GOOD FRIDAY
GATHERING
AND CENTERING
Welcome
to this experiential
and prayerful worship experience. Take your time – don’t hurry
through it. Pause after each song, each prayer and scripture to
reflect on how it speaks to you and how it makes you feel
Now,
as you listen to “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence,” breath
deeply in and out. Focus on the music and allow yourself to become
open to the presence of God.
SPECIAL
MUSIC
“Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”
On
this day we gather to remember Jesus our Savior who
loved us and gave himself for us. Let us draw near in full assurance
of God’s endless love and mercy.
We
give our thanks and praise to Jesus Christ who carries our sorrows,
heals our wounds, and redeems us from sin and death.
HYMN
“Jesus Keep Me Near the
Cross”
PRAYER
Almighty
God, graciously behold this your people, for whom our Lord Jesus
Christ was willing to be betrayed 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, forever and ever. Amen.
SPECIAL MUSIC “What Wondrous Love is This?”
SCRIPTURE Isaiah 52:13-53:12 If there are two or more of you, please take turns reading the verses.
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[a]
—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[c] 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
he shall be exalted and lifted up,
and shall be very high.
Just as there were many who were astonished at him[a]
—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[c] 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.
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 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.
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.
SPECIAL
MUSIC “Above”
As
you watch this video, what words touch you, speak to you and why. If
there are two or more of you, please share with one another your
answer to this question. Also, share with others who are
participating in this experience by using the Comments Section at the
bottom of the page.
PRAY THE LAST SEVEN WORDS OF CHRIST
1)
Extend
forgiveness.
In the midst of His execution, Jesus prayed for those whose very actions would cause not only His pain but also His death: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34, NIV). So, like Jesus, pray for those who have hurt you or offended you and ask for the grace to forgive and to keep on forgiving, as often and as long as necessary.
In the midst of His execution, Jesus prayed for those whose very actions would cause not only His pain but also His death: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34, NIV). So, like Jesus, pray for those who have hurt you or offended you and ask for the grace to forgive and to keep on forgiving, as often and as long as necessary.
2)
Pray for others to draw closer to God.
To the repentant thief who was crucified next to Him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43, NIV). How fitting that even as He was dying, Jesus was escorting someone into eternal life. So take a few moments on your Good Friday to pray for those among your family and friends who have not yet experienced the love and life that is found through faith in Jesus Christ.
To the repentant thief who was crucified next to Him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43, NIV). How fitting that even as He was dying, Jesus was escorting someone into eternal life. So take a few moments on your Good Friday to pray for those among your family and friends who have not yet experienced the love and life that is found through faith in Jesus Christ.
3)
Pray
for those in need.
John’s Gospel records Jesus taking the time and effort—from the cross!—to place His mother, Mary, into the care of His faithful follower, John: “Woman, here is your son” (John 19:26, NIV). That striking and intimate detail reminds us that Jesus cares for our practical wellbeing. So, like Jesus, who asked John to care for Mary, take thought on Good Friday for others and pray for the practical needs of those around you.
John’s Gospel records Jesus taking the time and effort—from the cross!—to place His mother, Mary, into the care of His faithful follower, John: “Woman, here is your son” (John 19:26, NIV). That striking and intimate detail reminds us that Jesus cares for our practical wellbeing. So, like Jesus, who asked John to care for Mary, take thought on Good Friday for others and pray for the practical needs of those around you.
4)
Pray
for the lonely.
When Jesus cried out from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34, NIV), He was echoing the abandonment and desperation of the messianic Psalm 22. That loneliness afflicts many in your community, and perhaps even in your church and family. So spend some time praying for the lonely people around you and ask Jesus to make Himself known to them and be especially close to them.
When Jesus cried out from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34, NIV), He was echoing the abandonment and desperation of the messianic Psalm 22. That loneliness afflicts many in your community, and perhaps even in your church and family. So spend some time praying for the lonely people around you and ask Jesus to make Himself known to them and be especially close to them.
5)
Pray
for those in pain.
Jesus experienced extreme dehydration while on the cross. His thirst would have been excruciating (that word itself comes from the horrors of crucifixion). So He cried out, “I thirst!” (John 19:28, NKJV). Let Jesus’ shortest saying from the cross prompt prayers for those who are in pain—those in the hospital, in rehab, in sick beds or undergoing treatment.
Jesus experienced extreme dehydration while on the cross. His thirst would have been excruciating (that word itself comes from the horrors of crucifixion). So He cried out, “I thirst!” (John 19:28, NKJV). Let Jesus’ shortest saying from the cross prompt prayers for those who are in pain—those in the hospital, in rehab, in sick beds or undergoing treatment.
6)
Place
yourself in God’s hands.
Jesus quoted another psalm (31:5) when He prayed, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit” (Luke 23:46, NIV). There is no better time than Good Friday to consciously and reverently place yourself in God’s hands—to surrender anew your spirit, your life, your concerns, your future, your hopes and dreams into His loving and omnipotent care.
Jesus quoted another psalm (31:5) when He prayed, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit” (Luke 23:46, NIV). There is no better time than Good Friday to consciously and reverently place yourself in God’s hands—to surrender anew your spirit, your life, your concerns, your future, your hopes and dreams into His loving and omnipotent care.
7)
Give
thanks for Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice.
Jesus’ last words on the cross—“It is finished!” (John 19:30, NIV)—are rich in meaning. At that very hour—perhaps that very moment—the Pascal Lamb was killed in the Temple. As the high priest sacrificed the lamb, he spoke a single word in Hebrew—Kalah—signifying the ultimate sacrifice of the day. The word means “It is finished.” Jesus, with His dying breath, identified Himself as “Christ, our Passover lamb” (1 Corinthians 5:7). The work is done. There is no work left for you to do. Nothing to prove. Nothing to earn. No striving. No “try,” only “take.” So give thanks.
Jesus’ last words on the cross—“It is finished!” (John 19:30, NIV)—are rich in meaning. At that very hour—perhaps that very moment—the Pascal Lamb was killed in the Temple. As the high priest sacrificed the lamb, he spoke a single word in Hebrew—Kalah—signifying the ultimate sacrifice of the day. The word means “It is finished.” Jesus, with His dying breath, identified Himself as “Christ, our Passover lamb” (1 Corinthians 5:7). The work is done. There is no work left for you to do. Nothing to prove. Nothing to earn. No striving. No “try,” only “take.” So give thanks.
We
ask these things in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ who gave his
all for us and who first taught us to pray, saying,
Our
Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy
kingdom come, thy will be done on earth
as
it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.
And
forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those
who
trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation,
but
deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and
the glory forever. Amen
HYMN: “Were You There”
CLOSING It is finished. Go in peace. Amen.
POSTLUDE “O Sacred Head now Wounded”
From Adam and Eve and the apple to Christ on the cross, it is finished. Humanity no longer needs to exist in a stated of unreconciled separation from God. Humankind no longer needs to suffer under the burden of the debt of sin, for the debt has been forgiven so that we like the thief on the cross who acknowledge his sin and need for salvation can enter into God's kingdom. It is finished, the chains of sin and death that doom us have been broken. It is finished, and we await the fullness of the completion of creation's redemption with Christ's second coming.
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