A blessed and contemplative Good Friday to you all. Tonight we have walked to the foot of the Cross with Jesus yet again. Our bodies,minds, and spirits are in many ways crushed as they always are during this sacred time of the year. I don't know about you but this year we need to spend time laying our burdens, sins, and all the things that we usually put in our Worry Free Sabbath box, jar, and journal. Tonight we leave them there as if we are laying stones at the foot of the cross. Pilgrims who walk the Camino de Santiago de Compostela often make a prayer or a resolve at the foot of the Cruz de Ferro. This is one such prayer from the movie 'The Way":
"Lord, may this stone, a symbol of my efforts on the pilgrimage that I lay at the foot of the cross of the Savior, one day weigh the balance in favor of my good deeds when the deeds of my life are judged. Let it be so."
"Lord, may this stone, a symbol of my efforts on the pilgrimage that I lay at the foot of the cross of the Savior, one day weigh the balance in favor of my good deeds when the deeds of my life are judged. Let it be so."
Tonight let us spend time in silence and write our own personal prayer and resolve as part of our journaling work.
We begin tonight's worship with today's collect from the Book of Common Prayer:
Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Hear the Word of God to all who truly turn to him.
Come unto me, all ye that travail and are heavy laden, and
I will refresh you. Matthew 11:28
God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son,
to the end that all that believe in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life. John 3:16
This is a true saying, and worthy of all men to be received,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
1 Timothy 1:15
If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous; and he is the perfect offering for our
sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole
world. 1 John 2:1-2
Christ became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:8
All of us like sheep have gone astray, and we have turned to our own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him. Isaiah 53:6
Jesus our Lord was given up to death for our misdeeds, and raised to life to justify us. Romans 4:25
The Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28
Whoever serves me, must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; the Father will honour anyone who serves me. John 12:26
Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed. 1 Corinthians 5:7
For as often as we eat this bread and drink this cup we proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. 1 Corinthians 11:26
Out of love for the world God gave the only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (adapted)
If while we were God’s enemies we were reconciled by the death of God’s Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Romans 5:10
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. John 3:14
Jesus, you suffered on the cross for our redemption;
help us, if we are called to suffer,
to be like you:
to forgive and to trust
in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus, Son of God, our true and only Saviour:
you died on the cross, a criminal under a curse;
you are God who forgives.
You died helpless, a failure and in pain.
You are God with whom there is hope;
you showed us the greatest love there is;
for you died for us with the Passover lambs.
Help us to forgive as you have forgiven us.
Help us to trust you, even when hope is failing.
Help us, if we are called to suffer,
to take up our cross
and to follow you in your redeeming work.
God of our salvation,
in this eucharist
you have renewed us in your covenant.
Help us to follow in the path of him
who came to open the eyes of the blind
and bring prisoners out of darkness.
Almighty and eternal God,
you have restored us to life
by the triumphant death
and resurrection of Christ.
Continue this healing work within us.
May we who partake of this mystery
never cease to give you dedicated service.
As this is Good Friday we do not light candles. We prepare once again for the time when The Light of the World will be restored. Let us enter into a time of meditating upon today's lessons from the Lectionary Page.
Psalm 22
Deus, Deus meus
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? *
and are so far from my cry
and from the words of my distress?
2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer; *
by night as well, but I find no rest.
3 Yet you are the Holy One, *
enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
4 Our forefathers put their trust in you; *
they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 They cried out to you and were delivered; *
they trusted in you and were not put to shame.
6 But as for me, I am a worm and no man, *
scorned by all and despised by the people.
7 All who see me laugh me to scorn; *
they curl their lips and wag their heads, saying,
8 "He trusted in the Lord; let him deliver him; *
let him rescue him, if he delights in him."
9 Yet you are he who took me out of the womb, *
and kept me safe upon my mother's breast.
10 I have been entrusted to you ever since I was born; *
you were my God when I was still in my mother's womb.
11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, *
and there is none to help.
12 Many young bulls encircle me; *
strong bulls of Bashan surround me.
13 They open wide their jaws at me, *
like a ravening and a roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water;
all my bones are out of joint; *
my heart within my breast is melting wax.
15 My mouth is dried out like a pot-sherd;
my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; *
and you have laid me in the dust of the grave.
16 Packs of dogs close me in,
and gangs of evildoers circle around me; *
they pierce my hands and my feet;
I can count all my bones.
17 They stare and gloat over me; *
they divide my garments among them;
they cast lots for my clothing.
18 Be not far away, O Lord; *
you are my strength; hasten to help me.
19 Save me from the sword, *
my life from the power of the dog.
20 Save me from the lion's mouth, *
my wretched body from the horns of wild bulls.
21 I will declare your Name to my brethren; *
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.
22 Praise the Lord, you that fear him; *
stand in awe of him, O offspring of Israel;
all you of Jacob's line, give glory.
23 For he does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty;
neither does he hide his face from them; *
but when they cry to him he hears them.
24 My praise is of him in the great assembly; *
I will perform my vows in the presence of those who worship him.
25 The poor shall eat and be satisfied,
and those who seek the Lord shall praise him: *
"May your heart live for ever!"
26 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, *
and all the families of the nations shall bow before him.
27 For kingship belongs to the Lord; *
he rules over the nations.
28 To him alone all who sleep in the earth bow down in worship; *
all who go down to the dust fall before him.
29 My soul shall live for him;
my descendants shall serve him; *
they shall be known as the Lord's for ever.
30 They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn *
the saving deeds that he has done.
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
See, my servant shall prosper;
he shall be exalted and lifted up,
and shall be very high.
Just as there were many who were astonished at him
--so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance,
and his form beyond that of mortals--
so he shall startle many nations;
kings shall shut their mouths because of him;
for that which had not been told them they shall see,
and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate.
Who has believed what we have heard?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by others;
a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity;
and as one from whom others hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him of no account.
Surely he has borne our infirmities
and carried our diseases;
yet we accounted him stricken,
struck down by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions,
crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the punishment that made us whole,
and by his bruises we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have all turned to our own way,
and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
By a perversion of justice he was taken away.
Who could have imagined his future?
For he was cut off from the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people.
They made his grave with the wicked
and his tomb with the rich,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain.
When you make his life an offering for sin,
he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days;
through him the will of the Lord shall prosper.
Out of his anguish he shall see light;
he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge.
The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;
because he poured out himself to death,
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
Hebrews 10:16-25
The Holy Spirit testifies saying,
"This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds,"
he also adds,
"I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more."
Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
or
Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 (I read this lesson at both services)
Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.
+++
Questions to ponder
Today I had the privilege of being John a.k.a. the Evangelist at both services. Tonight place yourselves in the different roles and write down how you feel and what it would mean to you if you were given the harder roles. Also why was it so important to identify Annas' and Caiaphas' relationship? How far was the Kidron Valley from the Upper Room? Could you walk to the Garden of Gethsemane in the dark?
The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ
according to John
Dramatis personæ:
John: the narrator
Jesus: the president, or another
On Good Friday, it is appropriate that the following parts are not spoken by the whole congrgation:
Soldiers
the Chief Priests
some or all of the following roles may be shared:
Peter
Pontius Pilate
a Woman
a Soldier
a Slave
John: Hear the passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, according to John.
(John 18.1 – 19.end)
John: Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas brought a detachment of soldiers together with police from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to him, came forward and asked them,
Jesus: Whom are you looking for?
John: They answered,
Soldiers: Jesus of Nazareth.
John: Jesus replied,
Jesus: I am he.
John: Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, ‘I am he,’ they stepped back and fell to the ground. Again he asked them,
Jesus: Whom are you looking for?
John: And they said,
Soldiers: Jesus of Nazareth.
John: Jesus answered,
Jesus: I told you that I am he. So if you are looking for me, let these men go.
John: This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken, ‘I did not lose a single one of those whom you gave me.’ Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter,
Jesus: Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?
John: So the soldiers, their officer, and the Jewish police arrested Jesus and bound him.
First they took him to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was better to have one person die for the people. Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter was standing outside at the gate. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who guarded the gate, and brought Peter in. The woman said to Peter,
a Woman: You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?
John: Peter said,
Peter: I am not.
John: Now the slaves and the police had made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were standing around it and warming themselves. Peter also was standing with them and warming himself. Then the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. Jesus answered,
Jesus: I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; they know what I said.
John: When he had said this, one of the police standing nearby struck Jesus on the face, saying,
a Soldier: Is that how you answer the high priest?
John: Jesus answered,
Jesus: If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong. But if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?
John: Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They asked him,
Soldiers
and Slaves: You are not also one of his disciples, are you?
John: Peter denied it and said,
Peter: I am not.
John: One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked,
a Slave: Did I not see you in the garden with him?
John: Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed.
Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate’s headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate went out to them and said,
Pilate: What accusation do you bring against this man?
John: They answered,
Chief Priests: If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.
John: Pilate said to them,
Pilate: Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.
John: The Jews replied,
Chief Priests: We are not permitted to put anyone to death.
John: (This was to fulfill what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.) Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him,
Pilate: Are you the King of the Jews?
John: Jesus answered,
Jesus: Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?
John: Pilate replied,
Pilate: I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?
John: Jesus answered,
Jesus: My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.
John: Pilate asked him,
Pilate: So you are a king?
John: Jesus answered,
Jesus: You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.
John: Pilate asked him,
Pilate: What is truth?
John: After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them,
Pilate: I find no case against him. But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?
John: They shouted in reply,
Chief Priests: Not this man, but Barabbas!
John: Now Barabbas was a bandit. Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. They kept coming up to him, saying,
Soldiers: Hail, King of the Jews!
John: and striking him on the face. Pilate went out again and said to them,
Pilate: Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him.
John: So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them,
Pilate: Here is the man!
John: When the chief priests and the police saw him, they shouted,
Chief Priests
and Soldiers: Crucify him! Crucify him!
John: Pilate said to them,
Pilate: Take him yourselves and crucify him; I find no case against him.
John: The Jews answered him,
Chief Priests: We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has claimed to be the Son of God.
John: Now when Pilate heard this, he was more afraid than ever. He entered his headquarters again and asked Jesus,
Pilate: Where are you from?
John: But Jesus gave him no answer. Pilate therefore said to him,
Pilate: Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?
John: Jesus answered him,
Jesus: You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.
John: From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out,
Chief Priests: If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against the emperor.
John: When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat on the judge’s bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. Pilate said to the Jews,
Pilate: Here is your King!
John: They cried out,
Chief Priests: Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!
John: Pilate asked them,
Pilate: Shall I crucify your King?
John: The chief priests answered,
Chief Priests: We have no king but the emperor.
John:
Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them.
Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, ‘Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.’ Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate,
Chief Priests: Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’
John: Pilate answered,
Pilate: What I have written I have written.
John: When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. So they said to one another,
Soldiers: Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.
John: This was to fulfill what the scripture says, ‘They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.’ And that is what the soldiers did. Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother,
Jesus: Woman, here is your son.
John: Then he said to the disciple,
Jesus: Here is your mother.
John: And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture),
Jesus: I am thirsty.
John: A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the wine, he said,
Jesus: It is finished.
John: Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the sabbath, especially because that sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies removed. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. (He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth.) These things occurred so that the scripture might be fulfilled, ‘None of his bones shall be broken.’ And again another passage of scripture says, ‘They will look on the one whom they have pierced.’
After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
In this version, a few pronouns have been changed to the corresponding proper nouns for clarity in a dramatic reading. No other changes have been made to the text of the NRSV.
This arrangement copyright © Simon Kershaw 2000, 2003 simon@oremus.org may be freely used, provided the NRSV acknowledgment is left intact.
The Solemn Collects for Good Friday from the Book of Common Prayer
Dear People of God: Our heavenly Father sent his Son into
the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world
through him might be saved; that all who believe in him
might be delivered from the power of sin and death, and
become heirs with him of everlasting life.
We pray, therefore, for people everywhere according to their
needs.
Let us pray for the holy Catholic Church of Christ
throughout the world;
For its unity in witness and service
For all bishops and other ministers
and the people whom they serve
For our Bishops, and all the people of this diocese
For all Christians in this community
For those about to be baptized particularly___________
That God will confirm his Church in faith, increase it in love,
and preserve it in peace.
Silence
Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole
body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified:
Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before
you for all members of your holy Church, that in their
vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you;
through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Let us pray for all nations and peoples of the earth, and for
those in authority among them;
For the President of the United States
For the Congress and the Supreme Court
For the Members and Representatives of the United Nations
For all who serve the common good
That by God's help they may seek justice and truth, and live
in peace and concord.
Silence
Almighty God, kindle, we pray, in every heart the true love of
peace, and guide with your wisdom those who take counsel for
the nations of the earth; that in tranquility your dominion may
increase, until the earth is filled with the knowledge of your
love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray for all who suffer and are afflicted in body or in mind;
For the hungry and the homeless, the destitute
and the oppressed
For the sick, the wounded, and the crippled
For those in loneliness, fear, and anguish
For those who face temptation, doubt, and despair
For the sorrowful and bereaved
For prisoners and captives, and those in mortal danger
That God in his mercy will comfort and relieve them, and
grant them the knowledge of his love, and stir up in us the
will and patience to minister to their needs.
Silence
Gracious God, the comfort of all who sorrow, the strength of
all who suffer: Let the cry of those in misery and need come
to you, that they may find your mercy present with them in all
their afflictions; and give us, we pray, the strength to serve
them for the sake of him who suffered for us, your Son Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray for all who have not received the Gospel of Christ;
For those who have never heard the word of salvation
For those who have lost their faith
For those hardened by sin or indifference
For the contemptuous and the scornful
For those who are enemies of the cross of Christ and
persecutors of his disciples
For those who in the name of Christ have persecuted others
That God will open their hearts to the truth, and lead them to
faith and obedience.
Silence
Merciful God, creator of all the peoples of the earth and
lover of souls: Have compassion on all who do not know you
as you are revealed in your Son Jesus Christ; let your Gospel
be preached with grace and power to those who have not
heard it; turn the hearts of those who resist it; and bring
home to your fold those who have gone astray; that there
may be one flock under one shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Let us commit ourselves to God, and pray for the grace
of a holy life, that, with all who have departed this world and
have died in the peace of Christ, and those whose faith is
known to God alone, we may be accounted worthy to enter
into the fullness of the joy of our Lord, and receive the crown
of life in the day of resurrection.
Silence
O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look
favorably on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred
mystery; by the effectual working of your providence, carry
out in tranquility the plan of salvation; let the whole world
see and know that things which were cast down are being
raised up, and things which had grown old are being made
new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection
by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus
Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity
of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
From Walk With Me On Our Journey
Loving and gracious God, we pray for peace in the world and that we may become peace makers and Children of God.
Gentle and compassionate God, we pray and remember all those who have died and those who are mourning.
Holy God, help us to remember and pray that we may always acknowledge the sacredness of life and that each day is holy.
Loving and creator God, we pray for children that they may be protected from harm.
God of many names we pray for strong bonds of love and friendship may grow among all faith communities.
God we pray for peace in our hearts, minds, and spirits as we prepare for the coming days of Holy Week when we follow Jesus into Jerusalem, the Upper room, the foot of the Cross, and on Easter Morning at the entry of the Empty Tomb,
God of Health and healing, we pray for all those who are ill and those who are in need of healing. May we remember especially this night___________
God who loves us and includes us all we pray for all the least of these and that we may lovingly respond to their needs. Help us always to remember they are our family members too.
Loving God we lift these our prayers in the Name of Your Son Jesus. Amen.
Or these:
Thank you God for placing us on this journey towards you and by giving us time to reflect how we would prepare our selves for the Last Supper and Jesus' Betrayal.
God we pray that we may allow Jesus tomorrow to wash our feet and that we may call Jesus friend and yes that we may finally know that God is Love and that Love is the key to healing this world's misery and discord.
God we pray that we may be surefooted as we follow Jesus on the Way of Sorrows and not be afraid to help carry His Cross and Wipe His bloody and sweaty brow.
God we pray that as we draw ever closer to the Foot of the Cross we may not be afraid but see this as an opportunity to check in with you and our lives.
God tonight may we find ourselves resting and praying and taking time to be with you and listening for your still small voice.
God teach us to love and be loving and shine your light to a world that seems only to know darkness.
God teach and show us how to be peacemakers so that we may be called Children of God.
Gentle and compassionate God, we pray and remember all those who have died and those who are mourning.
Holy God, help us to remember and pray that we may always acknowledge the sacredness of life and that each day is holy.
Loving and creator God, we pray for children that they may be protected from harm.
God of many names we pray for strong bonds of love and friendship may grow among all faith communities.
God we pray for peace in our hearts, minds, and spirits as we prepare for the coming days of Holy Week when we follow Jesus into Jerusalem, the Upper room, the foot of the Cross, and on Easter Morning at the entry of the Empty Tomb,
God of Health and healing, we pray for all those who are ill and those who are in need of healing. May we remember especially this night___________
God who loves us and includes us all we pray for all the least of these and that we may lovingly respond to their needs. Help us always to remember they are our family members too.
Loving God we lift these our prayers in the Name of Your Son Jesus. Amen.
Or these:
Thank you God for placing us on this journey towards you and by giving us time to reflect how we would prepare our selves for the Last Supper and Jesus' Betrayal.
God we pray that we may allow Jesus tomorrow to wash our feet and that we may call Jesus friend and yes that we may finally know that God is Love and that Love is the key to healing this world's misery and discord.
God we pray that we may be surefooted as we follow Jesus on the Way of Sorrows and not be afraid to help carry His Cross and Wipe His bloody and sweaty brow.
God we pray that as we draw ever closer to the Foot of the Cross we may not be afraid but see this as an opportunity to check in with you and our lives.
God tonight may we find ourselves resting and praying and taking time to be with you and listening for your still small voice.
God teach us to love and be loving and shine your light to a world that seems only to know darkness.
God teach and show us how to be peacemakers so that we may be called Children of God.
God thank you for this day, a day to remember you and continue to be on this holy journey with you.
God we offer our prayers and thanksgivings in the silence of our hearts for ourselves and on behalf of others:
Jesus accept these our prayers in your most Holy Name. Amen.
God we offer our prayers and thanksgivings in the silence of our hearts for ourselves and on behalf of others:
Jesus accept these our prayers in your most Holy Name. Amen.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
or this form of The Lord's Prayer from A New Zealand Prayer Book.
Eternal Spirit,
Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and for ever. Amen.
A Prayer attributed to St. Francis
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is
hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where
there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where
there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to
be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is
in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is
hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where
there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where
there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to
be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is
in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we
that we are born to eternal life.
The Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh: A Litany for Peace
As we are together praying for Peace, let us be truly with each other.
Silence
Let us pay attention to our breathing.
Silence
Let us be relaxed in our bodies and our minds.
Silence
Let us return to ourselves and become wholly ourselves.
Silence
Let us be aware of the Source of Being common to us all and to all that is.
Silence
Evoking the presence of the Great Companion, let us fill our hearts with our own compassion—towards ourselves and toward all living beings.
Silence
Let us pray that all living beings realize that they are all nourished from the same Source of Life.
Silence
Let us pray that we ourselves cease to be the cause of needless suffering.
Silence
Let us pray that we may live in a way which will not needlessly deprive other living beings of air, water, food, shelter, or the chance to live in health.
Silence
With reverence for Life and with awareness of the sufferings that are going on around us, let us pray for the establishment of peace in our hearts and on earth.
As we are together praying for Peace, let us be truly with each other.
Silence
Let us pay attention to our breathing.
Silence
Let us be relaxed in our bodies and our minds.
Silence
Let us return to ourselves and become wholly ourselves.
Silence
Let us be aware of the Source of Being common to us all and to all that is.
Silence
Evoking the presence of the Great Companion, let us fill our hearts with our own compassion—towards ourselves and toward all living beings.
Silence
Let us pray that all living beings realize that they are all nourished from the same Source of Life.
Silence
Let us pray that we ourselves cease to be the cause of needless suffering.
Silence
Let us pray that we may live in a way which will not needlessly deprive other living beings of air, water, food, shelter, or the chance to live in health.
Silence
With reverence for Life and with awareness of the sufferings that are going on around us, let us pray for the establishment of peace in our hearts and on earth.
Stay here for awhile and pray for all our family members who have unspoken prayers and remember to pray for all the families of those who seek to do evil that they may find solace and help in time of need. Remember that everyone is not excluded from our prayers even our enemies and those who wish us harm.
May the cross carry you through whatever pain and suffering assails us. May we go forward with courage in the faith of Christ...
Christ crucified draw us to himself...
May we find in the cross a sure ground for faith, a firm support for hope, and the assurance of sins forgiven...
and the blessing of God our Creator, Redeemer and Giver of life be with us always.
Amen.
++++
Good Night Dear Ones ! I love you! Have a blessed rest. Remember we are on our Pre-Easter Mini Retreat! A good time to reflect on our Lenten devotions and how we did with picking up and laying down things in our lives.
With love and peace,
Sara
Our resources for today are from :
Walk With Me On Our Journey.
Book of Common Prayer
A New Zealand Prayer Book.
The Lectionary Page
Oremus Bible Browser - Passion Narrative
Tomorrow's lessons
O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Daily Office:
Holy Saturday:
AM Psalm 95** & 88; PM Psalm 27
Job 19:21-27a; Heb. 4:1-16**; Rom. 8:1-11***
* For the Invitatory
** Intended for use in the morning
*** Intended for use in the evening
An archival piece from the Northumbria Community:
April 14th 2017 Good Friday
Good Friday, or God’s Friday, is the most solemn day of the Christian year, when we remember the mock trials of Jesus, His condemnation by the Jewish Council and by Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor, and His death on the cross. Many churches and Christian gatherings hold vigils, read through the account in one of the Gospels and meditate on what Jesus accomplished for us by offering His life willingly to break the cycle of sin and death. Often Jesus’ ‘Seven Last Words from the Cross’ are the focus of meditation, song and teaching. Sometimes nails are hammered into a real cross in the church or gathering place.
As the soldiers were hammering the nails into Jesus’ arms and feet, and lifting Him up on the cross – a truly agonising experience for the Lord – He cried out, ‘Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.’ This is an amazing example of forgiveness to us all. If Jesus was able to seek forgiveness for those soldiers who had hurt Him so badly, what should be the level of our own ability to forgive? When He gave the disciples the special prayer we call ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ He said to them, ‘If you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive you.’
Perhaps the most poignant moment came as Jesus spoke to His mother, Mary (see August 15th), and ‘the disciple Jesus loved’, widely believed to be John the Beloved, who leant against Jesus’ breast at the last meal Jesus shared with His disciples (see Maundy Thursday and December 27th). With great compassion for them both, Jesus commended His mother into John’s care for the rest of her days. Here is another great example to us of bearing one another’s burdens.
Towards the end we are face with the desolation of the cross, as Jesus cries, ‘My God, my God, why have You forgotten me?’ Whilst these are words from Psalm 22, they also echo the tragic feelings of Jesus as He shared in the human experience of the absence of the Father. It is as if Jesus is thinking, ‘Is everything I have worked for of no value? Will even my life itself be lost completely? Where is the powerful One upon whom I have depended all these years?’ How do we answer these questions when we know these experiences for ourselves? Jesus seems to be given no immediate answer, and yet a kind of triumph and peace are echoed in His last words: ‘It is accomplished!’ and ‘Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit.’ The last words are the traditional prayer every Jewish boy was taught to say as he lay down his head to sleep every night, in expectation of a ‘little resurrection’ the next morning by the grace of God.
As the dead Jesus is taken down from the cross and cradled in His mother’s arms, as His body is placed in the borrowed tomb of Joseph of Arimathea (see March 17th), there seems little likelihood of that prayer being answered.
Lord God, give me the grace of forgiveness, the grace of compassion towards all whom You bring my way, the faith that You are still around even when it seems to me that You have gone, and the powerful hope of commending my spirit regularly into Your hands. Amen.
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