In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Most merciful God, we confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen.
THE BIDDING PRAYER
We pray for the holy Church of God, throughout the world, that God the almighty Father guide it and gather it together, so that we may worship him in peace and tranquility.
(Silence for prayer shall follow.)
Almighty and eternal God, you have shown your glory to all nations in Jesus Christ. Help the Church to persevere in faith, proclaim your name and bring salvation to people everywhere. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We pray for Michael and DeDe, our bishops, Nelson, our Rector, and for all servants of the Church, and for all the people of God.
Silent Prayer
Almighty and eternal God, your Spirit guides the Church and makes it holy. Strengthen and uphold our leaders; keep them in health and safety for the good of the Church and help each of us to do faithfully the work to which you have called us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We pray for all our brothers and sisters who share our faith in Jesus Christ, that God may gather and keep together in one Church all those who know Christ as Lord.
Silent Prayer.
Almighty and eternal God, you give your Church its unity. Look with favor on all who follow Jesus your Son. We are all consecrated to you by our Baptism; make us one in the fullness of faith and keep us one in the fellowship of love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We pray for the Jewish people, the first to hear the Word of God, that they may receive the fulfillment of the covenant's promises.
Silent Prayer.
Almighty and eternal God, long ago you gave your promise to Abraham and his posterity. Hear the prayers of your Church that the people you first made your own may arrive with us at the fullness of redemption. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We pray for those who do not believe in Christ, that the light of the Holy Spirit may show them the way of salvation.
Silent Prayer.
Almighty and eternal God, enable those who do not acknowledge Christ to receive the truth of the Gospel. Help us, your people, to grow in love for one another, to grasp more fully the mystery of your Godhead, and so to become more perfect witnesses of your love in the sight of all people. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We pray for those who do not believe in God, that they may find him who is the author and goal of our existence.
Silent Prayer.
Almighty and eternal God, you created humanity so that all might long to know you and have peace in you. Grant that in spite of the hurtful things that stand in their way they may all recognize in the lives of Christians the tokens of your love and mercy and gladly acknowledge you as the one true God and Father of us all. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We pray for those who serve in public office, that God may guide their minds and hearts, so that all of us may live in true peace and freedom.
Silent Prayer.
Almighty and eternal God, you are the champion of the poor and oppressed. In your goodness, watch over those in authority, so that people everywhere may enjoy justice, peace, freedom, and a share in the goodness of your creation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We pray that God, the almighty and merciful Father, may heal the sick, comfort the dying, give safety to travelers, free those unjustly deprived of liberty, and rid the world of falsehood, hunger and disease.
Silent Prayer
Almighty and eternal God, you give strength to the weary and new courage to those who have lost heart. Hear the prayers of all who call on you in any trouble, that they may have the joy of receiving your help in their need. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Finally, let us pray for all those things which our Lord would have us ask.
O eternal God….
Add here your own petitions.
THE SERVICE AT THE CROSS
The Crucifixion by Matthias Grunewald
The Sermon
Fr. Nelson Gaetz
By the beginning of the first century BC, the Roman army had refined an old persecution technique to a fine art. A person would die in excruciating pain. We know the word excruciating in English – “from the cross.” Grunewald captures the absolute horror of the event. From the very beginning the church has wrestled with the meaning and purpose of the crucifixion of Jesus.
The picture here is so jarring in how realistic it is. The cross WAS about the worst, most shame filled death possible. Far surpassing
• Pain of any other physical suffering. Catastrophic injuries, cancer,
chronic pain, aggressive virus.
• Psychological pain. Loneliness after the death of a loved one. Betrayal of
a friend.
• Existential suffering. Loss of meaning. Loss of purpose. The kids all
grown up don’t need me anymore. Retirement often makes people feel
worthless. That’s why we resist, to the very edge of any logic, giving up
familiar places and activities as we age.
Notice the Evangelist in the lower right-hand corner with open book pointing to the cross as a reminder of the centrality of the act to our faith. But, I think that over the generations we have gotten it all wrong. All too often the crucifixion is interpreted as payment to God for the forgiveness of our sins. Our sins must be “atoned” for. An angry God must be paid off. For me, that makes God out to be at best a vengeful despot exacting recompense for offense against his honor and authority and at worst a twisted, abusive parent.
No, no – that’s not the point at all. It cannot be.
Listen to St. Paul. “I preach Christ and Him crucified. To Greek foolishness. To Jew a stumbling block.” I Corinthians 1:23.
It must mean something more. Much more.
Try this… the horror of the cross is the only way to truly understand two things:
FIRST: We see played out here the true horror of the sin that drowns the whole human family, up and down the eons:
• A raft of people willing to give false testimony to benefit themselves.
• Betrayal – Peter in the courtyard. Disciples scattering.
• Political power disinterested in truth.
• Institutional injustice where might makes right.
Painful truth telling. Age old reality. Human sin from Adam and Eve to you and me infects all of God’s good creation in ways that cannot simply be wiped away with a simple decree “all is forgiven.” The Incarnation of Jesus means reclaiming for God all his creation from the clutches of sin and death.
SECOND: See the power of God that cannot be suppressed by this worst that can be thrown at it. Back to the image of the cross. There at the very depth of what sin can do, God having experienced it so intimately, still reached out in mercy “Father forgive…” Luke 23:34
God’s love IS greater than our sin. Humanity’s sin. More important, yours and mine. There are NO exceptions. None! And when we know that, everything changes. We no longer pretend to be god and let God be God.
FINALLY, like those old Saturday morning kids shows that ended each week with a “cliff hanger.” You had to tune in the next week to know what happened next. Today, we don’t have to wait that long. The story continues Sunday – Easter Sunday. Stay tuned!
So, today let us behold, the life-giving cross on which was hung the salvation of the whole world as we pray:
Almighty God, we ask you to look with mercy on your family for
whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed and to be
given over to the hands of sinners and suffer death on the cross; who
now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, both now
and forever. Amen.
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN
JESUS BEFORE ANNAS
The Lesson: John 18:12-14, 19-26
So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews seized Jesus and bound him. First they led him to Annas; for he was the father-in-law of Ca′iaphas, who was high priest that year. It was Ca′iaphas who had given counsel to the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together; I have said nothing secretly. Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me, what I said to them; they know what I said.” When he had said this, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken wrongly, bear witness to the wrong; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” Annas then sent him bound to Ca′iaphas the high priest.
Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said to him, “Are not you also one of his disciples?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” One of the servants of the high priest, a kinsman of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?”
Silence for meditation.
JESUS BEFORE PILATE
The Lesson: John 18:28-40
Then they led Jesus from the house of Ca′iaphas to the praetorium. It was early. They themselves did not enter the praetorium, so that they might not be defiled, but might eat the Passover. So Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” They answered him, “If this man were not an evildoer, we would not have handed him over.” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put any man to death.” This was to fulfill the word which Jesus had spoken to show by what death he was to die.
Pilate entered the Praetorium again and called Jesus, and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me; what have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingship is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world.” Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again, and told them, “I find no crime in him. But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover; will you have me release for you the King of the Jews?” They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barab′bas!” Now Barab′bas was a robber.
Silence for meditation
THE SOLDIERS MOCK JESUS
The Lesson: John 19:1-4
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, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. Pilate went out again, and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you, that you may know that I find no crime in him.”
Silence for meditation
JESUS IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH
The Lesson: John 19:5-16
So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no crime in him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he has made himself the Son of God.” When Pilate heard these words, he was the more afraid; he entered the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. Pilate therefore said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “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.”
Upon this Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend; every one who makes himself a king sets himself against Caesar.” 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, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.
Silence for meditation
THE CRUCIFIXION
The Lesson: John 19:17-24
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 of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 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, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”
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, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the scripture,
“They parted my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.”
Silence for meditation
THE MOTHER OF JESUS
The Lesson: John 19:25-27
So the soldiers did this. But 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, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
Silence for meditation
THE DEATH OF JESUS
The Lesson: John 19:28-30
After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the scripture), “I thirst.” 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, “It is finished”; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Silence for meditation
(I suspect everyone can resonate with the following spiritual. Perhaps dare to sing it.)
1 Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
2 Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
3 Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
And now, as our Savior Christ hath taught us, we are bold to pray,
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, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.