Maundy Thursday

Easter, and Holy Week in general, has always been my favorite time of year.  I love the spirit of it, I love the hope it brings, I love the reminders it shoves in your face.  This year I’ve been feeling a little left out.  It’s my first time away from home for any significant holiday and I miss my church and family.  On Palm Sunday I went to Trinity Church in Copley Square with the LECM* group and afterward went to Fire and Ice** for lunch.  I enjoyed the experience, but it just wasn’t the same as what I’m used to.  Then Monday was the Boston Marathon, which was fun, and then Tuesday and Wednesday were jam packed with school related things to do.  I just wasn’t feeling spiritually connected. 

Today was reading day, there were no classes because finals start tomorrow, so instead of studying for my genetics exam tomorrow morning, I filled my day with other things.  This morning I went on a run along the Charles in the sun before it got cloudy.  Then I came back to study for a little but was distracted by the party going on outside my window, so I went to down to Spring Fling where I got some free food, two free tee shirts, a free cup, and painted an aromatic tile that is making my room smell like pomegranates at the moment.  Then I went to the Morville House*** and decorated Easter eggs with the residents there.  That’s a story in itself that I’m not going to get into right now.  My favorite part however was trying to charade why the clear crayon did not color the eggs at all to a group of Chinese women who spoke very little English.  Anywho, I enjoyed what you would call a “study break” if you can call what I did all day “studying.”

After that I came back to my dorm for about an hour and took a practice genetics final**** before heading into Cambridge to University Lutheran Church for the Maundy Thursday service.  Ironically in about the 40 people or so who were there was my genetics professor.  I guess she knows I wasn’t studying much for her final tomorrow.

I really enjoyed the service.  The combination of cantor, scripture, and more recent writings allowed me to experience the Last Supper in a way I’ve never been able to before.  Jesus ate with sinners; he washed the servant’s feet; he died.  He told his disciples to wait, and they fell asleep.  We fell asleep.  Every time we fall asleep and miss the passing world, we miss God.

I am so very thankful, that tonight God is with me.  God is with my family back in Alaska, God is with my friends spread all over the world, God is with the child on the playground, God is with the homeless man on the corner.  God is holding our world, and though it may seem at times like everything is falling apart, love holds us together.

Goodnight.

*Lutheran Episcopal Campus Ministries, a group I’ve been going to all year.

**A REALLY COOL make your own stir fry kind of thing.  I did make your own crepes full of fresh fruit and all kinds of yummies!

***It’s like an assisted living home where I go here every month with LECM and we make them food and just usually socialize.

****And I got a 100%...  I think I’m good for tomorrow.