Good Friday 2010

Taught in the morning, then drove home just in time to participate in the Advocate's customary Way of the Cross. They process through downtown Carrboro, taking turns carrying a large wooden cross, stopping on the way at organizations that serve different kinds of needs in the community, and ending at the old town cemetery.

In the evening, I led the customary first Friday Taize service. In observance of Good Friday, the central focus of meditation for the service was an icon of Jesus wrapped in his burial shroud, which was created for the Advocate by Miranda Hassett, a former member of the congregation, now a priest. (Miranda created for me the Liahona icon that appears on the banner of this blog and the other icons at LiberalMormon.net.) The icon was placed on a low table at the center, with everyone sitting around it, as if at a wake. At one point early in the service, as we sang, people were invited to come forward and light candles around the icon.

Pasted below are the scriptural texts I prepared for use in the Taize service. The reading from John ended up being especially moving because the person who read it gave a powerful delivery, though I'm at a loss to put my finger on what exactly he did that made such a difference. I teared up unexpectedly, and a woman sitting across from me broke down a little.

After the readings came a long period of silent reflection (several minutes), followed by intercessions. I adapted the intercessions from part of the Book of Common Prayer's rite for Good Friday. For the concluding collect, I combined material from the prayer book with Alma 7:11-12. I've pasted the intercessions below, with the readings.

As always with these services, I hope I'm helping to create a space where people can have an encounter with the Spirit.

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HEBREWS 4:14-16

My friends, let us not lose faith,
for we have a great high priest,
Jesus, the Only Begotten of God,
who has passed through the veil of heaven
to plead on our behalf.

We do not have a high priest
who is unable to empathize with our frailties.
For though Jesus was without sin,
yet in every respect
he experienced our human weakness.

Therefore, let us approach God’s throne with boldness,
so that we may receive mercy
and find grace to help in time of need.


JOHN 19:16-30 (selections)

They took Jesus,
and made him carry his cross
to what is called the Place of the Skull.
There they crucified him,
and with him two others.

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus,
they took his clothes
and divided them up among themselves.

Standing near the cross of Jesus
were his mother,
his mother’s sister,
Mary, whose husband was Clopas,
and Mary Magdalene.

When Jesus saw his mother
and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her,
he said to his mother,
"Here is your son."
Then he said to the disciple,
"Here is your mother."
And from that hour, the disciple took her into his home.

After this, Jesus said, "I am thirsty."
A jar full of sour wine was standing there.
They put a sponge dipped in the wine on a branch
and held it to his mouth.
When Jesus had received the wine,
he said, "It is finished."
Then his head fell forward
and he died.


PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

Let us pray for all who suffer
and are afflicted in body or in mind.
[Brief silence]

For the hungry and the homeless, the destitute and the oppressed.
[Lengthy silence]

For the sick, the wounded, and the disabled.
[Lengthy silence]

For those in loneliness, fear, and anguish.
[Lengthy silence]

For those who face temptation, doubt, and despair.
[Lengthy silence]

For the sorrowful and bereaved.
[Lengthy silence]

For prisoners and captives, and those who are in danger.
[Lengthy silence]

Christ our God,
you took upon yourself the pains of all who suffer,
so that you would know in the flesh
how to comfort your people in their infirmities.
Give to those who suffer the knowledge of your love,
and give to us the will and patience to minister to their needs.