You can watch tonight’s service here.
If you are watching our live stream tonight, you are invited to find a candle, so that we can all light candles at the same time.
WELCOME (ADAPTED FROM WORDS BY SARAH ARE FOR A SANCTIFIED ART, LLC)
In many ways, we treat Good Friday like a teenager trying to avoid curfew.
We long to tiptoe past this painful day.
We long to avoid the confrontation and the hurt.
We want to take off our shoes and slide right past the cross
And onward to the empty tomb.
But you and I both know, there is no resurrection without crucifixion.
There are no flowers without the rain, there is no love without a little heartache.
It’s cliché; but in this case, it’s true.
So tonight, I invite you to join me as we enter the story,
as we find ourselves here, in the place where we’d rather not be,
and I invite you to join with me in our call to worship:
CALL TO WORSHIP (WRITTEN BY SARAH ARE FOR A SANCTIFIED ART, LLC)
One: We have been here before—
All: A place of grieving and mourning.
One: We have been here before—
All: A night that seems it won’t end.
One: We have been here before—
All: Knee deep in fear, knee deep in doubt.
One: We have been here before—
All: Good Friday, the night Christ died.
One: So once again, we find ourselves here—
All: In community, in God’s arms.
One: Where else would we go when the world falls apart?
All: Let us worship holy God.
PRAYER FOR UNDERSTANDING (WRITTEN BY SARAH ARE FOR A SANCTIFIED ART, LLC)
Holy God,
Scripture tells us there was a lot of shouting on your crucifixion day.
The crowds were yelling:
“Take him away!”
“Crucify him!”
“This man claims he is King of the Jews!”
And Mary cried out in grief.
And you cried out in pain.
It seems there was a lot of shouting.
2,000 years later, and we’re still shouting,
And the world is still filled with violence.
The air feels so full of words, so full of hurt.
I imagine you know the feeling.
So today we ask that you quiet us in this moment.
Quiet our minds.
Quiet our insecurities and our distractions.
Quiet our fears.
Quiet us to hear your voice, and speak to us now.
We are listening.
Amen.
FIRST READING
Mark 14:26-42 (NRSV)
When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, ‘You will all become deserters; for it is written,
“I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered.”
But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.’ Peter said to him, ‘Even though all become deserters, I will not.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Truly I tell you, this day, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.’ But he said vehemently, ‘Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.’ And all of them said the same.They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. And he said to them, ‘I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.’ And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He said, ‘Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.’ He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, ‘Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour? Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And once more he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to say to him. He came a third time and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.’
We weren’t there, in the garden. If we had been, maybe we would have fallen asleep, like Peter, James, and John. But we are here now, and we are awake, and we offer up our prayers alongside Jesus:
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION (Roddy Hamilton)
We step into Lent, O God
and we are faced with real desolation
Hear us as we pray
at this time
prayers that groan in our souls
that know God doesn’t mean someone who steps in
and sorts it all out
like some tooth fairy
but that you stand in the desolation
and weep
at loss and suffering
and all that brings it
and so we pray for the people of the world
not knowing what else we can do
but live in relationship
with silence
that we may we feel our humanity with each other
for the sake of that humanity
and in places of conflict
and the continual suffering there
governing our humanity
and the shock of what we become
and who we do deals with
in the name of economy and trade
God
may we hold your silence
that speaks into this week
may we recognise who we have become
in the conflicts of this week
may we perceive ourselves as we really are
compared to creation’s power
And bring those people
who hold us in that life
in relationships with each other
our family and friends
those ill and those recovering
those worried and those anxious
Hear us
O God
as we pray
that we return to right relationships
with the world and with each other
So be it
Amen.
HYMN Stay With Me
lyrics by Taize Community, 1982
music by Jacques Berthier, 1982
© 1984 Les Presses de Taizé (admin. GIA Publications, Inc.)
Used with permission under ONE LICENSE # 738214-A
Stay with me; remain here with me;
watch and pray. Watch and pray.
SECOND READING
Mark 14:43-65 (NRSV)
Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; and with him there was a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, ‘The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.’ So when he came, he went up to him at once and said, ‘Rabbi!’ and kissed him. Then they laid hands on him and arrested him. But one of those who stood near drew his sword and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But let the scriptures be fulfilled.’ All of them deserted him and fled.
A certain young man was following him, wearing nothing but a linen cloth. They caught hold of him, but he left the linen cloth and ran off naked.
They took Jesus to the high priest; and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes were assembled. Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the guards, warming himself at the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death; but they found none. For many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony did not agree. Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying, ‘We heard him say, “I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.” ’ But even on this point their testimony did not agree. Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, ‘Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?’ But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?’ Jesus said, ‘I am; and
“you will see the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of the Power”,
and “coming with the clouds of heaven.” ’
Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, ‘Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?’ All of them condemned him as deserving death. Some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to strike him, saying to him, ‘Prophesy!’ The guards also took him over and beat him.
We weren’t there when Jesus was arrested, and we weren’t there when he was brought before the council and and people gave false testimony against him. We weren’t there to tell the truth. Maybe we would have stood at the back of the crowd, not knowing what to say. But we are here now, and together we raise our voices to profess our faith:
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (WRITTEN BY SARAH ARE FOR A SANCTIFIED ART, LLC)
We believe in the long night of the soul—
The spaces and times when despair weighs on us like a blanket.
We believe those seasons of life are real,
And that each and every one of us experiences them.
We refuse to believe that pain and suffering hold the last word;
For we believe in Jesus of Nazareth
Who was betrayed and bloodied, so many years ago,
But whose narrative didn’t stop there.
So while we are here,
Again,
At the foot of the cross,
Knee deep in despair,
And face to face with pain,
We profess:
We believe in the sunrise.
We believe in the power of gathering together.
We believe that phone calls and hugs can make a difference.
We believe that life is not fair, but is overflowing with love.
We believe that we cannot go this path alone.
We believe that even here, even on this day, God is drawing near.
Amen.
HYMN Wait for the Lord
lyrics by Taize Community, 1984
music by Jacques Berthier, 1984
© 1984 Les Presses de Taizé (admin. GIA Publications, Inc.)
Used with permission under ONE LICENSE # 738214-A
Wait for the Lord, whose day is near.
Wait for the Lord; be strong; take heart!
THIRD READING
Mark 14:66-73
While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she stared at him and said, ‘You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.’ But he denied it, saying, ‘I do not know or understand what you are talking about.’ And he went out into the forecourt. Then the cock crowed. And the servant-girl, on seeing him, began again to say to the bystanders, ‘This man is one of them.’ But again he denied it. Then after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, ‘Certainly you are one of them; for you are a Galilean.’ But he began to curse, and he swore an oath, ‘I do not know this man you are talking about.’ At that moment the cock crowed for the second time. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.’ And he broke down and wept.
We weren’t there when Peter denied Jesus. We weren’t there when the cock crowed. Maybe we would have denied him, too, afraid that we would be dragged away and tried, too. But we are here now, and together we join in a unison prayer of confession, followed by a time for silent personal confession:
Moment of silent prayer–people of God, what do you confess tonight?
PRAYER OF CONFESSION (WRITTEN BY SARAH ARE FOR A SANCTIFIED ART, LLC)
Holy God,
We admit that we struggle with this day.
We struggle with Good Friday for three reasons.
First, no one likes to see another suffer.
On this day we are face to face with the cross,
And your suffering is hard for us to bear.
Second, the pain of this day reminds us of the pain of past and present days,
And our own pain is hard for us to bear.
Third, we are reminded of the suffering we cast onto others,
Which means we have to confront the pain we have caused you.
So forgive us for skirting around the edges of this day.
Forgive us for averting our eyes
And avoiding the sinking feeling in our chests.
Forgive us for distracting ourselves from the hurt,
And forgive us for the ways in which we add to the suffering of this world.
We do not like to be here—
A place of grief and despair,
At the foot of the cross,
Face to face with state-sanctioned violence.
And yet, here is where we are.
So forgive us, and then use us for your good.
Gratefully we pray. Amen.
WORDS OF FORGIVENESS (WRITTEN BY SARAH ARE FOR A SANCTIFIED ART, LLC)
Even on this day,
Even at the foot of the cross,
Even here,
Even now,
Christ is saying, “Forgive them. They know not what they do.”
We often don’t feel that we deserve this grace.
We receive it nonetheless.
HYMN O Lord, Hear My Prayer
lyrics by Taizé Community, 1982, 1991
music by Jacques Berthier, 1982
© 1982, Les Presses de Taizé, GIA Publications, Inc., agent
Used with permission under ONE LICENSE # 738214-A
O Lord, hear my prayer. O Lord, hear my prayer.
When I call, answer me.
O Lord, hear my prayer. O Lord, hear my prayer.
Come and listen to me.
FOURTH READING
Mark 15:1-15 (NRSV)
As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ He answered him, ‘You say so.’ Then the chief priests accused him of many things. Pilate asked him again, ‘Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.’ But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.
Now at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked. Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection. So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom. Then he answered them, ‘Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?’ For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. Pilate spoke to them again, ‘Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?’ They shouted back, ‘Crucify him!’ Pilate asked them, ‘Why, what evil has he done?’ But they shouted all the more, ‘Crucify him!’ So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.
We weren’t there when Jesus was silent before Pilate. We weren’t there when the crowd cried out to free Barabbas and condemn Jesus. Maybe we would have called for justice, but maybe we would have been caught up in the energy of the crowd and joined the chant without stopping to consider the repercussions of our words. But we are here now, and we realize that we are often swept away by the crowds of our world today, and we realize that through our inaction, through our apathy, through our comfortable privilege of nonchalance, we have added our voices to those that shouted for your crucifixion.
Prayer (Disciples of Christ)
Forgive us, Lord, for forgetting your sacrifice
and for thinking your grace is cheap.
Forgive us, Lord, for using the cross as a trinket,
forgetting the agony it represents.
Forgive us, Lord, for taking our worship for granted,
forgetting the struggle that has assured its freedom.
Forgive us, Lord, for being calloused to human cruelty,
forgetting that every victim is a creature of God.
Forgive us, Lord, for being nonchalant about injustice,
forgetting that it still nails innocence to the cross.
Forgive us, Lord, for thinking that sacrifice is obsolete,
forgetting that we still contend against the powers of darkness.
Receive our prayers offered in all humility,
as we remember and honor Christ our Lord who prays for us still. Amen.
HYMN They Crucified My Lord (He Never Said a Mumbalin’ Word)
African American spiritual, traditional
1 They crucified my Lord,
and he never said a mumbalin’ word;
they crucified my Lord,
and he never said a mumbalin’ word.
Not a word, not a word, not a word.
2 They nailed him to a tree,
and he never said a mumbalin’ word;
they nailed him to a tree,
and he never said a mumbalin’ word.
Not a word, not a word, not a word.
3 They pierced him in the side,
and he never said a mumbalin’ word;
they pierced him in the side,
and he never said a mumbalin’ word.
Not a word, not a word, not a word.
Fifth Reading
Mark 15:16-20 (NRSV)
Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort. And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. And they began saluting him, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
Imagine cutting a branch covered with thorns. Imagine taking it in your hands and twisting it into a crown. Imagine not being able to bend the branch without cutting yourself. Imagine your own blood flowing as you mockingly bestowed the crown on a prisoner’s head. Imagine hating someone that much. It wasn’t the crown that he deserved, but nonetheless, Jesus came into his kingdom.
HYMN Jesus, Remember Me
lyrics by Taize Community, 1981
music by Jacques Berthier, 1981
© 1981 Les Presses de Taizé (admin. GIA Publications, Inc.)
Used with permission under ONE LICENSE # 738214-A
Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
Sixth Reading
Mark 15:21-32 (NRSV)
They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.
It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, ‘The King of the Jews.’ And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!’ In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, ‘He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.’ Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.
HYMN Were You There
African American spiritual, traditional
1 Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
2 Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
3 Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
4 Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
Seventh Reading
Mark 15:33-41 (NRSV)
When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, ‘Listen, he is calling for Elijah.’ And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.’ Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was God’s Son!’
There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.
Eighth Reading
Mark 15:42-46 (NRSV)
When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION (adapted from a benediction by Rev. T. Denise Anderson for A Sanctified Art, LLC)
Do not rush to redeem this violence.
Do not carry on as if nothing is wrong.
Grieve this.
Mourn this.
Sit with this.
And if you cannot, sit and mourn with those who mourn.
Grieve with those who grieve.
Go in peace, understanding that peace is not the absence of tension, but the presence of justice.
May God’s Spirit direct you to create the kind of justice that was denied to Jesus on this day.