General Information

The Hymn/Dance of Jesus was performed after the Last Supper (Maundy Thursday)

The best edition of the Greek remains is in Bonnet, Acta Apost. Apocr. 11.1, 1898: Book V of the Historia Apostolica of Abdias (Fabricius, Cod. Apoer. N. T.: there is no modern edition).

Acts of John  ch.  94, 95

Hymn/Dance of Jesus  (After Lord’s Supper; Maundy Thursday)

94 Now before he was taken by the lawless Jews, who also were governed by (had their law from) the lawless serpent, he gathered all of us together and said: Before I am delivered up unto them let us sing an hymn to the Father, and so go forth to that which lieth before us. He bade us therefore make as it were a ring, holding one another's hands, and himself standing in the midst he said: Answer Amen unto me. He began, then, to sing an hymn and to say:

Glory be to thee, Father.

And we, going about in a ring, answered him: Amen.

Glory be to thee, Word: Glory be to thee, Grace. Amen.

Glory be to thee, Spirit: Glory be to thee, Holy One:

Glory be to thy glory. Amen.

We praise thee, O Father; we give thanks to thee, O Light, wherein darkness

dwelleth not. Amen.

95 Now whereas (or wherefore) we give thanks, I say:

I would be saved, and I would save. Amen.

I would be loosed, and I would loose. Amen.

I would be wounded, and I would wound. Amen.

I would be born, and I would bear. Amen.

I would eat, and I would be eaten. Amen.

I would hear, and I would be heard. Amen.

I would be thought, being wholly thought. Amen.

I would be washed, and I would wash. Amen.

Grace danceth. I would pipe; dance ye all. Amen.

I would mourn: lament ye all. Amen.

The number Eight (lit. one ogdoad) singeth praise with us. Amen.

The number Twelve danceth on high. Amen.

The Whole on high hath part in our dancing. Amen.

Whoso danceth not, knoweth not what cometh to pass. Amen.

I would flee, and I would stay. Amen.

I would adorn, and I would be adorned. Amen.

I would be united, and I would unite. Amen.

A house I have not, and I have houses. Amen.

A place I have not, and I have places. Amen.

A temple I have not, and I have temples. Amen.

A lamp am I to thee that beholdest me. Amen.

A mirror am I to thee that perceivest me. Amen.

A door am I to thee that knockest at me. Amen.

A way am I to thee a wayfarer. [amen].

[end of Hymn]

 

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Note: I should mention that Gustav Holst (who likely knew GRS Mead) wrote a Choral Orchestration of the above. It is a beautiful work. (if you like Choral Music)

 

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Also, The Ecclesia Gnostica Church makes reference to the above Hymn:

 

[Services from the Lectionary of the Ecclesia Gnostica Church]

MAUNDY THURSDAY

Color: White Intent: The Mystery of the Eucharist

Altar Cross veiled in White

THE COLLECT

O God, who hast given thy children the wonderful mystery of the Eucharist ere

the world began; who hast sent to us holy messengers of thy love, who were without

father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end

of life, but made like unto the sons of God, thou art verily the heart-blood of the

universe, whereby all beings live. Grant us, we pray, that we may properly

reverence and worthily receive the unspeakable mystery of thy mystical body and

blood now and forevermore. Amen.

THE LESSON

The lesson is taken from the Psalms of David:

Put thou thy trust in the Lord, and be doing good; delight thou in the Lord, and

He shall give thee thy heart’s desire. Commit thy way unto the Lord, and put thy

trust in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall make thy righteousness as clear

as the light, and thy just dealing as the noonday. O rest in the Lord; wait patiently

for Him; for the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the

abundance of peace.

Here endeth the lesson.

 

THE GOSPEL

The gospel is taken from the Gospel according to St. John:

Amen, Amen, I say unto you, he that believeth on Me hath everlasting life. I am

that Bread of life. This is the Bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man

may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living Bread which came down from heaven;

if any man eat of this Bread, he shall live forever; and the Bread that I will give is

My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

Here endeth the gospel.

 

GOOD FRIDAY

No Holy Eucharist is to be celebrated on this day. It is advisable that the priest

consecrate a sufficient number of hosts, as well as a chalice of wine on Maundy

Thursday, to suffice for communion on Good Friday and on Holy Saturday.

A special service for Good Friday may be celebrated in the evening, which incorporates a Gnostic form of the Adoration of the Cross and the Holy Dance as recorded in the Apocryphal Acts of John. (emphasis mine - jem)

 

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For those interested, below is the lyrics for Patti Smith’s Gost Dance (see (Daily) "Meditation")

 

Ghost Dance  (Patti Smith)

Ghost Dance

We shall live again
We shall live

What is it children that falls from the sky?
Tayi, taya, tayi, aye aye
Mannah from Heaven, from the Most High
Food from the Father, tayi, taye aye

We shall live again
We shall live again
We shall live again
Shake out the ghost dance
(We shall live)

Peace to your brother, give and take peace
Tayi, taya, it leaves two feet
One foot extended, snake to the ground
Wave up the earth, one turn around

We shall live again
We shall live again
We shall live again
Shake out the ghost dance
(We shall live again)

Stretch out your arms, now tip and swing
Rude up thy bird, tayi, tayi
Threw out the shoe over the soil
Dust off the words that shaped from the tale

We shall live again
We shall live again
We shall live again
Shake out the ghost dance
(We shall live again)

Here we are, Father, Lord, Holy Ghost
Bread of Your bread, host of Your host
We are the tears that fall from Your eyes
Word of Your word, cry of Your cry

We shall live again
We shall live again
We shall live again

What is it, Father, in Your eye?
What is this [Incomprehensible] , eyes of God?
[Incomprehensible] feels, just what I need
You used to fly me the way to speed

What is it, Father, holy that night?
What is it, Father, that moves to the right?
What is it, Father, that is waiting in Heaven?
What is it, Father, that shapes from Your hand?

What is it, Father, that makes me spin around?
What is it, Father, that brings, bring me down?
What is it, Father? You can't tell what I like
What is it, Father? I just ride [Incomprehensible]

What is it, Father? I can tell you one night
What is it, Father? I can tell what I like
What is it, Father, are You into shape?
What is it, Father, are You calling today?

What is it, Father [Incomprehensible]
What is it, Father [Incomprehensible]
What is it, Father [Incomprehensible]
What is it, Father [Incomprehensible]
What is it, Father [Incomprehensible]

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Another aside: The Native American Indians also had a “Ghost Dance” which was somewhat of a (Messianic?) rising again of their Nation, as Jesus was the Messiah who was to lead the rebuilding of the Jewish Peoples' Nation. Other similarities exist. see Wikipedia-GhostDance