Maundy Thursday

This evening I held a special Maundy Thursday Communion Service at both of the churches I serve. At Lebanon, we had four people show up: Daphne, Harold, Mary and David. At Bethel, the turnout was not much better: Bill, Milton, Pam, Cathy, Ruth, Vernon and Betty Jo. But at both services, I spoke of how the small number allowed us to share an intimacy at the Lord's Table not possible with a large turnout. Instead of being nameless faces in a parade to the altar, we were a small band who came to the altar as individual sinners, but left as a family. On the way home, I realized that counting myself there were a total of twelve who took communion this evening. That's twelve individuals who took the bread and the cup... just like the twelve who gathered with Jesus for that Passover feast. Funny, I was disappointed with the turnout; but now I see that there was something special about the number who showed up. There were twelve of us. It gives me a new appreciation for the faces around that first table. We're all different - twelve unique individuals - just like the first twelve.

God works in mysterious ways.