THE LITURGY OF GOOD FRIDAY
They will look upon him
whom they pierced
Service will be livestreamed from 1.55pm Friday 3rd April at: https://www.youtube.com/live/I5hqw1M5I9U
EVERYONE ENTERS IN SILENCE.
ALL SIT
READING: THE DREAM OF THE ROOD (from an anonymous poem of the seventh or eighth centuries, written in old English)
Listen! The choicest of visions I wish to tell,
which came as a dream in middle-night,
after voice-bearers lay at rest.
It seemed that I saw a most wondrous tree
born aloft, wound round by light,
Wondrous that victory-beam. I saw glory's tree
honored with trappings, shining with joys,
decked with gold;
Yet through that gold I clearly perceived
old strife and ancient pains; when first it began
to bleed on its right side.
But lying there long while, I, beheld the Healer's tree,
until I heard its fair voice. The rood spoke these words:
"It was long since--I yet remember it--
that I was hewn at holt's end,
moved from my stem.
Strong hands seized me there,
worked me for spectacle;
On shoulders men bore me there, then fixed me on hill;
Then saw I mankind's Lord
come with great courage when he would climb me.
Then dared I not against the Lord's word
bend or break, when I saw earth's
fields shake. All his enemies
I could have felled, but I stood fast.
The young hero was stripped, - he, God Almighty--
He mounted high gallows,
when he was minded to free mankind.
I shook when he clasped me. But I had to stand fast.
As a Rood was I reared. I lifted a mighty King,
Lord of the heavens.
With dark nails they drove through him and through me.
They mocked us both, we two together.
All wet with blood I was,
poured out from that Man's side,
after ghost he gave up.
Much have I borne on that hill of fierce fate.
I saw the God of hosts
harshly stretched out.
Darknesses had wound round with clouds
the corpse of the hero,
A shadow went forth, dark under heaven.
All creation wept,
The King's fall lamented.
Christ was on his cross.
CHOIR INTROIT - Handel – Surely he hath bourne our griefs and carried our sorrows.
READING: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25
The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will thwart." Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
HYMN
When I survey the wondrous cross,
on which the Prince of Glory died
My richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
save in the death of Christ my God
All the vain things that charm me most
I sacrifice them to his blood.
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did e'er such and sorrow meet,
or thorns compose so rich a crown.
Where the whole realm of nature mine,
that were offering far too small.
Love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.
THE PASSION OF CHRIST ACCORDING TO JOHN
EVANGELIST: It was early in the morning. They led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. So Pilate went outside to them and said,
PILATE: “What accusation do you bring against this man?”
EVANGELIST: They answered him,
PRIEST: “If this man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered him over to you.”
EVANGELIST: Pilate said to them,
PILATE: “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”
EVANGELIST: The Jews said to him,
PRIEST: “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.”
EVANGELIST: This was to fulfil the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die. So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him,
PILATE: “Are you the King of the Jews?”
EVANGELIST: Jesus answered,
JESUS: “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?”
EVANGELIST: Pilate answered,
PILATE: “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?”
EVANGELIST: Jesus answered,
JESUS: “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
EVANGELIST: Then Pilate said to him,
PILATE: “So you are a king?”
EVANGELIST: Jesus answered,
JESUS: “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
EVANGELIST: Pilate said to him,
PILATE: “What is truth?”
(PAUSE FOR TEN SECONDS)
THE COLLECT FOR LENT
Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in me a new and contrite hearts, that worthily lamenting my sins and acknowledging my wretchedness, I may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
CHOIR - Ousley – Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by. Behold and see if there is any sorrow like unto my sorrow.
EVANGELIST: After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them,
PILATE: “I find no guilt in him. But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
EVANGELIST: They cried out again,
ALL “Not this man, but Barabbas!”
EVANGELIST: Now Barabbas was a brigand.
EVANGELIST: Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him. And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and arrayed him in a purple robe; they came up to him, saying,
SOLDIERS "Hail, King of the Jews!"
EVANGELIST: and struck him with their hands. Pilate went out again, and said to them,
PILATE: "See, I am bringing him out to you, that you may know that I find no crime in him."
EVANGELIST: So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them,
PILATE: "Behold the man!"
EVANGELIST: When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out,
ALL "Crucify him, crucify him!"
EVANGELIST: Pilate said to them,
PILATE:: “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no crime in him."
EVANGELIST: The Jews answered him,
PRIEST "We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he has made himself the Son of God."
EVANGELIST: When Pilate heard these words, he was the more afraid; he entered the praetorium again and said to Jesus,
PILATE: "Where are you from?"
EVANGELIST: But Jesus gave no answer. Pilate therefore said to him,
PILATE: "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?"
EVANGELIST: Jesus answered him,
JESUS: "You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore he who delivered me to you has the greater sin."
EVANGELIST: Upon this Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out,
PRIEST: "If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar; for every one who makes himself a king sets himself against Caesar."
EVANGELIST: When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, and in Hebrew, Gab'batha. Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews,
PILATE: "Behold your King!"
EVANGELIST: They cried out,
ALL: "Away with him, crucify him!"
EVANGELIST: Pilate said to them,
PILATE: "Shall I crucify your King?"
EVANGELIST: The chief priests answered,
PRIEST: "We have no king but Caesar."
EVANGELIST: Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.
COLLECT–
Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
HYMN
1 There is a green hill far away,
without a city wall,
where the dear Lord was crucified,
who died to save us all.
2 We may not know, we cannot tell,
what pains he had to bear;
but we believe it was for us
he hung and suffered there.
3 He died that we might be forgiv'n,
he died to make us good,
that we might go at last to heav'n,
saved by his precious blood.
4 O dearly, dearly has he loved,
and we must love him too,
and trust in his redeeming blood,
and try his works to do.
EVANGELIST: So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Gol'gotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. Pilate also wrote a title and put it on the cross; it read,
JESUS: "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews."
EVANGELIST: Many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. The chief priests of the Jews then said to Pilate,
PRIEST: "Do not write, `The King of the Jews,' but, `This man said, I am King of the Jews.'"
EVANGELIST: Pilate answered,
PILATE:: "What I have written I have written."
EVANGELIST: When the soldiers had crucified Jesus they took his garments and made four parts, one for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was without seam, woven from top to bottom; so they said to one another,
SOLDIERS: "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be."
EVANGELIST: This was to fulfil the scripture,
JESUS: "They parted my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots."
EVANGELIST: And this is what the soldiers did.
COLLECT –
Almighty God, whose Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking the way of the cross, may find it none other that the way of life and peace.
ANTHEM – Victoria Domine Non Sum Dignus
(Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but speak the word only, and I shall be healed).
EVANGELIST: Now standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Mag'dalene. When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother,
JESUS: "Woman, behold, your son!"
EVANGELIST: Then he said to the disciple,
JESUS: "Behold, your mother!"
EVANGELIST: And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the scripture),
JESUS: "I thirst."
EVANGELIST: A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said,
JESUS: "It is finished";
EVANGELIST: and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
2 minutes silence
CHOIR - POPULE MEUS
O my people, what have I done to thee?
Or wherein have I grieved you?
Answer me.
Because I led you out of the land of Egypt:
You have prepared a Cross for your Saviour.
O Holy God. O Holy God.
O Holy Strong One. O Holy Strong One.
O Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us.
O Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us.
EVANGELIST: Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the sabbath (for that sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him; but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness -- his testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth -- that you also may believe. For these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled,
JESUS : "Not a bone of him shall be broken."
EVANGELIST: And again another scripture says,
JESUS: "They shall look on him whom they have pierced."
TIME OF SILENCE.
HYMN
My song is love unknown,
My Savior’s love to me;
Love to the loveless shown,
That they might lovely be.
O who am I, that for my sake
My Lord should take, frail flesh and die?
Sometimes they strew His way,
And His sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the day
Hosannas to their King:
Then “Crucify!” is all their breath,
And for His death they thirst and cry.
Why, what hath my Lord done?
What makes this rage and spite?
He made the lame to run,
He gave the blind their sight,
Sweet injuries! Yet they at these
Themselves displease, and ‘gainst Him rise.
Here might I stay and sing,
No story so divine;
Never was love, dear King!
Never was grief like Thine.
This is my Friend, in Whose sweet praise
I all my days could gladly spend.
THE PROCLAMATION OF THE CROSS
Behold, the wood of the cross, whereon was hung the Saviour of the World
Come let us worship Him.
Behold, the wood of the cross, whereon was hung the Saviour of the World
Come let us worship Him.
Behold, the wood of the cross, whereon was hung the Saviour of the World
Come let us worship Him.
CRUX FIDELIS (from a 6th Century hymn)
Faithful cross, above all other. One and only noble tree
None in foliage, none in splendour,
None in truth they peer may be
Sweetest wood and sweetest iron,
Sweetest weight is hung on thee.
Bend thy boughs, O tree of glory!
Thy relaxing sinews bend;
for awhile the ancient rigor
that thy birth bestowed, suspend;
and the King of heavenly beauty
gently on thine arms extend.
PRAYERS AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS (SOME OF THE FOLLOWING PRAYERS MAY BE USED)
O God of unchangeable power and eternal light, look favourably on your whole church, that wonderful and sacred mystery. By the effectual working of your providence, carry out in tranquillity the plan of salvation. Let the whole world see and know, that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who suffered for our sake this day, and now lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Dear people of God, our heavenly Father sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved, that all who believe in him might be delivered from the power of sin and death, and become heirs with him of everlasting life.
Let us pray for the holy, catholic, and apostolic church of Christ throughout the world:
for its unity in witness and service, for all who are called to serve. We pray that that the Lord will confirm his church in faith, increase it in love, and preserve it in peace.
Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified, receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you;
Let us pray for all nations and peoples of the earth, and for those in authority among them: for the leaders of our nation at Westminster and Holyrood. For all who serve the common good. that by God’s help they may seek justice and truth, and live in peace and concord.
Almighty God, kindle, we pray, in every heart the true love of peace, and guide with your wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth, that justice and peace may increase, until the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord..
Let us pray for all who suffer and are afflicted in body or in mind: for the hungry and the homeless, the destitute and the oppressed, and all who suffer persecution or prejudice,
for the sick, the wounded, and the handicapped, for those in loneliness, fear, and anguish,
for those who face temptation, doubt, and despair, for the sorrowful and bereaved,
for prisoners and captives and those in mortal danger, that God in his mercy will comfort and relieve them, and grant them the knowledge of his love, and stir up in us the will and patience to minister to their needs.
Gracious God, the comfort of all who sorrow, the strength of all who suffer, hear the cry of those in misery and need. In their afflictions show them your mercy, and give us, we pray, the strength to serve them for the sake of him who suffered for us, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray for all who have gone from this world into the world of the risen Christ. For those who have died unexpectedly For those who have suffered. For those whose lives have been taken by force For those who have fallen in battle. For those who have died in childhood or childbirth.For those who have died from hunger or the neglect of their fellow man.
Let us commit ourselves to God, and pray for the grace of a holy life, that with all who have departed this life and have died in the peace of Christ, and those whose faith is known to God alone, we may be accounted worthy to enter into the fullness of the joy of our Lord, and receive the crown of life in the day of resurrection.
THE LORD'S PRAYER
Our Father,
who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
PRAYER OF HUMBLE ACCESS
We do not presume to come to this thy Holy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table: but thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy. Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the Flesh of thy dear son Jesus Christ, and to drink his Blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his most sacred Body, and our souls washed through his most precious Blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him and he in us. Amen.
PRAYER
Almighty and everlasting God, by the cross and passion of your son, you have saved and redeemed your people. May we, kneeling at the foot of his cross, find within us the redemption he was wrought. Send your abundant blessings upon your people who have recalled this day the death of your son. Grant them Pardon. Bring them comfort. May their faith grow stronger, their salvation be assured.
Amen
DE PROFUNDIS from psalm 130, by Arvo Part
1 Out of the deep have I called unto thee, O Lord *
Lord, hear my voice.
2 O let thine ears consider well *
the voice of my complaint.
3 If thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss *
O Lord, who may abide it?
4 For there is mercy with thee *
therefore shalt thou be feared.
5 I look for the Lord; my soul doth wait for him *
in his word is my trust.
6 My soul fleeth unto the Lord *
before the morning watch, I say, before the morning watch.
7 O Israel, trust in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy *
and with him is plenteous redemption.
8 And he shall redeem Israel *
from all his sins.
EVERYONE DEPARTS IN SILENCE.