Maundy Thursday Pageants

Today, Christians throughout the world will celebrate Maundy Thursday.

Although, they may call it something different. Some may call it "Holy Thursday" or the "Thursday before Easter". But many celebrate the fifth day in the Holy Week in which Jesus shared the Last Supper with his disciples. Or should it be called the Last Dinner?

The Last Supper is the single most important meal in all of history.

So important that many churches recreate the meal with a play.

Back when I rolled with the UMC (that's United Methodist Church), I had the opportunity to make my dramatic debut.

I was a youth director at a rural church just outside of Bowling Green, Kentucky. The little community of Richardsville. The people were simply amazing and God couldn't have placed me in a better place to cut my teeth in ministry.

Every year the church put on a Maundy Thursday pageant. For two years, since I was the youth director (and there was no way to say no to my pastor), I agreed to be a disciple.

I don't remember anything about the first play.

But the second one I replay in my head every year on Maundy Thursday.

What makes the second play so special?

Maybe it was because I had some family and friends show up.

Maybe it's because I played two disciples. You have to have mad skillz to be able to pull off two disciples. Which two? Didymus, which in Greek means "twin" or more commonly known to you as Thomas, and John, the disciple whom Jesus loved.

Or perhaps it was because this rural church transformed the stage to look like Leonardo di Vinci's famous depiction of the event. Complete with food like you wouldn't believe.

Now I wanted to make my two disciples as believable as possible, so I went into method acting. I didn't eat much that day and there was a spread before me. Peanut butter Ritz crackers, grapes, pita bread, cheese, you know the stuff an ancient Jewish Super Bowl party would be made of. Needless to say, I chowed down in front of the entire congregation.

Peter even asked in a very country accent, "Lord, doest thou warsht my feet also?" Which actually was pretty spot on considering Peter's accent gave him away to the servant girl.

Jesus was played by my pastor.

A man who I cannot think of a single negative thing to say about. My heart warms when I think of him and tears fill my eyes as I miss being around him. Sure Jesus was played by a short man in his sixties, but I can't think of anyone who was more Christlike than Brother Larry.

My church now doesn't do a Maundy Thursday pageant, which isn't a bad thing because I can't top my previous acting performance.

But every year on this holy day, I meditate on the one single meal that changed everything.

Question:
How does your church celebrate Maundy Thursday?