For Good Friday, The Rev. John Burton, will provide a short liturgy with a meditation considering sacred space. For many of us, the Church buildings are an important sacred space, and the loss of access to them at this time of pandemic is one of the many griefs we are experiencing. He will lead us to consider what sacred space is, how it functions, and will leave us with practical suggestions about finding and using sacred space here and now.
You may access the service on Friday, April 10th, at 12:00 noon or any time after at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivaNyST7BJQ
ORDER OF SERVICE
Good Friday
April 10, 2020
Prelude: Deep River (Spiritual)
Welcome and Introduction:
Opening Prayer:
Blessed be our God.
For ever and ever. Amen.
Let us pray:
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.
The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint John.
NARRATOR: 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!"
NARRATOR: 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."
NARRATOR: So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them,
PILATE: "Here is the man!"
NARRATOR: When the chief priests and the police saw him, they shouted,
CROWD: "Crucify him! Crucify him!"
NARRATOR: Pilate said to them,
PILATE: "Take him yourselves and crucify him; I find no case against him."
NARRATOR: The Jews answered him,
CROWD: "We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has claimed to be the Son of God."
NARRATOR: Now when Pilate heard this, he was more afraid than ever. He entered his headquarters again and asked Jesus,
PILATE: "Where are you from?"
NARRATOR: 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?"
NARRATOR: 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."
NARRATOR: From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out,
CROWD: "If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against the emperor."
NARRATOR: 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. He said to the Jews,
PILATE: "Here is your King!"
NARRATOR: They cried out,
CROWD: "Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!"
NARRATOR: Pilate asked them,
PILATE: "Shall I crucify your King?"
NARRATOR: The chief priests answered,
PRIESTS: "We have no king but the emperor."
NARRATOR: Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.
(At the mention of Golgotha, all stand as able.)
NARRATOR: 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,
PRIESTS: "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but, 'This man said, I am King of the Jews.'"
NARRATOR: Pilate answered,
PILATE: "What I have written I have written."
NARRATOR: 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."
NARRATOR: 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."
NARRATOR: Then he said to the disciple,
JESUS: "Here is your mother."
NARRATOR: 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."
NARRATOR: 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."
NARRATOR: Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Silence is kept.
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."
The Bible text is from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.
Music: Were You There When They Crucified My Lord (Spiritual)
Sermon: The Rev. John Burton
The Solemn Collects
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; That God will confirm the 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; 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; 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.
In this time of pandemic, we pray:
For all who have contracted coronavirus,
We pray for care and healing.
For those who are particularly vulnerable,
We pray for safety and protection.
For all who experience fear or anxiety,
We pray for peace of mind and spirit.
For affected families who are facing difficult decisions
between food on the table or public safety,
We pray for policies that recognize their plight.
For those who do not have adequate health insurance,
We pray that no family will face financial burdens alone.
For those who are afraid to access care due to immigration status,
We pray for recognition of the God-given dignity of all.
For our brothers and sisters around the world,
We pray for shared solidarity.
For public officials and decisionmakers,
We pray for wisdom and guidance.
Father, during this time may your Church be a sign of hope, comfort and love to all.
Grant peace.
Grant comfort.
Grant healing.
Be with us, Lord.
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 that the hardships and disruptions of this time of illness and quarantine may lead everyone to seek God or a deeper relationship with God and to recognize our common humanity and connection with all creation. Let this be a time for us to reflect upon our values and our relationships with others; let us grow in gratitude and in our commitment to love our neighbors as ourselves. Silence
Compassionate God, creator of all the peoples of the earth and lover of souls: give us grace to act with compassion in all we do, following the example of or Lord Jesus Christ. 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 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.
Music: O Sacred Head, sore wounded words by Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676)
tune by Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612)
Lord's Prayer
Closing Collect
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, we pray you to set your passion, cross, and death between your judgment and our souls, now and in the hour of our death. Give mercy and grace to the living; pardon and rest to the dead; to your holy Church peace and concord; and to us sinners everlasting life and glory; for with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Readers: Pamela Smith, Rita Redfield, KC Burton, John Burton
Music: Stephen Sampson Extreme special thanks to Jayne Ashworth for video editing and production
|
