Maundy Thursday & April Fools

                                                                  Foot-Washing -- Fr Bob Gilroy

This afternoon Ontario Premier and game-show host of  "Let's Make a Lock-down!" will reveal the latest restrictions for the province. The past few days Premier Ford has made vague and ominous noises about is about to transpire, although those close to Queen's Park suggest that it will be more of the same in the regions already in the Grey category and more restrictive in other colour zones. We are Green around these parts, with growing case numbers suggesting Yellow or Orange would have been declared, if not for the pending Grey possibility.

Are you confused yet folks? Consider, then, those who are making decisions about worship services for today, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. Of course, many congregations have not returned to in-person worship since the pandemic began a year ago March. Yet in some regions, such as ours, worship was permitted last Fall, until Christmas Eve, then again beginning Ash Wednesday, six weeks ago. We're grateful that we could participate in services during these two periods, protocols and all. 

Whatever the circumstances, this has been tremendously difficult for pastors and priests and those in congregations responsible for making decisions. The leadership at Trenton United, our congregation, cancelled the Christmas Eve service to be in the spirit of the pending stay-at-home order, as well as observing the letter of the law. I sense that worship will be allowed this weekend, but with significant restrictions. Son Isaac, our Trenton pastor, observed, wryly, that "COVID really seems to not like the high holy days."

We plan to attend the Maundy Thursday service this evening, even though we don't really know what will unfold. Maundy Thursday doesn't draw a big crowd and our sanctuary space is such that we can distance safely with a signficant number of people.

The thing is. this service really invites intimacy, rather than scattering throughout a worship space. In several congregations we placed a table in the centre of our worship with an oval of chairs around it. People were invited to sit at this table, as individuals, couples, family groupings, and partake of the elements of communion. We washed feet, a tactile act, to be sure. All this illuminated by candlelight. We simply can't do this year, regardless of whether we're permitted to gather as the community of Christ. 

Please pray for the discernment of those who are planning for these solemn services of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, as well as joyous Resurrection Day.These Easter and last year's are really like no other in the memory of any of us. And we can pray that Doug Ford and his government don't make April Fools of themselves as they take us through this as a province.