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Monday, February 23, 2009

Lenten Worship: Good Friday Services

The season of Lent in the Christian calendar year begins 2 days from now on Ash Wednesday. Lent has always been very meaningful for me. I've nagged my pastor a little bit to get him thinking ahead for Holy Week worship. Here is a little help for the rest of you also.

For you pastors needing a little help planning for Good Friday, I offer you my favorite Good Friday services. Nothing really novel. It's based on the traditional Stations of the Cross from the Roman Catholic tradition.

The great thing about this service is that you can include so many people as readers. We used two people to alternate announcing the station and then 14 readers to read the Scripture texts and pray. We marked out 14 locations down the center aisle of the church, so that each reading moved progressively closer to the front of the church, to give a sense of movement toward the cross for the service.

You can also make this a Tenebrae service with 13 taper candles and 1 pillar candle to be the Christ candle. Extinguish one candle per station with the Christ candle extinguished last. Tenebrae is most effective when it is done at dusk/dark and less so if the time has changed and it's fully light out when you have the service.

If you prefer a more digital experience, you can project artwork or a symbol and the scripture texts for each station. Some people also use sounds like hammering, whipping, rooster crowing, etc. for various stations. One time I played a mournful video clip from Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ at the very end.

One year our music director, who was an outstanding oboeist, played a mournful solo of The Via Dolorosa as the closing song after the final station while in the dark. She played with such passion that people wept.

Finally after the service is over and people are still seated, strip the church of banners, parments, plants, candles, altarware -- everything -- symbolizing the stripping of Jesus and dark tomb he was laid in. Remove it all out of the church. People leave in silence. also The creates anticipation and dramatic effect if your church is full of flowers on Easter Sunday morning.

The songs below are from the red Covenant Hymnal and the gray Song Goes On but certainly are in other hymnals. More contemporary music could be used. There is a place for a sermon or homily after the 12th station but that isn't necessary. The service itself preaches and the benediction at the end isn't necessary either.


Good Friday
Way of the Cross Service


Welcome and Introduction to Good Friday Worship

*Call To Worship Isaiah 53:4-5
Leader: Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.
People: Yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.
Leader: But he was wounded for our transgressions,
People: He was bruised for our iniquities;
Leader: Upon him was the chastisement that made us whole,
People: And with his stripes we are healed. Thanks be to God.

*Invocation
Lord Jesus, on this day you carried our sins in your own body on the tree so that we might live. May we and all who remember this day find new life in you in this world and in the world to come, where you live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Spirit, one God forever. Amen.

The First Station: Jesus Prays in the Garden of Olives
Scripture: Luke 22:39-46
Prayer
What Wondrous Love Is This #204 v.1 Covenant Hymnal

The Second Station: Jesus is Betrayed by Judas
Scripture: Matthew 26:45-49
Prayer
What Wondrous Love Is This #204 v.1 Covenant Hymnal

The Third Station: Jesus is Condemned to Death by the Sanhedrin
Scripture: Mark 14: 56, 61-64
Prayer
What Wondrous Love Is This #204 v.1 Covenant Hymnal

Hymn
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross #202 Covenant Hymnal

The Fourth Station: Jesus is Denied by Peter
Scripture: Luke 22:54-62
Prayer
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross #204 v.1 Covenant Hymnal

The Fifth Station: Jesus is Judged by Pilate
Scripture: Luke 23:20-25
Prayer
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross #204 v.1 Covenant Hymnal

The Sixth Station: Jesus is Flogged and Crowned with Thorns
Scripture: John 19:1-3
Prayer
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross #204 v.1 Covenant Hymnal

Hymn
On A Hill Far Away #198 Covenant Hymnal

The Seventh Station: Jesus Carries His Cross
Scripture: John 19:17
Prayer
Jesus, Remember Me #122 Song Goes On

The Eighth Station: Jesus is Helped by Simon of Cyrene
Scripture: Mark 15:20-21
Prayer
Jesus, Remember Me #122 Song Goes On

The Ninth Station: Jesus Encounters the Women of Jerusalem
Scripture: Luke 23:27-31
Prayer
Jesus, Remember Me #122 Song Goes On

Hymn
Were You There #203 Covenant Hymnal

The Tenth Station: Jesus is Crucified
Scripture: Mark 15:22-26
Prayer
Jesus, Remember Me #122 Song Goes On (gray)

The Eleventh Station: Jesus Promises to Share His Reign with the Thief
Scripture: Luke 23:39-43
Prayer
Jesus, Remember Me #122 Song Goes On

The Twelfth Station: Jesus on the Cross with His Mother & Disciple Below
Scripture: John 19:25-27
Prayer
Jesus, Remember Me #122 Song Goes On
Message

The Thirteenth Station: Jesus Dies on the Cross
Scripture: Matthew 27:45-50
Prayer
O How He Loves You and Me #130 v.1 Song Goes On

The Fourteenth Station: Jesus is Placed in the Tomb
Scripture: Matthew 27:57-61
Prayer
O How He Loves You and Me #130 Song Goes On

*Benediction

There is a prayer for each station that we had written out for each reader. We also did this service using the Taize song Jesus, Remember Me #122 Song Goes On for the first 13 stations and Were You There #203 as the closing hymn.

We relied heavily on Robert Webber's tome, The Complete Library of Christian Worship. He also has a liturgy of the Palms and a Seven Last Words of Christ service.

Seven Last Words of Christ
Good Friday Service


Welcome and Introduction
Invocation
Opening Hymn

The First Word
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34
Devotional
Music

The Second Word
“Today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43
Devotional
Music

The Third Word
“Dear woman, here is your son . . . Here is your mother.” John 19:26-27
Devotional
Music

The Fourth Word
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matt 27:46
Devotional
Music

The Fifth Word
“I am thirsty.” John 19:28
Devotional
Music

The Sixth Word
“It is finished.” John 19:30
Devotional
Music

The Seventh Word
“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”
Devotional
Music

Closing
Closing Prayer
Closing Hymn
Benediction

We particularly enjoyed doing these services ecumenically with clergy from the community's churches leading each station or "word". The devotional really needs to be less than 5 minutes or the service will be too long.

Do something great for God this Good Friday that leads people to worship our Savior Jesus Christ with awe and majesty.

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