Good Friday B (March 29)

 

 

Bible readings: Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Psalm 22, Hebrews 10:16-25 or Hebrews 4:14-16,5:7-9, John 18:1 -19:42

About the Images:
Upper Left: This is my photo of an evening in the Victorian High country. The cross is a digital addition. If you want to see more of our beautiful high country, then visit http://www.visitvictoria.com/Regions/High-Country.  Please feel free to use this image for worship and related activities.

Upper Right: This image comes from www.sundaygraphx.blogspot.com. This site no longer updates (you will see the sad reason why when you visit) however the artist, Don da Silva, has left a legacy of wonderful images and templates via the site archives.

Middle Left: This is my photo of the Garden of Gethsemane as it is today.  Please feel free to use this image for worship and related activities.

Middle Right: This is my photo of a painting inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.  Please feel free to use this image for worship and related activities.
Lower Left: This is a free Heartlight image.  See my link column at left.

Lower Right: Free clip art by Cerezo Barredo - excellent as usual. 

Bottom Left: Another free clipart from Sundaygraphx.

N.B. Good Friday needs to be treated rather differently from many services. It is a special time. I usually divide the Easter story up (i.e. some of the stations of the cross) and separate each section with the solemn sound of a gong that has the capacity to reverberate through the silence of the worship space. I use a home made tubular bell which is excellent. At the very least I use a Bible reading, an image either projected or placed in a prominent position and a symbol for each section of the story. A responsive song such as "Jesus, remember me" works well too at the end of each section. Have a large wooden cross at the front of the church.

Place the cross in the middle of the church where the coffin usually sits at a funeral.  Place the Christ candle on it and people can be encouraged to come out and light a candle as a response to any of the stations/sections.

Various options specific to each section are as follows:

1. Jesus is arrested.

Symbol: Chains or rope

Prayer: What do You Say?
By Dom Helder Camara and found in Resources For Preaching and Worship Year B compiled by Hannah Ward and Jennifer Wild, Westminster John Knox Press, 2002, ISBN 100664224776, page 115 (pictured at left).

2. Jesus is Questioned

Symbol: Gavel

Biblical Reflection: The Pharisee

From Eggs and Ashes by Ruth Burgess and Chris Polhill, Wild Goose Publications, 2004, ISBN 1901557871, page 193 (pictured at right).

Biblical Reflection: The Priest

From Eggs and Ashes (as above) page 192.

3. Peter denies Jesus

Symbol: Smashed alarm clock or feathers.

Listening Song: I Can't Take the Pain

By Third Day on their album, Time (pictured at left).

Story: Crucifix

By G. A. Studdert-Kennedy and found in Resources For Preaching and Worship Year B, (see above), page 114.

4. Pilate

Symbol: whip or bowl of water

Meditation: Stations of the Cross (part of it)

From Eggs and Ashes (as above), page 166. All fifteen stations are dealt with in this book and can be used as a whole, however can also be used in "stand alone" situations; for example, I used the meditation and prayer from Station 1 for this part of my service.

Sermon based on The Death of Innocence

Found in The Song of Jesus: Reflections on the Life of Jesus of Nazareth by Ron O'Grady, JBCE, Melbourne, 1984, page 70 (pictured at right).

5. The Death Sentence

Symbol: Crown of Thorns or a scarlet/purple robe.

Reading: Why is he Getting Wrong?

By Ruth Burgess and Kirsty Langlands (aged 10) in Eggs and Ashes (as above), page 166

Silent Responsive Prayer:

Based on section 5 of The Easter Labyrinth in Multi- Sensory Church by Sue Wallace, Scripture Union, 2002, ISBN 1859996671, page 53 (pictured at left). Sue Wallace has at least seven of these multi-sensory books and they are excellent.

6. Jesus is nailed to the Cross

Symbols: hammer and nails, dice, sponge.

Listening Song: Our God Who Weeps

By Kate Scull on the compilation album, Tune In (pictured at right). Hear this song at http://www.wholenote.com.au/songs/ourgodwhoweeps.html. This album can be ordered from http://www.wholenote.com.au/publications/buc.html and is well worth getting with the song book. There are some really new, refreshing and wonderful congregational songs in this book and on this CD.

Meditation: When Jesus Died
In Stages on the Way by Wild Goose Worship Group, 1998 (pictured at left) page 168. This is quite long but can be broken up or only used in part.

Symbolic prayer:
Touch the items as you pray.
Here are dice, Lord, to remind us that you lost everything for us. Help us to be generous with our lives as well as with our belongings. Help us to see need.

Here is a sponge, Lord, to remind us of your thirst. Help us to thirst for justice and peace and freedom and for your kingdom here in earth.
Here are nails, Lord, to remind us of your forgiveness given to the men who nailed you to the cross. Help us to forgive those who hurt us as generously as you forgave them.
Amen.

7. The Death of Christ

Symbol: Blow out the Christ candle

Film clip:

Play the crucifixion scene from any good quality film about Jesus, however turn off the sound and instead play Everything I Do, I Do It For You by Bryan Adams on his album, The Best of Me (pictured at right).

8. Jesus is buried

Symbol: cover communion table with a black cloth.

Symbolic action:
Place one very small but exquisite flower on the black cloth and say:
This flower is not a symbol of grief or death,
it is not part of a funeral wreath.

It is a symbol of hope.
This story is not yet over.
It is indeed Friday today
But Sunday is coming.
This small beautiful flower will stay here as a symbol of hope
until we return.

Not sure where I got this idea - if somebody owns it, please let me know so I can acknowledge you. You can do the same thing with a tiny candle and talk about the darkness never putting out the light.

9. Conclusion

Drama and Response Activity: Guilty as Sin

Found in Mega Drama 3 by Verena Johnnson, Open Book, 2002 (pictured at left). Use as a lead in to everyone coming forward and hammering a nail into the large wooden cross. Permission is given in this book to adapt the dramas to fit the circumstances and so I left out the narrator at the beginning and had the people in the drama say their words from their seats, come forward to hammer in their nail and then return to their seats. This gave the rest of the people permission to come forward when they were asked to do so.

Listening Song: Barber's Adagio for String 

I like William Orbit's version on the Open Space album (pictured at right).

Also:

Response Activity: Yes and No

From Bringing the Word to Life Together Year B by Andrew Collis and Dorothy McRae-McMahon, Mediacom, 2011, ISBN 9781921945038, page 68ff . This activity is based on the gospel reading and the Psalm.

Poem and prayer: why.

Found in Dad and Daughter by Ron Gordon and Jennie Gordon, 2012, ISBN 9780646586601, page 88 .These are based on the gospel reading.

Lots of Useful Stuff

Found in The Abingdon Creative Preaching Annual 2015 by Jenee Woodard (Ed.), Abingdon Press, Nashville, 2014, page 63ff. These ideas are based on all of the readings. 

A Chapter of Resources for Good Friday: 

By Ruth Burgess and Chris Polhill in Eggs and Ashes, Wild Goose Publications, 2004, page 165-206 (pictured at left). 

For Children and Families: God is Faithful

Found in Rewind by Beth Barnett, SUVictoria, 2011, ISBN987098710035, navigate from page 5. This is based on the gospel reading. 

For Children and Families: God is for Everyone

Found in Rewind by Beth Barnett, SUVictoria, 2011, ISBN987098710035, navigate from page 5. This is based on the gospel reading. 

For Children and Families: God is Wise

Found in Rewind by Beth Barnett, SUVictoria, 2011, ISBN987098710035, navigate from page 5. This is based on the gospel reading. 

Beautiful Illustrations of John's Gospel  connected to the Australian Outback

Found in The Gospel According to John Illuminated by Fiona Pfennigwerth, Tien Wah Press, Singapore, 2013, ISBN 9780646912462, page 54-59.

Service Outline: Accept or Reject?

Based on the Isaiah reading this is found in The All-Age Service Annual Volume 4, published by Scripture Union, 2010, ISBN 9781844275199, page 90(pictured at right).

Drama: The Watchers

Found in Let's Make Another Scene 3 by Verena Johnson, Open Book, 1995, ISBN 0859107620, page 61. This drama is based on the gospel reading. 

Poem and Painting: The Anguish of Judas

Found in A Bloke Called Jesus by Pro Hart and Norman Habel, Rigby, 1982, ISBN 0 7270 1758 6, page 30. These are based on the John reading. 

Poem and Painting: The Politics of Pilate

Found in A Bloke Called Jesus by Pro Hart and Norman Habel, Rigby, 1982, ISBN 0 7270 1758 6, page 34. These are based on the John reading. 

Poem and Painting: A Chant for Killing

Found in A Bloke Called Jesus by Pro Hart and Norman Habel, Rigby, 1982, ISBN 0 7270 1758 6, page 36. These are based on the John reading. 

Poem and Painting: She's Hot on the Hill

Found in A Bloke Called Jesus by Pro Hart and Norman Habel, Rigby, 1982, ISBN 0 7270 1758 6, page 38. These are based on the John reading. 

Poem and Painting: I am a Mother

Found in A Bloke Called Jesus by Pro Hart and Norman Habel, Rigby, 1982, ISBN 0 7270 1758 6, page 40. These are based on the John reading. 

Poem and Painting: The Lament of Nicodemus

Found in A Bloke Called Jesus by Pro Hart and Norman Habel, Rigby, 1982, ISBN 0 7270 1758 6, page 42. These are based on the John reading. 

Prayer

By Jane O. Sorenson and found in Before the Amen by Maren C Tirabassi and Maria I. Tirrabassi (Eds), Pilgrim Press, Cleveland, 2007, ISBN 978 0 8298 1750 8, page 66.