April 7, 2023 - Good Friday

Join us in person or live-streamed at 10AM or find our recorded service at your convenience. Details on our Worship page. Service words are below.

Prelude: Jesus, Our Lord, Is Crucified

Acknowledgement

Welcome

Greeting

We gather again on this Good Friday at the foot of the cross which calls us on, not in shame, not in fear

but more deeply into the costly journey towards life. There is wounding, there is weeping. In Jesus Christ, God is not separated from that.

The Gathering

In the shadow of our suffering

is the suffering of Jesus.

In the shadow of our weakness

is the vulnerability of the Christ.

In the shadow of our pain

is the God who cried out.

We are never rejected,

we are never left alone.

Chant: By night, we hasten in darkness 530 CP

By night we hasten, in darkness, to seek for the living water;

only our thirst lights us onwards, only our thirst lights us onwards.

Moving Closer Toward Ourselves

First Reading Luke 23:1-32

Then the assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus before Pilate. They began to accuse him, saying, ‘We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king.’ Then Pilate asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ He answered, ‘You say so.’ Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, ‘I find no basis for an accusation against this man.’ But they were insistent and said, ‘He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place.’

When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform some sign. He questioned him at some length, but Jesus gave him no answer. The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant robe on him, and sent him back to Pilate. That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other; before this they had been enemies.

Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, and said to them, ‘You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death. I will therefore have him flogged and release him.’

Then they all shouted out together, ‘Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!’ (This was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder.) Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again; but they kept shouting, ‘Crucify, crucify him!’ A third time he said to them, ‘Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him.’ But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed.

Reflection

God in Christ,

you travel with us in faith towards the hard places in our souls.

You know the agony of pain, guilt and hurt deep within us.

You know our own frightened faces, often hidden from ourselves.

You know the violence sometimes hurled in anger

because we feel powerless to take the smallest step to freedom.

You know the grief sometimes lying there embalmed and perfumed

by our resolve to remain victims forever.

There are stumbling blocks with in ourselves in our travelling, O God.

We take these stones and lay them at the foot of the cross

which is able to bear the weight and the wounding for us.

(the people take the stones for represent their hard things, bring them forward and leave them at the foot of the cross)

Hymn: Sorrowing Song

Lord, hear my praying, listen to me;

you know there’s evil in what I see.

I know I’m part of all that is wrong;

Still, won’t you hear my sorrowing song.

Children are crying, hungry for food,

sick from diseases—God, are you good?

People are homeless, lost and alone–

God, are you hiding? Where have you gone?

Why do the rich ones steal from the poor?

Why do they build their weapons of war?

How can you stand the torture and pain,

hope disappearing, freedom in chains?

Jesus, remind us that you are found

with those who cry, with those who are bound.

Where there is suffering, you will be there—

help us to follow, Lord, hear my prayer.

Silence

We leave these hard things here on our way through to life

Silence

Second Reading: Luke 23:33-54

When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. [[ Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’]] And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’

It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last. When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, ‘Certainly this man was innocent.’ And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts.

All of his friends stood at a distance, and they saw all this happen.

(4 people lift the cross from the stand, and hold it like a coffin)

The Reader continues:

When it was evening, there came a rich man of Arimathea, called Joseph, who had become a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. It was handed over to him

(2 people lay out the shroud in the middle of the church)

The Reader continues:

Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean shroud, and put it in his own new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock

Hymn : Lament

Why do we listen and fail to hear?

Why do we see and not perceive?

We have turned away

and our heart has grown dull.

Heal us, help us to grieve.

Oh__ Oh__ Oh__ Oh__

Oh__ Oh__ Oh__ Oh.

Why do we listen and fail to hear?

Why do we see and not perceive?

We have turned away

and our heart has grown dull.

Heal us, help us believe.

Oh__ Oh__ Oh__ Oh__

Oh__ Oh__ Oh__ oh.

(continues while the bearers carry the cross down into the church and place it on the shroud)

Lenten Cross Liturgy Good Friday (Christ candle is lit prior to worship)

Reader: Today is the darkest day of the year. Today we remember the power of these things

which block out God's light.

Reader: Today, we remember them all: broken promises, disobedience, fear and lack of trust,

our inability to let go, and our wavering commitment. Today we experience the

darkness of Christ's death, and the separation between God and humanity portrayed in

that death.

Reader: It is finished. The light of the world has been put out. (Christ Candle is extinguished.)

Short Silence

Reader:

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, and Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Many women were there watching from a distance, among them were the mother of Zebedee’s sons, and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and Joseph.

These women, who had travelled with Jesus from Galilee and looked after him, were following behind.

Mary watched the death of her innocent child and held him in her arms

(A woman takes rose/flower petals from the bowl and walks down to let them fall on the cross)

We remember the death of our innocent selves

We remember the death of innocent, fragile things in the world around us

Hymn : Were You There 192 CP

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?