is near his house, by the computation according to the total number of persons; each-man according to what he can eat you are to compute the lamb.

And thus you are to eat it: your hips girded, your sandals on your feet, your sticks in your hand; you are to eat it in trepidation—it is a Passover-Meal to YHWH. I will proceed through the land of Egypt on this night and strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from man to beast, and on all the gods of Egypt I will render my judgement, I, YHWH. Now the blood will be a sign for you upon the houses where you are:

When I see blood I will pass over you, the blow will not become a bringer-of-ruin to you, when I strike down the land of Egypt. This day shall be for you a memorial, you are to celebrate it as a pilgrimage celebration for YHWH, throughout your generations, as a law for the ages you are to celebrate it!

That’s the difficulty in these times: ideals, dreams, and cherished hopes rise within us, only to meet the horrible truth and be shattered.

It’s really a wonder that I haven’t dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can’t buildup my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery, and death. I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness. I hear the ever-approaching thunder, which will destroy us too. I can feel the sufferings of millions and yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come out right, that this cruelty too will end, and peace and tranquility will return again.

In the meantime, I must uphold my ideals, for perhaps the time will come when I shall be able to carry them out.

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

After 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? You call me Teacher and Lord… and you are right for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

Little 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.’ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

God be with you.

Lift up your hearts.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to God who was present at the creation of all that we know and all that remains unknown.

From the earth is brought forth the grain for bread and the vine on which grows the fruit for wine, gifts for us to share together in commemoration of the gifts to the Israelites of manna in the wilderness and the grapes which signaled the promised land.

And so with all the people of the earth and with the company of angels we join in the unending hymn of praise:

During the Passover Seder ritual the hands of all are twice washed fulfilling the laws of purity. The gospel lesson from John, too, gives us the powerful image of Jesus in the Upper Room washing the feet of his disciples.

In his teaching, Jesus talks about purity and cleanliness and about service. This night before we share bread and wine together, we take the opportunity to consecrate ourselves again to the purity and to the service taught by Jesus and by so many others. We wash one another’s hands with the understanding that so much of our work and of our service is now performed with our hands. Therefore we seek to consecrate our hands and ourselves to service: to feeding those who hunger and thirst, to lifting up the broken and the powerless, to comforting those who mourn.

This is a time to wash away not the dirt of honest labor, but the soil of excess, of grasping, of greed. This is a time symbolically to cleanse not our hands only, but our whole selves, so that hands and hearts are ready for service in the days to come.

As we pass among you if you wish to participate simply stand and hold out your hands. We thank you for the privilege of serving you as Jesus served the disciples. If you do not wish to participate, please hold us in your prayers and open yourself in whatever way is meaningful to you to be consecrated for continued service.

As we gather together surrounded by the richness of many symbols and of community, let us take a few moments in silence to give thanks for these wonders and to remember those who are not present with us here tonight.

We will begin our sharing with the traditional start of the Passover Seder the blessing of the first cup, also called the Kadesh, first in Hebrew then in English:

[You may drink your wine. The wine used at this service is non-alcoholic.]

The karpas is a symbol of spring, of the renewal of life and the liberation of nature from the frozen winter. The salt water represents for us the tears of all those who have suffered under oppression. We eat to remind ourselves that the tender greens of the earth and the salt of the seas join together to sustain life. May the eating of the karpas remind us and renew us as spring renews the earth.

Again we join in the Hebrew and then in English

[You may dip your parsley in the salt water and eat.]

For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing is come, and the voice of the turtle dove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs and the vines are in blossom; they give forth their fragrance. (Song of Solomon 2:11-13a)

During the meal on that night in the upper room Jesus used the Seder as a time to teach and to offer a new commandment, in Latin mandatum from which comes the name Maundy Thursday. As he did we now turn from the Seder to a new observance begun on that night. We now commemorate the final supper of Jesus:

Dearly beloved, we have received it that Jesus, on the night before he died, as he supped with his disciples in an upper chamber took bread and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take, eat, this is my body, which is given for you. Do this is remembrance of me."

Likewise, after supper, he took the cup; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, "Drink this all of us, this is my blood of the new covenant. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."

Accept these gifts of bread in wine in the spirit in which they are given: that of community, learning, sharing, and growing together.

[The serving of bread will be matzah. Please break off a small piece for yourself and offer the plate to the next person. You may eat it right away or wait for the wine.]

[The serving of wine will be offered in a pitcher and a chalice. You may either pour a small helping into your glass or dip your matzah in the chalice.]

Jesus after he had supped with his disciples and washed their feet, said to them, "I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done."

"Love one another, as I have loved you."

The peace of Jesus be with you all.