Thursday, April 21, 2011

Maundy Thursday Prayer Vigil

This is a strange way of putting it and this is one of my favorite nights of the year. Yes, it is a time when Christians remember Jesus’ suffering and death. And for a dancer, it was a time of ritual drama that spoke deeply to my faith. Services allowed for the singing of some hymns that were appropriate only on this night. We were able to dance to those, or act out the women at the cross; strip the chancel of all the extraneous decorations, draping the cross in black and leaving the room in darkness.


Years ago my church in Virginia began having a prayer vigil following the Maundy Thursday service. People would sign up to pray in the sanctuary for thirty minutes segments from nine on Thursday night until 3 on Good Friday afternoon. It was and still is a time of power and grace. Last year I mentioned to the pastor that I would be thinking of them and he suggested he might sign me up to pray along with someone who would be in the sanctuary. I loved the idea and he did - 9 my time, midnight theirs. I am doing it again this year. To set aside an intentional period of time to be in intentional prayer and meditation is a powerful experience. I will light candles, read scripture and hymns, mediate and be in intercessory prayer.


The time will be a blessing to me. May I be a blessing to others through my prayer.

No comments: