Photos: 1. footwashing service 2. communion 3. ceiling of church in Garden of Gethsemane 4. people quietly viewing the olive trees in the Garden 5. moon rising over the Mount of Olives (Church of All Nations, built over the rock where Jesus prayed, is on the right)

For Maundy Thursday, I attended a footwashing/Last Supper service at St. George's Anglican Church near the Garden Tomb, which concluded with a procession to Gethsemane.  The priests washed all of the congregation's feet, before washing each others', and I think I felt something like the disciples did as Jesus washed their feet:  what an act of humility and service and LOVE!  Communion was given to small groups of us in front of the altar, then before we left the church, the altars were stripped of everything, the priests removed all of their robes and vestments, leaving the church stark and unadorned for Good Friday and Holy Saturday.  Then we gathered in the courtyard for the procession to Gethsemane.  It was dark as we walked through the streets of East Jerusalem, but a full moon was rising over the Mount of Olives as we arrived at the Garden.  We went to a quiet, more remote spot above where we could look over the Old City and pray for it, and for the rest of the world, and it was deeply moving.  As I walked back, past the actual Garden, I saw the side gate open and went in for just a minute--and I was stunned to find hundreds of pilgrims inside, quietly praying, reading Scripture (in dozens of languages) in small groups, singing softly, milling around, gazing at the olive trees, sitting on the steps of the church--but everyone quiet, reverent, aware of what the night was about, and sort of "watching with Jesus" as the night progressed.  I've never experienced anything like this either--and in such a beautiful, significant place!