2011 Good Friday Service
GOOD FRIDAY
Edgefield United Methodist Church
P. 0. Box 25
Edgefield. sc 29824
803—637-6163
April 22, 2011
GOOD FRIDAY WORSHIP SERVICE
April 22, 2011
The Nails of The Cross
MUSICAL PRELUDE
INTRODUCTION TO THE SERVICE
The service tonight is known as the “Service of The Nails”. It is a series of readings,
responses, and silent reflection and prayer designed to help ic enter more deeply into
the meaning of Good Friday. Everyone is requested to take a nail and ribbon from
the basket and write your name on the ribbon and to keep it with them for use during
the service. For most of the service you are asked to remain seated.
Let us now prepare in silence to worship our God. . . . . .
THE APPROACH
CALL TO WORSHIP ISAIAH 52: 13-15
L The Lord be with you.
P And also with you
L See, my servant shall prosper; he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.
Just as there were many who were astonished at him--so marred was his appearance,
beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of mortals-- so he shall startle
many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which had not
been told them they shall see, and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate.
HYMN “Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed” #294
PRAYER OF APPROACH
L Let us pray.
P 0 merciful God, you did not spare your only Son, but offered him up for us all,
that he might bear our sins upon the cross. Grant that we might so examine ourselves
that we realize our own sinfulness, so great as to spiritually crucify him anew. Help
us to recognize those nails that we drive into his cross today, and transform us into
more faithful disciples in his name. Amen.
HYMN OF APPROACH “Wondrous Love is This” (vs.2&3) #292
THE NAILS OF THE CROSS
THE NAIL OF PRIDE MARK 12:38-40
Sung Response
Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there?
* Chorus Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble;
Were you there when they crucified my Lord.
Meditation and Prayer (beginning with silence)
L 0 God - help us consider our own pride and where it leads.
P 0 God - do not let us deceive ourselves. Our pride hurts us & creates walls
between others & us.
L 0 God, we know too that our pride hurts you.
THE NAIL OF BETRAYAL MATTHEW 26:47-56
Sung Response
Were you there when he walked the road alone? Were you there?
Were you there when he walked the road alone? Were you there?
* Chorus Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble;
Were you there when he walked the road alone?
Meditation and Prayer (beginning with silence)
L 0 God - help us consider how we betray others, how we abandon them in their
time of need, how we think of ourselves first.
P 0 God - do not let us deceive ourselves. Our acts of betrayal hurt
us and create walls between others and us.
L 0 God, we know too that our betrayal hurts you.
THE NAIL OF ENVY MATTHEW 20:20-28
Sung Response
Were you there when they stripped him of his clothes? Were you there?
Were you there when they stripped him of his clothes? Were you there?
* Chorus Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble;
Were you there when they stripped him of his clothes?
Meditation and Prayer (beginning with silence)
L 0 God - help us consider how we envy others, how we desire more than
we receive and seek to influence and rule over others.
Meditation and Prayer (beginning with silence)
L 0 God - help us consider how we show hate to others, how we fail to care
for others and make distinctions among them.
P 0 God - do not let us deceive ourselves. Our hatred hurts us and creates
walls between others and us.
L 0 God, we know too that our hatred hurts you.
THE RESPONSE
CONFESSION ISAIAH 53:4-6
L Surely he has borne our grief and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed
him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.
P He was wounded for our transgressions & he was bruised for our
iniquities. Upon him was the chastisement that made us whole.
L All we like sheep have gone astray; each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid upon him the iniquity of us all.
As the music to “Were You There” is played you are invited to come forward with your nail and ribbon. (Drive the nail through the ribbon and part way into the cross placed on the altar rail.
THE PROMISE OF MERCY ISAIAH 53:7-13
L He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his
mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
P By a perversion of justice he was taken away. Who could have
imagined his future? For he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people.
- Extinguishing The Light
L They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
P Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain. When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, and
shall prolong his days; through him the will of the Lord shall prospe:
L Out of his anguish he shall see light; he shailfind satisfaction through his knowledge.
P The righteous one, God’s servant, shall make many righteous, & he shall bear their iniquities.
L Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great, and he shall divide. the spoil with the strong; because he poured out himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors, yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
* PRAYER OF DEDICATION:
L Lord God, you have given us everything.
P You have not held anything back, not even your oniy begotten son
L With humble hearts we thank you.
P In new hope we offer to you and for the work of salvation our every gift and our very selves.
L Be pleased, 0 God, in the name of Jesus, to accept all that we offer at this time. Look upon the intentions of our hearts. Hear our prayers and in your love answer that we might hear.
(silent prayer)
L We ask all these things through him who taught us to pray...
* LORD’S PRAYER
* HYMN “When I Survey The Wondrous Cross” #298
* DEPARTING PRAYER (unison)
L: Lord, as we depart tonight help us reflect in our hearts upon who you are and what you have done for us. Help ZLS to understand. and in understanding, to accept your love and your forgiveness.
P: Make us a people who have your faith and your courage during the time of darkness, a people who, like you, walk in humble obedience to the Father’s will. Amen
* Please exit the Sanctuary in Silence
P 0 God - do not let us deceive ourselves. Our envy hurts us and creates walls between others and us.
L 0 God, we know too that our envy hurts you.
THE NAIL OFINDECISION MATTHEW 27:20-24
Sung Response
Were you there when they nailed him to the cross? Were you there?
Were you there when they nailed him to the cross? Were you there?
* Chorus Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble;
Were you there when they nailed him to the cross?
Meditation and Prayer (beginning with silence)
L 0 God - help us consider how we waver, how we seek to avoid responsibility and to blame others for our actions.
P 0 God - do not let us deceive ourselves. Our indecision hurts us and creates walls between others and us.
L 0 God, we know too that our indecision hurts you
THE NAIL OF CRUELTY MATTHEW 27:27-31, 59-42
Sung Response
Were you there when they mocked the Son of God? Were you there?
Were you there when they mocked the Son of God? Were you there?
* Chorus Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble;
Were you there when they mocked the Son of God?
Meditation and Prayer (beginning with silence)
L 0God, help us consider how we are cruel to others, how we
malign & slander others and add to the evil that comes upon them.
P 0 God, do not let us deceive ourselves. Our cruelty hurts us and creates walls between others and us.
L 0 God, we know too that our cruelty hurts you.
THE NAIL OF HATRED LUKE 6:22, 32-35
Sung Response
Were you there when the sun refused shine? Were you there?
Were you there when the sun refused shine? Were you there?
* Chorus Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble;
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
