The Rev. Dr. Kenneth H. Saunders III
Greeneville, TN
Maundy Thursday
April 2, 2026
Today is Maundy Thursday. The word “Maundy” is one of those funny churchy words. It comes from the word mandate... The command Jesus gives his disciples on this night... “Love one another as I have loved you.” This is the night we remember the last meal Jesus shared with his friends.
The night when Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to his closest followers, saying, “This is my body.” This is all of me… and I’m giving this to you, to nourish you for your journey. This way, I am part of you and go with you through your joys and hardships.
And then he took the cup, and said, “This is my blood.” This is my life force, understood by the ancients as the bridge between the human and divine... And I’m giving this to you so that you might have life. Life everlasting in the kingdom of God.
And he told them, "Whenever you gather… whenever you break the bread and share the cup… do this in remembrance of me." The ritual action of sharing the bread and cup is called an anamnesis… a calling forward of the time when Jesus and his friends were gathered around the table... when they shared the bread and cup. A calling forward into the present time…When Jesus is truly present with us, here today, as we break the bread and share the cup.
Not just to recall a memory in Jesus’ life for us, but to fully participate in his life. To remember his teaching. To remember his purpose. To remember his mission... to restore the people to a right relationship with God… and with one another.
And so we gather... We gather, as Christians have done for 2 millennia, around this table, to experience this anamnesis. And remember the one who came among us, and who still comes among us whenever we gather in his name.
We believe this is more than just a symbolic meal. We call it a sacrament because we recognize it as an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace... God’s presence in the person of Jesus and his outpouring of love and grace for the world... Done with regular items like simple bread and ordinary wine.
And, by the grace of God, they become for us the Body and Blood of Christ. Not because of anything magical in the elements themselves, but because of what God does in and through a gathered people. Because when we come to this table, we are not just remembering Jesus, we are being drawn into him and he into us. We are made one body... One community... One people... As one bread is broken... And one cup is shared. And in them, One God... The Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer is made known to us.
And that matters, perhaps now more than ever. Because we are in a time & place of deep social stress. A time when our life outside of these doors feels strained... when divisions run deep... when trust is fragile, and when conversations turn quickly into arguments. We are carrying anxiety about the future… weariness from constant change… and, for many, a quiet loneliness even in the midst of busy lives. Some are burdened by economic uncertainty. Some are grieving losses that still linger. Some are simply tired... tired of all the noise, tired of the tension, tired of feeling disconnected from one another.
But in all of that, this table continues to call to us... this table still speaks to us. But this table tells a different story. It tells us that we do not belong to our divisions... We do not belong to our fears... And, we do not belong to the forces that pull us apart.
We belong to Christ. And in Christ, we belong to one another. At this table, there is no “us” and “them.” We are united together in a Holy Communion and fellowship, where there is only the body... Jesus... broken and given for the life of the world... And one cup... Jesus poured out so that we are forgiven.
And on this night, we remember something else, something remarkable that happened. Before the bread was broken… before the cup was shared… Jesus put a towel around his waist, he knelt down, and he washed his disciples’ feet.
He took the posture of a servant. He did what no one else in the room was willing to do. And then he said, “I have given you an example.” In doing this, he says, don’t just believe in me... Don’t just remember me, but follow me. Serve the world as I serve. Love the world as I love.
And I think that is where this night calls to us most clearly. In a world shaped by stress and division, love can feel costly. Listening can feel hard. And forgiveness can feel impossible. Serving others can often feel like putting one more burden on a load that is already very heavy. But Jesus doesn’t give us this mandate because it is easy. He gives it because it is necessary. Because love... real, self-giving, self-sacrificing Christ-shaped love is the only thing strong enough to heal what is broken in the world around us.
And so this night is not just about what happens at this table. This night is about what happens BECAUSE of this table. It is about who we become when we receive the abundance of God’s grace. We become a people who choose patience in a culture of impatience. People who choose kindness in a climate of harshness. We become people who choose connection when it would be easier just to withdraw and keep our heads down. People who are willing, like Jesus, to kneel… to serve… and to love.
Tonight, we gather as the Church. We gather with all our burdens, all our questions, all the weight of the world we carry. And Christ meets us here. In the breaking of the bread. In the sharing of the cup. In the washing of feet. In the quiet, faithful acts of love that push back against the stresses and strains of our world.
And in this gathering, we remember we are NOT alone. Because we are the Body of Christ. And Christ is at work among us. So we come to the table. We come to be in the moment. We come and remember. We come and are nourished. And we come to be made one.
And then, we go. We go out, united, into a weary and divided world... To love one another just as Jesus has loved us.
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