April 18, 2025 – Good Friday

Lectionary Readings

Isaiah 52:13—53:12
The innocent servant suffers; surely he has borne our sin.

Psalm 22
A desperate prayer of lament turns to thanksgiving and praise.

Hebrews 10:16–25
Jesus opens the sanctuary for us; trust in him, for he is faithful.

or Hebrews 4:14–16; 5:7–9
In Jesus, we have a great high priest who knows our weakness.

John 18:1—19:42
Jesus is arrested, put on trial, crucified, and buried.

— Gathering —

Opening Sentences

My God, my God, why have you forsaken us?
We cry by day, but you do not answer;
and by night, but find no rest.
Yet in you our ancestors trusted.
They trusted you and you delivered them.
So we praise you among the great congregation,
telling all of our siblings of God’s deliverance.
All the ends of the earth shall remember
and return to the Lord.
Dominion belongs to the Lord,
and God rules over the nations.
Let us worship God.

Prayer of the Day

All-giving God,
your love for the world knows no bounds.
You emptied yourself for us,
enduring death on a cross,
so that we might know you more fully.
By the power of your Spirit,
help us to understand
the meaning of your sacrifice for our lives
as we seek to follow the path you set before us. Amen.

Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song

Thanksgiving for Baptism

At the baptismal font:
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
God of ancient covenants,
who never breaks trust,
we thank you for baptismal waters
that pour out your steadfast love
for all creation.
Thank you for the salvation promise
you have kept.
In the name of Jesus,
the Living Water, we pray. Amen.

Confession and Pardon

At the baptismal font:
Jesus offered up prayers and supplications,
with loud cries and tears,
to the one who was able to save him from death.
With the raw honesty of Jesus,
let us cry out in confession.

Lord Jesus Christ,
our betrayal, denial, and violence
paved the way to your cross.
We know it is preposterous,
in light of our cruelty,
to ask anything of you,
in light of your pain;
but we pray earnestly:
Have mercy on us,
for we cannot bear the weight of our sin.
Save us in your unfathomable love.

Lifting water from the font:
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have all turned to our own way,
and Christ has borne the iniquity of us all.
Through the grace of God,
we are freed from sin to walk in righteousness.
Believe the good news.
In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

— Word —

Prayer for Illumination

At the lectern or pulpit:
O Lord of light and salvation,
let these words of Scripture
live not only in our mouths,
but in our hearts,
that we will embody your truth
and confess with our lives
that Jesus is Lord. Amen.

Scripture

Before the readings:
The Word is near to us, 
on our lips and in our hearts. 
Romans 10:8

After the readings:
This is the Word of faith 
that we proclaim. 
Thanks be to God.
Romans 10:8

Sermon

Ascription of Praise

After the sermon:
Let every tongue confess 
that Jesus Christ is Lord. Amen.
Philippians 2:11

Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song

Affirmation of Faith

God’s reconciling act in Jesus Christ is a mystery
which the Scriptures describe in various ways.
It is called the sacrifice of a lamb,
a shepherd’s life given for his sheep,
atonement by a priest;
again it is ransom of a slave, payment of debt,
vicarious satisfaction of a legal penalty,
and victory over the powers of evil.
These are expressions of a truth
which remains beyond the reach of all theory
in the depths of God’s love for humankind.
They reveal the gravity, cost,
and sure achievement of God’s reconciling work.
Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.09