Lenten Devotional: April 2, 2026

by Rev. Carey Taylor

On Maundy Thursday, we remember a moment that must have shocked the disciples. In John 13, Jesus—their teacher, their Lord—knelt down, took a towel, and began to wash their feet. This was the work of a servant, not a rabbi. Not a leader. Not the Messiah they expected. And yet, this is exactly what Jesus chose to do on the night before the cross.

After he finished, Jesus said, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” This is where Maundy Thursday gets its name. The word Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum, which means command or mandate. Maundy Thursday is the night Jesus gave the mandate: Love one another. Serve one another. Wash one another’s feet.

For 100 years, our church has stood on this corner, in this neighborhood, in this city. When we look back over those 100 years, what we celebrate is not just that a building has been here for a century. We celebrate that generation after generation of people in this church have tried to live out the mandate of Jesus. They taught children, fed the hungry, visited the sick, welcomed strangers, served the poor, prayed with the hurting, and loved this community. Long before us, the congregation at St. Pete First heard Christ's mandate, and chose to serve.

And now it's our turn.

Maundy Thursday is not just about remembering what Jesus did. It is about deciding whether we will do the same. The question is simple: Who will we serve? Whose feet will we wash? How will we Love St. Pete the way Jesus loved his disciples?

For over 100 years, this church has tried to answer those questions with our lives. Today, we give thanks for those who came before us—and we recommit ourselves to the same mandate. Because in the end, the church is not known by its steeple, its history, or its programs. The church is known by its love.