Worship Service April 2, 2021 Good Friday

Good Friday

Worship Leader: Shauna Meek

Resources Used: Whole People of God Copyright © Wood Lake Publishing

Let us worship together as we read! You can follow along with the service which will be livestreamed on Facebook at 10:30AM Friday morning.  

For those who are not on Facebook, we will be posting the video onto our YouTube channel within 2 days.

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Welcome all who worship together this day – in person or online.  Please remain seated with masks on throughout the service.  We are one in Christ.

LENTEN TENEBRAE LITANY: Good Friday

GREETING: 

OPENING PRAYER: 

All: Eternal God, with heavy hearts and a deep sense of contrition, we begin worship by remembering the awful events of this day. We confess our common nature with those who crucified Jesus. With gratitude, we also remember Jesus’ deep love for all people – a love so deep that he was willing to die for its sake. Open our eyes so that we may realize how we contribute to Christ’s death in the world today. Open our hearts so that we can turn to you and share in your loving, just ways – whatever the cost.  Amen.

SCRIPTURE:

Isaiah 52:13-53:9

RESPONSIVE READING: 

One: The suffering Servant, despised and rejected. 

All: We remember Jesus - despised by those for whom he was the voice of conscience, rejected even by his friends. 

One: The suffering servant, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. 

All: We remember Jesus who empathized with those the world treated harshly and who gave hope to the bereaved. 

One: The suffering servant, wounded for our transgressions. 

All: We remember Jesus, who paid the ultimate price for the self-interest and desire for control that is mirrored in our nature. 

One: The suffering servant, led like a lamb to the slaughter. 

All: We remember Jesus, for whom a refusal to compromise

or to submit to corrupt leaders led inevitably to a cross and 

death. We fall silent in the face of his sacrifice.

(from Prayers to Share: Year B, by Rev. David Sparks) 

HYMN: VU #121 – Tree of Life and Awesome Mystery

SCRIPTURE READINGS:

John 18:1–19:30 from The Family Story Bible

 

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE: 

All: Thank you, God, for this day. 

This day, Christ’s suffering for the world shows us how you are suffering with the world. This day shows us that our Saviour understands the depths of human pain, loneliness, grief, humiliation, and desperation. This day, we see that divine love goes to unimaginable lengths to heal the sinfulness and woundedness of the world. May our steady gaze upon this man of sorrows - who forgives the sinfulness of the world and our own sinfulness - give us the grace to look upon all pain, sorrow, and sinfulness in our world with healing love, as your grace has looked upon us. Amen. (by Rev. Kevin Little) 

WE SING:

VU #149 – When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

COMMISSIONING & BENEDICTION: 

One: We leave this place and time recognizing the pain of the reality of death and brokenness in our world. Yet we know that death is not the end of the story. We know that goodness is stronger than evil, love is stronger than hate, light is stronger than darkness, and life is stronger than death. 

All: Until we gather again in the fullness of the joy of Easter, let us go forth in peace, in the name of God, our Creator, Jesus our Saviour, and the Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Guide. Amen. 

One: Let us maintain our silence. Feel free to set aside some time today for contemplation, prayer and meditation.