General Chat

I knew very little about Maundy Thursday myself till Joy posted and Cynthia reponded. I knew the Queen gave these coins, but had never understood the significance. And Francis washing the feet of the prisoners near Rome is truly inspiring.

Today marks the blackest of days in the Christian calendar.

So many thoughts run through my mind.

1. The earliest of hymnwriters - the Independent Minister from Hampshire Isaac Watts (1674-1748) - wrote "When I survey the wondrous cross". They did survey it then - really meditated on the significance for mankind and for them personally.
2. Caiphas and Annas (Chief Priest of the Jews and his son in law) could have had Jesus put to death. But not by crucifixion, which was a Roman punishment and could only be delivered by Pontius Pilate.
3. They must have known the Old Testament predictions that the Jewish Messiah will be "crucified" and "lifted high when he dies". None of their punishments (stoning, for example) would have fulfilled their scriptures!!
4. They refused to enter Pilate's praetorium as they were in the midst of passover celebrations and would have been defiled by a gentile.
5. They woke Pilate early that Friday. 5am, maybe even earlier. And had arranged a mob of supporters at that unearthly hour.
6. Were crucified felons part of the annual sport every Friday of the Passover festivals in Jerusalem? Was it part of that sport that one of the felons was always granted their freedom that day? Or was Barabbas a "one off"?

Good Friday has always been the most challenging day of the Christian Year for me. God Friday to be accurate, God dead for 3 days. And Sunday is such a blessed relief - like a ton of bricks lifted and we can once again see hope, new life. And, most important of all, death had been conquered in accordance with Old Testament and in accordance with the preaching of Jesus. And guess who realised first why the tomb was bare? Not John, not Peter, not the Virgin Mary. No, Mary Magdalene, the simplest and most sinful of Christ's followers :-) :-)

I have been to a Maundy Thursday service in our cathedral Joy - it was about 7 years ago.

It was a wonderful experience. I have been in the cathedral hundreds of times but, I have to admit, I have never felt such an atmosphere before. Despite there being 2000 people present, you could have heard a pin drop.


The sound of the Beefeaters coming down the main aisle , knocking their staves on the floor, sent absolutely shivers through you and, when the tiny Queen emerged through the great west doors the whole place was filled with the most immense atmosphere. It was just incredible.


Tonight I went to our own Maundy Thursday service. No great crowds like the cathedral, but a very moving service all the same.

At the end of the service, the altar is stripped of all it's 'trappings'. The cross, candlesticks, silver and linen are removed and we are left with just the bare wood.

The clergyman who celebrated the communion, removed his chasuble and the choir removed their white surplices, leaving them in their dark cassocks. We stood and stared at the unadorned chancel as the story of Maundy Thursday was read to us.

When the service ended, the choir and clergy filed silently out and people left quietly, their heads filled with what they had just heard and witnessed.


Tomorrow, we will gather at 2pm to remember the Crucifixion.

http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/easter/maundythursday.htm
Maundy Thursday


http://christianity.about.com/od/easter/qt/maundythursday.htm
Derived from the Latin word mandatum, meaning "commandment," Maundy refers to the commands Jesus gave his disciples at the Last Supper: to love with humility by serving one another and to remember his sacrifice.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-21969710
The Queen has presented coins to elderly people who have worked hard for their community at the Royal Maundy Service held in Oxford.

She was joined by the Duke of Edinburgh in Christ Church cathedral to distribute the coins in a tradition which dates back hundreds of years.

Eighty seven men and 87 women, to mark the Queen's 87th year, were given two purses of money, one red and one white.

The red purse contained a £5 coin and a 50p coin commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Queen's coronation in 1953.

The white purse held the famous Maundy money, silver one, two, three and four penny pieces equal to 87 pence.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21963105
Pope Francis has washed the feet of prisoners in a youth detention centre near Rome as part of the Maundy Thursday service.

The Christian ritual takes place on the Thursday before Easter to commemorate Christ's Last Supper.

Thankyou Errol. I have googled Ghislaine Howard's exhibition 'Stations of the Cross' and Lichfield Cathredral. Unlike JLC, I have to admit I knew nothing of the cathedral and was fascinated to read about this beautiful gothic building with three spires.

How fortunate you are to be close enough to visit - I feel quite envious :-)

I don't know about that but I do know what I like and find inspiring

Obviously a man of taste :-D

Cynthia in my opinion it is one of the most beautiful buildings in the British Isles - I love it there and Chester cathedral

Thank you Emma, it's nice to see you on here. :-)


Wow! I've just googled Lichfield catherdral and I have to say that I find it absolutely awe inspiring - the architecture is stunning. Thank you for mentioning it Errol. :-)

Elizabeth's thread is lovely and must say I
also enjoy reading this one.

Emma :-)

I know Lichfield Cathedral a little. It is a very interesting building with 3 spires. Thanks Errol for posting. Wish I could visit there, but doubtful.

Most lovely day today so far. Just a sprinkling of snow on tops, but extremely cold. Was over in Rhymney Valley this morning preaching. A junior church of about 10 and all of them go to a Welsh school. So we talked about Sul y Blodau (Flowering Sunday) and one of the ladies said she always went and tidied grave of her parents and decked it with flowers on Palm Sunday (Flowering Sunday). However, grave was 60 miles north in mid Wales and she had decided to leave it this year for a fortnight.

This afternoon I was in my own chapel in Rhondda and we had the lady Minister for the Rhymney Valley leading the service. So we must have driven past each other at some point. Quite a big congregation for us (25-30) and it was a very nice service with us taking a palm frond, splitting it in two and making a cross. Some of the ladies made wonderful crosses. Mine looked like a tied shoelace :-( :-( :-(

Perhaps it would be nice to have a few thoughts and prayers during Holy Week. I notice that ElizabethoftheSeasons has begun a thread for prayers today, which is a lovely thought. :-D :-D

Sounds wonderful..........don't think I've ever been to Lichfield.....will have to Google and take a look.


Thanks for that...... :-D

I love the architecture and agree - wonderful that nothing has been built round it

Beautiful frontage to the cathedral and so good that the council have not allowed buildings to spoil the view.

We may pop over this week to see the exhibition.

I don't get there very often Guinevere but I love it up by the cathedral and always find it very peaceful. It's one of the oldest places of its kind in the UK

Beaitiful cathedral - we had a day in Lichfield before Christmas.
Fabulous lunch at Chandlers as well.

If anybody is interested there is a fantastic exhibition by the (superb in my opinion) artist Ghislaine Howard at Lichfield cathedral of the stations of the cross

Palm Sunday it is indeed John.

People were handed a palm cross with their service book this morning and, at the beginning of the service, we held them aloft whilst a prayer of blessing was said.


No sermon but a reading of the passion narrative from St. John's gospel. It was done in dramatised form with several people taking part. At the same time, there was a powerpoint presentation to one side, quietly showing the various points from the narrative.


We have a quiet service each evening of Holy Week, culminating in main services on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and, of course, Easter Day itself.

It's all go.........................but I absolutely love this time of year......

Palm Sunday and start of Holy Week, folks.

This was the day when Jesus was most popular on earth. When he began his descent down into Jerusalem (lit: city of peace) amidst crowds of wellwishers strewing palm fronds in front of him riding on an ass - the basest and most stubborn of creatures.

And how would be be greeted by his own religious colleagues in the city of peace? Story continues till Friday this week. Any contributions to Holy Week will be very welcome indeed.

For us Christians it goes on a bit further beyond Good Friday. For the first time ever, death is not the "last great enemy" of mankind. But don't want to spoil story too much ;-)

In parts of Wales, this Sunday is tradtionally called Flowering Sunday (Sul y Blodau) when graves are tidied and strewn with flowers to mark the end of winter. Suspect that tradition may be postponed to Easter Sunday or following week in many areas due to a metre of snow in some parts :-(

I certainly hope so John..........I certainly hope so. :-)

Both ceremonies sound fantastic. Cynthia. Missed them both unfortuntately. They look two such ordinary men to me - both quite humble.

Perhaps in the plan of things that is what is needed. Two nice down-to-earth men who can heal divisions in their churches, get to grips with the bad things that have happened and move the catholic (small c) church of Christ forward to be more relevant in 21st century than it was in last quarter of 20th. :-) :-)