Theme: Believe It Or Not!
Worship
Lectionary Worship Aids
Series VII, Cycle B
Call To Worship (based on 1 Corinthians 1:18-25)
One:
For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
All:
For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart."
One:
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
All:
For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe.
One:
For some demand signs and some desire wisdom,
All:
but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to some and foolishness to others,
One:
but to those who are the called, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
All:
For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.
Collect
Beyond belief, beyond hope, beyond grief, beyond tears -- how we desire to get beyond pain to resurrection. But we will bide together as God's people, staying awake, and watch with horror and amazement at what God has done for us. Amen.
Prayer Of Confession
Nothing left for all who wept except to stand together mournful. It took this much to get our attention. Now we see, Lord, now we see. Forgive us. Do not forsake us. At the cross we kneel. See us. Save us. Amen.
Hymns
Ride On, Ride On In Majesty
Go To Dark Gethsemane
At The Cross, Her Vigil Keeping
Good Friday
Second Lesson: Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9
Theme: Sympathy -- With Pathos
Call To Worship
We come before you now, our crosses bearing,
Our lives in disarray, but sins foreswearing.
We praise you for our weakness you have borne, and now are sharing,
Son, priest, and king, who walked before us, filled with caring.
Collect (Psalm 22:23-24, 27, 29-31)
One:
You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him; stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
All:
For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him.
One:
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.
All:
To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him.
One:
Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord,
All:
and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it. Amen.
Prayer Of Confession (Luke 18:13)
God, be merciful to me, a sinner! Amen.
Hymns
Were You There?
Man Of Sorrows
'Tis Midnight, And On Olive's Brow
Good Friday
Gospel Lesson: John 18:1--19:42
Theme: Woman, Here Is Your Son
Call To Worship
(words taken from the cross, John 19:26-28, 30)
Woman, here is your son.
(Silence)
Here is your mother.
(Silence)
I am thirsty.
(Silence)
It is finished.
(Silence)
Collect
Lord Jesus in your name we seek to finish your work from the cross. Our cup of cold water is reserved for the suffering. We take into our family those who face abandonment. We accept those you have sent into our midst as next of kin. We will do for others what we cannot, what we did not, what we chose not, to do for you. Is it too late? We pray it is not. Amen.
Prayer Of Confession (based on John 19:14-16)
All:
Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. Pilate said to God's people, "Here is your King!"
All:
And God's people cried out, "Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!"
One:
Pilate asked them, "Shall I crucify your king?"
All:
Our religious leaders answered, "We have no king but the emperor."
One:
Then we handed Jesus over to be crucified.
All:
(Silence)
Hymns
When I Survey The Wondrous Cross
Alas, And Did My Savior Bleed
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
One:
For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
All:
For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart."
One:
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
All:
For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe.
One:
For some demand signs and some desire wisdom,
All:
but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to some and foolishness to others,
One:
but to those who are the called, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
All:
For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.
Collect
Beyond belief, beyond hope, beyond grief, beyond tears -- how we desire to get beyond pain to resurrection. But we will bide together as God's people, staying awake, and watch with horror and amazement at what God has done for us. Amen.
Prayer Of Confession
Nothing left for all who wept except to stand together mournful. It took this much to get our attention. Now we see, Lord, now we see. Forgive us. Do not forsake us. At the cross we kneel. See us. Save us. Amen.
Hymns
Ride On, Ride On In Majesty
Go To Dark Gethsemane
At The Cross, Her Vigil Keeping
Good Friday
Second Lesson: Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9
Theme: Sympathy -- With Pathos
Call To Worship
We come before you now, our crosses bearing,
Our lives in disarray, but sins foreswearing.
We praise you for our weakness you have borne, and now are sharing,
Son, priest, and king, who walked before us, filled with caring.
Collect (Psalm 22:23-24, 27, 29-31)
One:
You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him; stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
All:
For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him.
One:
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.
All:
To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him.
One:
Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord,
All:
and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it. Amen.
Prayer Of Confession (Luke 18:13)
God, be merciful to me, a sinner! Amen.
Hymns
Were You There?
Man Of Sorrows
'Tis Midnight, And On Olive's Brow
Good Friday
Gospel Lesson: John 18:1--19:42
Theme: Woman, Here Is Your Son
Call To Worship
(words taken from the cross, John 19:26-28, 30)
Woman, here is your son.
(Silence)
Here is your mother.
(Silence)
I am thirsty.
(Silence)
It is finished.
(Silence)
Collect
Lord Jesus in your name we seek to finish your work from the cross. Our cup of cold water is reserved for the suffering. We take into our family those who face abandonment. We accept those you have sent into our midst as next of kin. We will do for others what we cannot, what we did not, what we chose not, to do for you. Is it too late? We pray it is not. Amen.
Prayer Of Confession (based on John 19:14-16)
All:
Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. Pilate said to God's people, "Here is your King!"
All:
And God's people cried out, "Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!"
One:
Pilate asked them, "Shall I crucify your king?"
All:
Our religious leaders answered, "We have no king but the emperor."
One:
Then we handed Jesus over to be crucified.
All:
(Silence)
Hymns
When I Survey The Wondrous Cross
Alas, And Did My Savior Bleed
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
