Agape Meal at Home

Check out the Liturgy and Enjoy your Agape Meal!

What is Maundy Thursday?

Maundy Thursday is the Thursday before Easter, believed to be the day when Jesus celebrated his final Passover with his disciples. Most notably, that Passover meal was when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples in an extraordinary display of humility. He then commanded them to do the same for each other.

What does Maundy Thursday Mean?

Christ's "mandate" is commemorated on Maundy Thursday—"maundy" being a shortened form of mandatum (Latin), which means "command". It was on the Thursday of Christ's final week before being crucified and resurrected that he gave his final commandment to his disciples:

"I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another." John 13:34

What is an Agape Meal?

The Agape Meal is a Christian fellowship meal recalling the meals Jesus shared with his disciples during his ministry and expressing the koinonia (community, sharing, fellowship) enjoyed by the family of Christ. Although its origins in the early church are closely connected to the Lord's Supper, and the signs of the agape are the loving cup and bread, the Agape Meal is quite distinct from the Eucharist.

Agape Meal at Home:

Taking our cue from the diasporate Jewish tradition, in which many holy days are celebrated in the home, The Agape Meal is ideally suited for celebration within the home. All you need is family and loved ones. If you are in lock-down alone, we encourage you to partner with others over Zoom, Skype, Facetime, or Google Hangouts to share this meal. Or invite others to join your celebration via these same platforms.

The Setting and Ingredients:

— This meal and liturgy is intended to take place around the dinner table, or on pillows on your floor – wherever you and your loved ones feel most comfortable.
— The primary lighting should come from candles, or low lighting, if possible.
— You will need at least one candle, bread, and wine - the primary symbols of the Agape Meal.
— The traditional meal is a simple fare of grapes, cheeses, nuts, dried figs and other fruits, olives, pita, and hummus, bread and wine, and maybe a pot of soup or a leg of lamb.
— In these days of lock-down, you likely don’t have all the fixings, so be creative. Use what you have. No bread and wine? Use juice and crackers. The important thing is that you share a meal of some sort and pray together.