Day 1: Sacred Pause: Maundy Thursday

As a parent to four kids, my life is loud. Delighted squeals and frustrated screams seem to pepper the soundtrack of my family’s days. When my husband gifted me a pair of noise-canceling headphones, I felt deeply seen and known.

Not only is family life full for parents like us in the thick of raising kids, but our outside worlds are noisy, too. Phones ping us with news alerts, work boundaries often blur, and social media feeds keep us occupied with constant updates and opinions.

God didn’t create us to be bombarded with noise 27/4.

Sometimes, we need to pause.

As we anticipate Easter, I find myself aching for a sort of sacred pause – a chance to sit with the holy truth that without the tomb, there’s no resurrection.

Maundy Thursday is a special day in the Christian calendar that offers us an entrance into a holy rest. It’s a day that gives us a chance to stop and remember the last meal Jesus shared with his disciples – and reflect on its significance for humanity and our lives today.

The name “Maundy” comes from the Latin word mandatum, which means “commandment.” This refers to the call that Jesus gave to his disciples during the Last Supper to love one another as he had loved them. Jesus knew what was coming. He knew his friend Judas would betray him. And still, Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, extending compassion and empathy to those around him.

What would embracing a sacred pause to reflect on Christ’s love, even in the face of pain and betrayal, look like for you? Today, consider getting quiet in a way that is available to you. Perhaps you can log out of social media apps or pop outside for a quick walk alone.

Breath Prayer:

Inhale: Help me remember

Exhale: I don’t want to forget

Scripture: Mark 14:22-24; John 13:1-17

Prayer:

O Lord Jesus, who showed us love

In life and death,

Thank You for welcoming us

To Your table.

As we think about the Last Supper

You had with those dear and beloved

To You,

We are reminded of love

And life

Poured out.

We think of the final meals

We ourselves have had with loved ones

And wonder what it would be like

To say goodbye to our children,

To know our time on earth was ending,

To bring our babies close

And stroke their hair

And lift their cheeks

And say, “All of this

Was for you.”

We wonder what it would be like

To say,

“Little ones, I have loved you

And I have taught you.

Remember the birthday parties

And first days of school?

Remember the holiday meals

And the walks outside?

Remember when we were together?

I will be with you

As you do all of these things again.”

O Jesus, You promised Your disciples

this—

That though Your physical body

Would soon be gone

And even betrayed

For pieces of silver,

You would leave Your presence with them

And indeed with us, Your church,

In the breaking of bread,

In the sharing of wine,

Present each time.

We serve one another in love.

O Lamb of God,

We remember You.

Help us remember

What You’ve called our family to:

Humility,

Service,

Sacrifice.

We are thankful.

Help us give thanks in all circumstances.

In the love

And in the fear

And even in the impending grief.

We know a light is coming,

But for now we sit in the darkness

And ask You to sit with us.

For we are broken

And also beloved.

(To Light Their Way, 152)