It was a worshipful family atmosphere as residents at The Bridge at Highland partook in the foot-washing and communion emblems in celebration of Holy Thursday. The activity was put on by our Quality of Life team, who invited Pastor Victor Creasy of Halltown Baptist Church in Portland, TN, to lead out in the Holy Thursday services. Pastor Creasy was joined by Alexis Mangrum, Anisia Castillo, and Jane Garcia—students at Highland Academy of Seventh-day Adventists—in providing a heartfelt service commemorating the last supper of Christ and His disciples, which takes place on the Thursday before Easter.
For many Christian traditions, this day initiates the Easter Triduum—the three-day period which remembers the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ—and Thursday’s events include the last supper, when Christ washed the disciples’ feet in an example of humility and Christian service. This is also when Jesus gave His followers the bread and wine as emblems of His body which would be broken for them, and His blood, which would be poured out for their salvation.
Pastor Creasy spoke of the present-day relevance of Christ’s humility that we can see when we serve others. “Scripture teaches us about our need to visit widows, orphans and the ones in prison—to those in our hospitals and nursing homes,” He said. Service to those who are outside our comfortable circle of church fellowship, are some of the most tangible ways we can follow in Christ’s footsteps. “We need to minister to those as much as to our own members… ‘Whatever you have done to the least of these, you have done to me,’” he continued, referring to Jesus’ words from Matthew 25:40. “Jesus went to the highways and hedges to meet his people. They can’t come to us, so we need to go to them.”
Today it has been a privilege for the staff and volunteers at the Bridge to follow the example of Christ and bring these poignant acts of service to our friends who live in our facility. We have come away with a special blessing.