The Triduum Begins

Maundy Thursday at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Ogden. This was quite the experience!

Atmosphere:

Good Shepherd Episcopal Church is a historic and very traditional building done in a simplistic, Gothic style. The exterior is a stone building with a bright red door leading to the sanctuary and a beautiful courtyard with a wrought iron gate, trees, stone seats, and a statue of a young lady pouring water.

The interior is gorgeous and makes you feel as though you have stepped back into an old chapel in England. The whitewashed walls are lined with multicolored stained glass windows of saints and Jesus and offset by wainscoting that matches the old wooden pews. The high altar is a raised platform at the front of the church separated by a wooden altar rail. The altar itself is a wooden table with a golden cross behind it and six candles around the cross. The free standing table has two candles around it all lit giving it a heavenly appearance. The altar cloths were not violet as is normal for Lent, but unbleached linen with a crown of thorns pattern on them. The priest was dressed in vestments of the same material.

I arrived late to the service and after the service, members of the congregation stayed to pray. I felt it wouldn't be appropriate to snap any pictures. However, I did go to a Christmas Eve service there back in December and snapped this picture of the church's interior in all of its glory.

The atmosphere in this church is classic and inspiring. I loved it very much.

The People:

The people at Good Shepherd are genuinely very friendly people. They are a hugging and welcoming sort of people. The priest is a little English woman who radiates kindness. The majority of the congregation is white, and most who attend are elderly, but they are very kind people who are very open minded, yet traditional.

The Service:

The service was quite lovely. It is virtually identical to a Catholic service in most aspects. It began with traditional hymns sung by the choir, all dressed in red robes, readings about the Exodus and St. Paul talking about the Eucharist. Then the gospel reading focused on Jesus washing his apostle's feet and instituting the new commandment to love one another.

Afterward, the deacon gave a sermon, more on that in "The Message" section.

After the sermon, the priest took of her chasuble (a poncho-like outer garment priests wear) and put on an apron. She then read an invitation to the congregation to come forward for foot washing if they wished as a reminder that the servant is not greater than the master. She then washed the feet of several congregants.

Once the foot washing was over, there was another hymn sung by the choir, and then prayers were recited on behalf of the people of the congregation, the country, and the world. They then exchanged the Peace, which is a friendly greeting to your neighbors in the pews wishing them peace. This was proceeded by communion done in the same ceremonial fashion as a Catholic Mass with bells and chants. During communion the choir sang "Ave Verum Corpus" by Mozart, proceeded by a prayer, then a song about Jesus in Gethsemane.

The deacon and several members of the congregation then stripped the sanctuary of all of its ornaments: the candles, the altar cloths, the cushions in the chairs around the altar, the flags, the books, everything, and covered any statues with violet cloths until the entire sanctuary was bare. While they did this, the priest read the 22nd Psalm, which begins with the words, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Once the altar was completely bare, they placed a container containing left over consecrated bread from communion on the bare altar and covered it in a cloth.

The priest then stood before the congregation and invited them to come up and place a flower before the altar as a sign of mourning. One by one we came forward and laid flowers at the foot of the altar while a person in the back somberly rang the church bell.

The priest then said the vigil was to begin. They are holding an all night prayer vigil in the chapel where people can come and pray before the altar remembering Jesus.

I have to say, this is the prettiest Maundy Thursday service I have ever seen and I am amazed at the effect it had on me.

The Message:

The sermon was a little dry and predictable. It was about humility and how Judas was to betray Jesus and Jesus predicting this at the Last Supper. But then the deacon said that while it's easy to paint Judas as the villain of history, all of Jesus's disciples eventually turn on him, they do so by not living up to their ideals and standards. She reminded the congregation, that those standards are summed up in the great commandment Jesus teaches, love one another as he loved us.

I didn't take much from this sermon I haven't heard a million times in many other churches. It was quite an appropriate sermon for the day, but nothing earth shattering.

Overall Experience:

This was a very amazing service, and I'm glad I chose this to be the church for Maundy Thursday. It was traditional, yet felt somehow very connected to the modern world. I recommend checking out Good Shepherd highly.

Additional Comments:

Keep an eye out for the next two installments of this blog. Hope you enjoy them.

Until next time, peace be with you.

Second stop in Holy Week: Maundy Thursday at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church

This Thursday marks the beginning of the Triduum, the holiest three days on the Christian calendar: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday that leads into Easter Sunday.

Maundy Thursday, or Holy Thursday, celebrates the Last Supper, a meal Jesus shared with his disciples and the institution of the Lord's Supper, also known as Communion or the Eucharist.

Maundy Thursday is celebrated by many branches of Christianity, including: the Oriental Orthodox, the Eastern Orthodox, Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans/Episcopalians, some Methodists, some Baptists, and other Protestant groups. It is not often celebrated by churches of a more Evangelical, Fundamentalist, or Charismatic bend.

Common ceremonies on Maundy Thursday include: foot washing, which bears in mind Jesus washing the feet of his disciples and calls to mind humility; celebration of Communion; blessing of holy oils; and all night vigils.

As stated, I will be visiting Good Shepherd Episcopal Church for this service, part of The Episcopal Church which is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. In other words, The Episcopal Church is the American branch of the Anglican Church.

The Anglican Communion is a worldwide union of national churches with a shared history and tradition. All are rooted in the Church of England which was started when Henry VIII proclaimed himself the Head of the Church in England thereby separating himself from Rome. Historically, the Church has been at various times hyper-Protestant and hyper-Catholic. Today, both traditions can be seen in the tradition of the Church, and the Church considers itself to be the "via media" or middle road between Catholicism and Protestantism.

Things the Episcopal Church shares with Catholicism:

• Belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in Communion, though this isn't defined and members are free to interpret this belief.
• Practice of baptism, including infant baptism, by flow of water, generally by pouring water on the head.
• Formalized liturgy with a similar structure.
• Belief in creeds, particularly the Nicene, Apostles, and Athanasian Creeds. Again members are free to interpret these creeds.
• Episcopal structure, meaning their church is ruled by bishops assisted by priests and deacons.
• Belief in Apostolic Succession, meaning the Church claims it traces its priesthood back to the Twelve Apostles in an unbroken line.
• In addition to the Two Sacraments of baptism performed by the Church, they also recognize five additional rites that are sacramental in form but not sacraments: confession (optional with a priest), confirmation, anointing the sick, marriage, and holy orders. These together with the two sacraments of baptism and communion correspond to the Seven Sacraments in the Catholic Church.
• Shared use or ritual items, vestments, holidays, etc. (This varies from church to church, some are more Protestant in nature and shy away from these things.)
• Interpretation of the Scriptures through reason and Tradition. (Though The Episcopal Church allows more freedom of interpretation and diversity of belief.)

Things The Episcopal Church shares with Protestantism:

• Belief that the Bible contains all that is necessary for salvation.
• Clergy are free to marry.
• Belief in Heaven and Hell, but not Purgatory.
• Rejection of the Apocrypha as scripture, though members can learn from it.
• Primacy of the Bible as the final word in matters of doctrine and faith.
• Scriptures were inspired by the Holy Spirit and are the Word of God.
• Confession of one's sins must only be done to God and no one else, though confession may be done with a priest if one desires.

Additional things about The Episcopal Church:

• There is a wide theological and ceremonial spectrum in the Church, as you may have gathered. Some churches are much more Protestant, some more Catholic, some traditional, some liberal. Beliefs can vary widely among members even within a certain congregation. Diversity of opinion is welcomed and critical approach to the study of Scripture and Church teachings is encouraged.
• Historically, the Church has wrestled with many progressive issues, including: slavery, racism, the role of women in the Church, and LGBT rights. Today, most of the Church ordains women, there have been several female bishops (including the previous bishop of Utah) and the bishop who is the head of The Episcopal Church is a woman, Katharine Jefferts Schori.
• Though The Episcopal Church has a presiding bishop, she does not rule the Church as a pope would, instead she is considered the first among equals, and has the honorary role as well a role in the secular functions of the Church.
• The Church has, for the past decade or so, openly discussed and debated the place of LGBT people in the Church. In 2003, Gene Robinson was ordained the first openly gay bishop in the Church. Many bishops will ordain people regardless of sexual orientation, though some protest this matter. Members who are LGBT are allowed to participate fully regardless of sexual orientation without restraint, though others may view this as sinful. Many churches also bless same-sex unions.

Some things about Good Shepherd Church in Ogden:

• This church leans more Catholic than Protestant.
• This church tends to be more liberal in their attitudes toward the roles of women and LGBT people.
• The church building is a historical landmark, being the first non-Mormon church to be built in Ogden back in the 1800's
• This church is the home parish of a close friend of mine, who may accompany me on this adventure.

I will let you know how it goes. Until then, peace be with you.