Starting the Easter Weekend: Maundy Thursday Service

We started our Easter celebrations with a Maundy Thursday church service at the beautiful United Methodist Church.  Besides wanting to take part in the service, it was a chance to finally see the church since its reconstruction. 

In January 1999, a tornado hit our downtown area.  It destroyed the sanctuary of the church.   As you can see, it was just gone.

The new pipe organ.  They used it during the service and I loved listening to its deep tones.

The baptismal font was damaged in the storm.  It’s hard to see in this photo, but the corner that is above the 5^th chalice is broken.  It was decided to leave it that way.

New stained glass windows.

I think these were restored.

The service we attended was lovely and sad.  Maundy Thursday commemorates the “Last Supper” and the prayers at Gethsemane and Jesus’ arrest.

Most moving was ‘the stripping of the alter’, where all linens, ornaments, and Bibles are removed.  It represents how Christ was stripped after His arrest.  And the bare alter is also to remind you of how bare life would be without Him.

After the alter was stripped, the congregation left in silence.

It was a very thoughtful start to the Holy days.