Agony in the garden 1450 - Fra Angelico.
It is 9pm on the night of Holy Thursday. The altar is stripped bare at St Thom's at Upper Ferntree Gully. The church is bare of almost all furniture and furnishings. The Community of Faith that gathers at St Thom's has shared a Passover meal at 6.30pm. Not the Jewish Seder but truly in the Passover spirit - a small hasty meal of roast lamb, boiled vegetables. On the table herbs in the form of sprigs of rosemary and bowls of mint sauce and carafes of wine. Simple, hasty sustenance. Michael Cohen and his daughter, Davina, of Bialik College spoke - and sang - to us of their Jewish heritage and traditions. Most enriching.
At 7.30pm we moved into the Christian liturgy with the Washing of Feet. The Community of Faith at St Thom's has a long history of association with the Angliss Hospital in Upper Gully. Our priest, Susanne Chambers, is the co-ordinating chaplain there. Many in our community are involved in pastoral care and various elements of service to the Angliss. So, to emphasise the serving relationship which is manifest in the Washing of Feet, the bowls and jugs and towels and soap all came from the Angliss Hospital. A sacrament of service centered in a place of service.
Then we gathered in a large circle making sacred space around the sacred table as we were obedient to the request of Jesus made nearly two milennia ago. We served each other with the consecrated matzo and the consecrated wine. Then we were done. He was gone from our presence symbolised as we all joined in taking everything we could move from the church - save the bare cross.
Homeless people in a service at the Credo Cafe.Photo: Jason South. The Age.
The vigil began - can you not watch one hour with me?
"Jesus asked his mates to stay with him,
but they got pissed and fell asleep,
the bloody bastards."
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