This service was prepared by John D. Witvliet to accompany his article "A Time to Weep—On Good Friday".
Gathering for Worship
Call to Worship and Greeting
Hymn
Opening Prayer
Remembering
Prayer for Illumination
Scripture Readings
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Hebrews 10:16-25
John 18:1-19:42 (perhaps read as a dramatic reading; see The Passion of Our Lord)
Sermon
Hymn
"O Come and Mourn With Me Awhile"
1 O come and mourn with me awhile;
come now unto the Savior's side;
O come, together let us mourn:
Jesus, our Lord, is crucified.
2 Have we no tears to shed for him,
while soldiers scoff and foes deride?
Ah, look how patiently Christ hangs:
Jesus, our Lord, is crucified.
3 Seven times Christ spoke, seven words of love;
and all three hours his silence cried
for mercy on the human race:
Jesus, our Lord, is crucified.
4 O break, O break, hard heart of mine!
your weak self-love and guilty pride
Christ's Pilate and his Judas were:
Jesus, our Lord, is crucified.
5 O love divine! O human sin!
In this dread act Christ's strength is tried;
and victory remains with love:
Jesus, our Lord, is crucified.
—Frederick William Faber (1849)
[Consider singing to the tune, O WALY WALY.]
Silent Reflection Praying with Jesus
Prayers of Lament and Intercession
Include a brief introduction about Good Friday as an occasion for lament. Explain how Psalm 22 functions as a cry of lament for the people of Israel, for Jesus, and for us.
This prayer follows the structure of Psalm 22 (NRSV) the text of which is in brown. At three points in the psalm, the reading pauses for extemporaneous prayers that can be offered by either the pastor, worship leader, or various members of the congregation. The first focuses on lament for things from the past, the second lament for the world in general, and the third more specific to oneself, one's church and community. The repeated use of Hebrews 4:14-16 found in regular font at the end of these prayers rehearses the mystery and significance of Christ's identification with us in suffering. It also includes a possible congregational portion found in bold. The psalm ends with an expression of hope, an anticipation of Easter praise.
As printed, and allowing for ample periods of silence, this prayer does take a significant amount of time. It may be helpful to prepare worshipers for this with an announcement prior to the prayer or—better yet—an announcement in a church newsletter or bulletin some days or weeks prior to the service.
I. The Past
My God; my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from helping me,
from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;
and by night, but find no rest.
Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
In you our ancestors trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
To you they cried, and were saved;
in you they trusted, and were not put to shame.
Prayers of lament and intercession for the past.
Silence
Since, then,
we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our confession.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are,
yet without sin.
Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness,
so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
II. The World
But I am a worm, and not human;
scorned by others, and despised by the people.
All who see me mock at me;
they make mouths at me, they shake their heads;
"Commit your cause to the LORD; let him
deliver—
let him rescue the one in whom he delights."
Prayers of lament and intercession for the world.
Silence
Since, then,
we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our confession.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are,
yet without sin.
Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness,
so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
III. Oneself, One's Church and Community
Yet it was you who took me from the womb;
you kept me safe on my mother's breast.
On you I was cast from my birth,
and since my mother bore me you have been my God.
Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.
Many bulls encircle me;
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
they open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.
I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
my mouth is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.
Prayers of lament and intercession for oneself, one's church and community.
Silence
Since, then,
we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our confession.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are,
yet without sin.
Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness,
so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
For dogs are all around me;
a company of evildoers encircles me.
My hands and my feet have shriveled;
I can count all my bones.
They stare and gloat over me;
they divide my clothes among themselves,
and for my clothing they cast lots.
But you, O Lord, do not be far away!
O my help, come quickly to my aid!
Deliver my soul from the sword,
my life from the power of the dog!
Save me from the mouth of the lion!
From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued me.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him;
stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
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.
From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the Lord.
May your hearts live forever!
All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the LORD;
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before him.
For dominion belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.
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.
Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord,
and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn,
saying that he has done it.
Amen.
Hymn
"What Wondrous Love is This" Anon
[This hymn follows the same structure as the psalm. It acknowledges both the experience of "sinking down" and the songs of praise that will be offered in the coming kingdom.]
