A Creative Good Friday Service

The following outline for Good Friday worship does not follow the traditional pattern described in the preceding articles. This plan will be especially helpful for congregations that worship in a more informal manner.

Basic Pattern of Worship Preparation and Reflection Opening Prayer Introduction to Good Friday Scripture Readings: Luke 1:26–33, 46–55; 2:8–11, 16–19, 27–35 Dramatic Presentation Silent Prayer Hymn: "Come and See" (Kendrick) Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:6–11, 16–18 Guided Reflection Time Benediction Commentary Preamble. Good Friday is a difficult day for Christians to appreciate fully. First, they are nearly two millennia removed from the Crucifixion and have known Jesus of Nazareth only through the eyes of faith. Second, Christians cannot really identify with the suffering of "a god who loves his son." However, as believers read the Passion narrative, they can often find themselves identifying with the feelings and response of, say, a self-righteous Pharisee, a frightened disciple, or a confused person in the crowd. If this worship service is offered from the perspective of one of these secondary players rather than from the more usual perspective of Jesus or the Father, those who attend the service might be enabled to receive the challenge of the cross in a more personal way. Worship Space. The service is a solemn one. A black cloth, draped over the cross, and dimmed lights can quietly convey the soberness of the occasion. Light is present, but shrouded. We know God is always present, but at times such as these, his presence is veiled. Using lanterns rather than candles as the source of light convey this truth well. Either silence, which would draw attention to the symbols, or quiet music, which might allow for a more interior focus, can be helpful. Entrance. If at the outset of the service you can honestly acknowledge the difficulty of the day, you can dispel the unwarranted personal expectations people might bring to the Good Friday service, and open the way for participants to freely receive the graces God has for them. You can most easily maintain this sense of quiet sobriety if you can lead the people to the Scriptures for the service following the opening prayer and avoid breaking for a hymn or worship songs, leaving these until a more appropriate time for response. Word. The service described below leads the congregation toward Good Friday by presenting the Passion from the perspective of Mary, the mother of Christ. The Scriptures were chosen to this end. Likewise, if you want the congregation to see Good Friday through, Peter's eyes or those of Mary Magdalene, you would then draw from to use parts of the Gospel narratives that present the events from the perspective of Peter or Mary. (In order to allow the participants to identify as fully as possible with the character or group that you highlight, be sure to choose Scriptures that will give as inclusive and broad a perspective as possible. For example, Mary of Nazareth's role in the Passion story began with the Annunciation, hence the inclusion of those Scriptures in the liturgy.) If the church is not too large, the Scriptures can most effectively be read from within the congregation rather than from the podium. This style of presentation symbolically conveys that everyone present is wrestling with the meaning of the word and its application to us. In the pathos of the Good Friday service, the word comes from the God who is among and alongside us, not from a disinterested bystander. You could perform a drama based on a character in the narrative, or you could instead present a dramatic reading in the form of a collage that juxtaposes a variety of Scriptures from the Passion narratives. If you present a drama or a Scripture collage instead of a sermon or a homily, you might want to allow the participants time to pray quietly and then, if the number of people present is not too large, allow them time to stand and offer their response to the service. Was their understanding broadened? How did they feel as they looked at the Crucifixion through someone else's eyes? Table. Some churches will want to receive Eucharist on Good Friday, but others believe that we are called simply to wait out the coming three days. Both approaches affirm that we come to Good Friday as people of the Resurrection, but each expresses this truth differently. If you choose not to celebrate the Lord's Supper, you can focus the celebrative portion of the worship service on the hope God promises to us for our times of despair or darkness. By including this personal reflection time, the participants learn that the purpose of Good Friday is not to relive history but to receive power from Good Friday as they link their present suffering with the life and sufferings of Christ. You will want to lead the people toward a hope that is tempered by sobriety. Therefore, if you choose to respond in song at this time, the most appropriate hymns will be those that acknowledge our human fickleness and sin while proclaiming God's faithfulness and promises to be with us always. Hymns and worship songs should honor Christ without being inappropriately cheerful. The Scripture that, earlier in the service, brought evidence of cruelty and seeming despair, can at this time infuse human suffering with hope, a hope that respects the mysteries of life and faith. Dismissal. Since the service could tend to evoke profound emotional responses in the participants, the prayer of benediction should be a simple, personal restatement of the central truths of the Christian life, namely that death is necessary to life and that we worship a God who is committed to bringing life from death.