Maundy Thursday, also called Holy Thursday, is a service to commemorate Jesus’ last supper with his disciples and the origin of our sacrament, communion. The word Maundy comes from the Latin mandatus, which means “commandment.” At the last supper, Jesus gave the disciples a new commandment to love one another as he had loved them (John 13:34).
This year, the Dayton Church will mark Maundy Thursday by offering a service called Tenebrae, the Latin word for darkness or shadows. Through the sharing of scripture in different voices (each representing a different disciple) we will experience the stories of Jesus’ life as they lead into Good Friday. One of the focal points of the service is the gradual extinguishing of candles until only a single candle, considered a symbol of our Lord, remains. This experience of graduated darkness represents the flight of each disciple, as they abandoned Jesus. Toward the end of the service, the Christ candle is taken from the sanctuary.
Come, take part!
