March 29, 2024 – Good Friday

Lectionary Readings   -   Gathering   -  Word  -   Eucharist   -   Sending   -   Music and Art

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

We come to worship praying for the strength to be a witness for Christ.
How do we go on singing?
Even in your suffering,
you forgive and you uplift the oppressed,
eyes raised to heaven.
Like the thief beside you, we long to be with you in glory.
For your assurance, we give you praise.

Prayer of the Day

Blessed Jesus,
you teach us to cling to Scripture
as you speak psalms from the cross.
You paint an image of mercy
as you tend to your mother’s grief.
You ask us to recognize the frailties of our enemies,
to give and to seek forgiveness,
for they know not what they do.
You amaze us as you commend your own spirit,
embracing God’s love peacefully.
Holy Christ, show us the blessings
in the cloud of sacrifice,
that we may sing of you when we sing,
our awesome God. 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.

O Lord our God, we give you thanks
for the mercy you so freely offer us
through the grace of our baptism—
safe passage through the sea,
justice rolling down like water,
deliverance from sin and death forever.
By the power of your Holy Spirit,
poured out upon us in baptism,
teach us to love and serve you faithfully
and reconcile us to you and to one another
as members of one, living body;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Confession and Pardon

At the baptismal font:
In the name of Christ, I urge you:
Be reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 5:20

Trusting in God’s grace, let us confess our sin.

On this Friday we call Good,
we relive the story of your great passion,
your love bleeding on a cross.
Forgive us, O Christ, if we are on the wrong side
of this crucifixion story.
Forgive us, O Christ, if we are prideful enough to think
that we would not have abandoned you.
Forgive us, O Christ, for the ways we have shouted, “Crucify him,”
with our actions if not with our words.
Forgive us for not hearing the prayers of desperation
from people condemned,
from people who are isolated,
from people who carry violence and pain in their bodies.
Forgive us, O Lord, and let us not forget
that our enemies’ wounds are our wounds,
our neighbors’ pain is our pain.

Lifting water from the font:
Listen, the time has come at last.
Look, now is the day of salvation!
2 Corinthians 6:2

In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
Thanks be to God.

— Word —

Prayer for Illumination

At the lectern or pulpit:
Holy One, our strength in suffering
and our hope for salvation,
lift up your Word of life
and pour out your Spirit of grace
so that we may follow faithfully
all the way to the cross;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Scripture

Before the readings:
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
Psalm 51:15

After the readings:
We proclaim Christ crucified—
the wisdom and power of God.
Thanks be to God.
1 Corinthians 1:23–25

Sermon

Ascription of Praise

After the sermon:
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
we bend our knees
and lift up our hearts,
giving glory to God forever. Amen.
Philippians 2:9–11

Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song

Affirmation of Faith

Season of Lent, Palm/Passion Sunday, Good Friday
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

NOTE: In the service for Good Friday, the Prayers of the People may be replaced by the Solemn Intercession.

Prayers of the People

Out of the ashes, up from the dust
we bring our prayers to God, saying:
In your steadfast love, O Lord, have mercy on us.

God of all mercy, we pray for the church . . .
Even in the shadow of the cross
help us to point to the good news
of Jesus Christ our Savior.
In your steadfast love, O Lord, have mercy on us.

God of all mercy, we pray for the world . . .
Draw all people closer to you
and closer to one another
through the outstretched arms of Christ our Lord.
In your steadfast love, O Lord, have mercy on us.

God of all mercy, we pray for this community . . .
Be near to all who are in trouble this day.
Deliver them from danger
so that they may live to praise your name.
In your steadfast love, O Lord, have mercy on us.

God of all mercy, we pray for loved ones . . .
Give wholeness and healing
by the grace of the suffering servant
who bears our afflictions and carries our diseases.
In your steadfast love, O Lord, have mercy on us.

Restore in us, O God, the joy of your salvation;
renew and sustain our spirits,
so that we may live according to your will;
through Jesus Christ, our hope and strength. Amen.

Lord’s Prayer

Solemn Reproaches of the Cross

— Sending —

Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song

NOTE: In the service for Good Friday, the Blessing and Charge may be omitted.

Blessing and Charge

At the doors of the church:
May the steadfast love of God,
the abundant grace of Jesus Christ,
and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit
be with you this day and always. Amen.
Psalm 51:2–3

Remember the words of the Lord Jesus:
If any wish to be my disciples
let them take up the cross
and follow me. Amen.
Mark 8:34

The Lord’s Supper

JESUS MAFA, 1973

Additional Materials

Congregational Song

GATHERING

  • Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed (O) MARTYRDOM GTG 212
  • In the Cross of Christ I Glory (EG) RATHBUN GTG 213
  • O Sacred Head, Now Wounded (OG) PASSION CHORALE GTG 221
  • On a Barren Hilltop (E) KING’S WESTON GTG 217

WORD

  • Rejected and Despised (O) CARDINAL GTG 222
  • They Crucified My Lord (OG) CRUCIFIXION GTG 219
  • Throned Upon the Awful Tree (G) ARFON PH 99
  • Why Has God Forsaken Me? (G) SHIMPI GTG 809

EUCHARIST

  • Ah, Holy Jesus (E) HERZLIEBSTER JESU GTG 218
  • Jesus, Remember Me (G) REMEMBER ME GTG 227
  • When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (EG) HAMBURG GTG 223, ROCKINGHAM GTG 224
  • Your Only Son (Lamb of God) (E) LAMB OF GOD GTG 518

SENDING

  • Beneath the Cross of Jesus (G) ST. CHRISTOPHER GTG 216
  • Go to Dark Gethsemane (G) REDHEAD 76 GTG 220
  • Since Our Great High Priest, Christ Jesus (E) ALL SAINTS GTG 262
  • Were You There (G) WERE YOU THERE GTG 228

Psalms and Canticles

Metrical

  • Lord, Why Have You Forsaken Me? [DISTRESS, HARVEY’S CHANT, CONDITOR ALME SIDERUM]; GTG 210, PAS 22B, PH 168
  • My God, My God, O Why, O Why [BANGOR]; PLP 22
  • My God, Am I Forsaken? [SUFFERER]; PP 37 (with refrain), PCW 22a (as 7.6.7.6 D)
  • Why, Lord, Have You Turned Aside? [7.7.7.7.7.7]; SGP 30

Responsorial

  • My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me? PAS 22A
  • Scripted Reading [WONDROUS LOVE]; PAS 22C, LUYH 165
  • My God, My God, Why Have You Abandoned Me? PFTS2 12 (through-composed vv.), PAS 22D (pointed vv.)
  • My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me? PND 13

Organ Music

  • “Were You There?” The Organist’s Library, vol. 69, Carolyn Hamlin, LOR (ME)
  • “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded,” Improvisations for the Lenten Season, Paul Manz, MSM (M)
  • “Crucifixus,” A Gordon Young Tribute Album, vol. 2, Craig A. Penfield, LOR (E)
  • “Drop, Drop, Slow Tears,” The Organist’s Library, vol. 53, Robert Powell, LOR, (ME)

Anthems for Adult Choirs

  • “Lamb of God,” F. Melius Christiansen, AF, SATB, acap (M)
  • “When We Are Tempted to Deny Your Son,” Zebulon Highben, MSM, SATB, ob, org (E)
  • “Lamb of God,” Steven Caracciolo, MSM, SATB,
    opt org (M)
  • “Abide with Me,” arr. Moses Hogan, HAL, SATB div, acap (M)
  • “Were You There?” Jewel Taylor Thompson, MSM, SATB, soprano solo, keybd (A)
  • “Saw Ye My Savior,” David N. Johnson, AF, SATB, fl, keybd (E)
  • “In Your Hands I Surrender My Soul,” John Michael Trotta, SATB, acap, Birnamwood (A)

Handbell Music

  • “Wounded and Afflicted,” Lloyd Larson, 3–5 oct, opt vc, BP, HB772, Level 2
  • “Wondrous Love,” Brian Childers, 3–6 oct, opt hc, ALF, 45231, Level 2
  • “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded,” Lauran Delancy, 3 or 5 oct, op hc, CON, 977770, Level 3

Art

  • Isaiah 53:3–6, Timothy Botts (EYE)
  • Peter’s Denial, Adam de Coster (VDL)
  • Kiss of Judas, John August Swanson (VDL)
  • For Love, Jan Richardson (JR)
  • Stations of the Cross, Adam Kossowski (VDL)