March 28, 2024

Lectionary Texts

Exodus 1-4, 11-14 — The Passover feast

Psalm 116 — Give thanks for God’s saving grace.

1 Corinthians 11.23-26 — At the last supper Jesus said “this is my body… this is my blood.”

John 13.1-17, 31b-35 — Jesus washes the disciples’ feet and gives them the commandment to love one another.

Guiding Thoughts

       The word “Maundy” is rooted in “commandment.” On this might we focus on the distinctive mark of Christian faith, not the Ten Commandments but the One Commandment: to love one another as Christ has loved us. Note that, as usual, Jesus raises the bar above the golden rule: we are commanded to love our neighbor not just as we love ourselves (which is admittedly imperfect) but as Christ has loved is, which is, in fact, perfect. Jesus embodies this love in washing our feet as a servant, and will do so in his forgiveness on the cross.
       Two powerful rituals occur this evening. You may chose to observe either or both. Communion is most directly tied to the Last Supper, although it is also a re-enactment of every instance of Jesus feeding us. Notice how often Jesus “took, broke, blessed and gave” bread: the loaves and fishes, the meal at Emmaus, the Easter breakfast on the beach. Those four actions, or parts of them, occur multiple times in the gospels as well as in 1 Corinthians 11. Powerful actions, they are. Jesus himself is taken, blessed, broken and given. And as disciples so are we.
       On Holy Thursday we give special attention to the sacrament of communion. It’s appropriate to expand it so it takes up most of the service. (My Maundy Thursday Liturgies do this. See below) If you use one of the extended eucharistic prayers I offer, you might want to shorten the rest of the service.
       The gospels portray the Last Supper as a Passover meal, a celebration of God’s liberation of the Hebrews from slavery, and a recognition of God’s desire for the liberation of all who are still oppressed. It is woven of past and present, celebration and confession, personal and political. (It wouldn’t have been what we knows as a Passover Seder: that was a later invention.) As we lament oppression in the world it is appropriate to examine our complicity in injustice an participation in systems that benefit us at others’ expense: social sins including greed, racism, materialism, heterosexism, xenophobia, violence of all kinds, abuse of the earth, and systems that produce poverty…. At the same time that God judges these evils God loves us, forgives us, and redeems us, empowering us to live in new ways. Methodist baptismal vows ask us to “accept the power God gives us to resist evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.” So our confrontation of our sin is not gloomy but hopeful. This is the good news of the cross. God meets us in our sin, as both victim and judge, with love.
       The Last Supper, in John’s gospel, is followed by a footwashing.Enacting this can be challenging in any American congregation, because of its awkwardness and intimacy. Of course that’s what makes it so powerful. Love invites us to risk feeling awkward and not in control, for the sake of another person: washing feet, getting on our knees, doing something that feels beneath us, in love. The image of Jesus, the Chosen One, Sovereign of the Universe, getting on his knees and doing a lowly chore, tenderly, for our sake—well, there you have it.

Maundy Thursday Liturgies
Liturgy #1 is a Eucharistic service focusing on salvation and communion with Christ. Foot-washing is optional. but not the focus
Liturgy #2 is a eucharistic service focusing on justice. Foot-washing is optional but not the focus.
Liturgy #3 is a foot-washing service. Eucharist is optional but not the focus.
Liturgy #4 is an anointing service linking the raising of Lazarus, the meal at Mary and Lazarus’ home, Mary’s anointing of Jesus, and Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet. There is both communion and foot-washing.

Opening Prayer

1.
Leader: Blessed are You, Holy One our God, Ruler of the Universe,
who brings forth bread from the earth. Amen.
All: We praise you, God, for the abundance of the earth.
You give all creatures their food in due season.
We give thanks for your grace, that when we were slaves in Egypt, you set us free.
You commanded us to remember our bondage,
to remember your mighty acts,
and to remember all those who are still oppressed.
We come to your table to share this bread that you give to all people.
We receive it with praise and thanksgiving,
and pray that by your grace we may bear it to all of your Beloved,
especially those who hunger, in the name of Christ. Amen.

2.
Leader: God of love, in a time of fear you invite us in love.
All: In a time of division you make us one.
In a time of violence you give us your peace.
In a time of uncertainty you remind us of your Covenant.
Even Jesus, your Beloved, faces his death, he shares with us the joy of life.
We give thanks. Grateful, humble and hungry,
we come to the table of grace. Amen.

3.
Leader: God is with you.
All: And also with you.
On this day we remember Jesus’ command to love one another.
God, we come to receive your love, so that we may pass it on.
Jesus said there is no greater love than to lay down your life for your friends.
We are the friends for whom Jesus laid down his life.
Grateful and humbled, we come to behold your love,
to feast upon your grace, and to die and rise with Christ in love. Amen.

Collect / Prayer of the day

1.
Holy One, on this night we remember Jesus gathering with his disciples for a Passover meal. You have delivered your people from slavery, and you call us to celebrate. Tonight we give thanks for the love by which you set us free from our fear of death; we confess our part in the oppression of others, and we pray for all who are still in bondage. In wonder and gratitude we meditate on the mystery of this supper in which you give yourself to us. We pray that as we receive the bread of the earth we may also receive the bread of heaven. We pray in the name and the companionship of Christ. Amen.

2.
Loving God, you invite us to feast on your grace. We come.
Generous God, you give us yourself. We open ourselves to you.
Gentle God, you suffer our violence. We confess our sin and receive your grace.
Loving God, you renew us. Feed us your love, and we shall live.

3.
Gracious God, as Jesus ate with his friends, we come to experience the grace of your table. As Jesus celebrated your Passover, we come to rejoice that your deliver us from sin and death. As Jesus washed the feet of his friends, we come to be washed in your love. Jesus commanded us to love one another,; fill us with the bread of our love, that we may humbly and lovingly serve the world in the name of Christ. Amen.

4.
God of grace, as Jesus called his beloved friends to the table, so you call us now, to share in table fellowship as siblings, to give thanks for Jesus, and to receive him into our hearts. Fill us with the love of Christ, that we may be his faithful disciples. Amen.

5.
Loving God, on this night in which Jesus gathered with his disciples, you gather us in your presence. You speak the Word of your love to us. You give us yourself and feed us with your Spirit. And you call us to love in your name. We open our hearts to you, that we may receive you with joy, be filled with your love, and go forth in the power of your Spirit to love and serve all in the name of the crucified and risen Christ, our Savior and our Lord. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

1.
Loving God, we will betray you; yet you invite us to your table.
We will deny you; yet you give us yourself in love.
We will fail to pray with you; yet you pray for us.
We will crucify you; yet you forgive us.
We confess our sin. We receive your grace.

2.
God of love, we give thanks for the mystery of this meal,
in which, even in our sin, you offer us love and grace.
Therefore we are bold to confess our sin to you with one another.
Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you
with all our heart, nor loved our neighbors as ourselves.
In our fear we have withheld compassion.
In anger we have judged others. We have betrayed Christ.
We repent of our sin, and ask your forgiveness.

3. [May also be used as a follow-up prayer to #2 above.]
Gracious God, grant us Christ’s spirit of humility, obedience and love.
Set us free from our bondage to self,
that by your grace we may enter into the fellowship of his suffering
and the body of his love, trusting in your grace alone.
Grant that in his spirit we may freely serve one another
in all lowliness, for the sake of your will. Amen.

Listening Prayer

Jesus, I would not have you wash my feet.
I am too proud.
And I am also unworthy.
Heal both my shame and my pride.
Let me feel your tender love, your strong hands,
the cleansing of your love.
Wash my feet.

Eucharistic Prayer

[See also these alternative (expanded) Eucharistic Prayers.]

[The body of the prayer may be read responsively with the congregation or by the presiding leader(s) alone).]
1.
God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

Feast of thanksgiving! We come with joy.
Abundant One, we feast on your generosity:
of grace, of creation, of your faithful love.
Feast of self-giving! We nourish ourselves on you.
We take you into ourselves,
The bread of your presence becomes us.
Feast of unity! Your bread is not for us alone, but all your children.
Like grains made into one loaf, we are one Body in Christ.
Feast of justice! We are one with each other, one with the poor.
We stand among the neglected and despised whom you feed,
hungering and thirsting for justice.
We join the slaves you set free, the oppressed you empower.
Here is food for the journey toward justice.
This is the feast of the world that is to come.
Hosanna in the highest.

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]
Feast of love! You feed us the bread of Jesus,
our bodies made whole by his love.
Feast of miracles! We are transformed.
As grain becomes bread, we are made new,
the wounded whole, the stranded found,
the despairing given hope.
Feast of surrender! Here is the cost of love.
Jesus died in giving himself to us.
Feast of sorrows: we drink the tears of the world.
We are broken like bread, fed to the hungers of the poor,
drinking from the cup of the world’s wounds.
In this bread we take into ourselves
Jesus’ self-giving for the sake of love.
In this cup we take into ourselves
Jesus’ suffering for the sake of justice.
Feast of death: one with Jesus, we come toward the cross.
We who also must die would spend our lives in love.
We let go of our lives to save them.
Feast of resurrection! Like wheat from the ground,
in love you raise us up to new life.

     (The Blessing and Covenant)
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we embody his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Feast of the Holy Spirit! Pour yourself out in this bread and cup,
that we may be nourished by the Body of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that receiving the Body of Christ we may become the Body of Christ.
Feast of power! We who are weak are made strong in your love.
We who are solitary are made one in your Spirit.
Feast of joy! Fill us with yourself and your life,
that we may go out with courage and hope.
Unafraid of the hurting world, we go out in love and trust,
to serve and to bless, in the name and company of Christ,
and the power of your Holy Spirit,
for the sake of the wholeness of the world,
and your eternal delight.
     [Spoken or sung]
            Amen.

————— #2 ——————


God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

Holy Mystery, we give you our deepest thanks,
for you create us in your image, call us as your beloved,
and covenant to be faithful to us in love.
You condemn the forces of injustice
and free all your beloved from oppression,
and call us to live lives of love and mercy.
In this meal you make us one Body,
united not by our faith but by the love of Christ.
Therefore with all your Beloved we praise you with one voice:

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
who taught and healed, who fed the hungry and loved the outcast.
In perfect humility and self-emptying
he washed the feet of the disciples.
He ate with friends and strangers and even enemies.
At the passover he ate with disciples who would betray him.
He commanded them, “Love one another as I have loved you.”
At his invitation we come to feast on his love.

     (The Blessing and Covenant)
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the Body and Blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
washing the feet of the outcast, inviting the poor to our table,
and loving as Christ has loved us,
to your eternal glory.
     [Spoken or sung]
            Amen.

—————— #3 ———————

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

God, Holy One, Triune Mystery: Love, the Beloved and the flowing of Love:
we thank you. You create us in your image,
claim us as your children, and call us as your Beloved.
When our love fails you remain steadfast in your mercy.
You delivered your children from slavery in Egypt.
You delivered your children from slavery in America.
And even though we are still enslaved by sin,
by greed and fear, by injustice and oppression,
still you love us, heal us, and set us free.
Even though we will betray and deny you, you invite us to your table.
And so we come, singing your praise with all Creation.

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
who fed the hungry and healed the hurting,
who embodied your liberation and stood with tender courage
against all the systems that divide us.
He proclaimed a new life, an Empire of Grace,
and stands among those who still are enslaved and oppressed.
Even as the Empire of Power threatened his death,
he gathered with his beloved to offer the gift of himself
and the gift of life that cannot be taken.

     (The Blessing and Covenant)
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us, O God,
and on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the Body and Blood of the Beloved, Jesus Christ.
Renew your Spirit within us, O God,
grant us the peace of Christ,
and unite us with all who share in this meal.
In this meal you grant us solidarity with all who suffer,
that we may enter into the brokenness of the world;
May we, bearing the light of your resurrection,
live as signs of your covenant with all Creation,
and the coming of the Realm you have promised.
We pray that every oppressive force may be undone,
including those in which we have a part.
We ask for the courage and compassion of your Spirit,
that we may pray and work for justice for all people.
God of mercy, set us free, and free all your beloved children.
May your Spirit live in us, that we may be fearless in love,
and unafraid to give of ourselves.
Make us your humble servants for the healing of the world,
according to your will.
May your Word be made flesh by all your holy Church,
in the love of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.

     [Spoken or sung]
            Amen.

Prayer after Communion

1.
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. In Christ’s self-giving we receive life. In his Spirit may we give of ourselves, lay down our lives for others, and join in his work for justice for all who are not yet free. In humility and hope, in courage and joy, we pray, as we go forth, in your name and your Spirit. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery
in which you have given yourself to us.
You have given us your covenant to be with us in blessing.
You have given us the Body of Christ,
and made us the Body of Christ:
you have united us with one another
and with the crucified and risen Christ.
God of Creation, God of our liberation, God of salvation,
it is your will that all people be free
from hatred, violence, persecution, servitude and poverty.
We pray that we may be freed from the bondage of all sin.
We pray for all those who suffer injustice and oppression,
that they may be set free.
Having set us free, send us to be servants of justice
for the sake of the world.
You have gathered us in a community of love and justice.
By your spirit may we make the world a community of love and justice.
In the grace of your forgiveness,
in the power of your resurrecting love,
send us into the world to be the healing hands of Christ
until we feast together in the Realm that you promise.
“This is my commandment,” Jesus says,
that you love one another as I have loved you.”
May we live in love according to your grace,
in the name and Spirit of Christ. Amen.
_________________________

Suggested songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)

At Your Feet (Original song)

Jesus, at your feet I bow.
I am yours completely now.
By your mercy show me how
to be loving.

Jesus, Master, you who save,
you have served me as a slave.
This, the perfect gift you gave:
to be loving.

In each hurting one I meet
it is you, O Christ, I greet.
Make my faithfulness complete,
to be loving.


Kyrie, Six versions (Original tunes)

Kyrie Eleison. Christe Eleison. Kyrie Eleison.
Grant us peace and mercy.


Behold the Lamb of God (Original song)

Behold the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
Come, let us follow, come let us follow
the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.


This Is the Passover (Original Song)

This is the Passover you have desired to share
as you deliver us out of our slavery and fear.

This is the new living covenant sealed in your blood.
Grant that it may be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.

Stripped in our suffering of all but our need for your grace,
join us to you in your dying and rising, O Christ.

Come, Holy Spirit, and grant us new life in our Lord.
gather us into your Body, made new by your Word.


You Feed Us, Gentle Savior (Tune: O Sacred head Now Wounded)

You feed us, gentle savior, the bread that makes us whole,
the wine of your compassion poured out into our soul.
the food of your own presence, your spirit, strong, within,
the grace that heals us deeply and overcomes our sin.

You bind us, gentle savior, and weave us into one,
one flesh and blood, made holy, the Body of your Son.
We gather here in hunger, one hunger, all the same;
and with one grace you bless us together in his name.

You call us, gentle savior, and send us in your name.
You teach and heal and show us how we can do the same.
So strengthened by your Spirit and nourished by your grace,
we go to be your presence in love, in every place.

The focus of this service is on foot-washing; Eucharist may be included.

Click here to download this service in a .doc format

_______________________________________

“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.
Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”
John 13.34

PRELUDE

GREETING
Leader: Christ, our teacher and our healer,
you call us to your table to celebrate our freedom in God.
All: We come, drawn by your Word.
Christ, our savior and our Chief, you call us to be close to you in prayer.
We come, drawn by your Spirit.
Christ, our servant and our victim, you call us to follow you in humility.
We come, drawn by your love. Amen.

SONG

OLD TESTAMENT — Isaiah 42.1-4
Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit within you;
you are to bring forth justice to the nations.
Do not cry or lift up your voice,
or make it heard in the street;
Gently, so as not to break a bruised reed
or quench a faint candle,
faithfully bring forth true justice.
You will not grow faint or be crushed
until you have established justice in the earth;
and far lands wait for your teaching.


SILENCE

PRAYER
Gentle Christ, in humble service you renounce power, comfort and status.
We surrender our fear, and open our hearts to your grace.
You do not cry out; you will not quench even a dimly burning wick.
We confess our anger, despair and violence,
and our distrust of the power of love.
We confess our envy and judgment, our thirst to dominate and control.
You call us to be light for the nations,
to open blind eyes and release imprisoned souls.
May your compassion flow through us to all living beings.
We pray for all whom we think are beneath us.
We pray for all those whom we have judged or wounded.
Gentle Christ, you establish justice in all the earth.
Grant us your spirit of nonviolence, justice and mercy. Amen.

SILENCE

NEW TESTAMENT — 1 Corinthians 1.18-31

SILENCE

PRAYER
Suffering Christ, you humble yourself to death,
even to the shame of the cross.
We confess that we hurt others, seeking our own security.
We pray for all who suffer, who are ashamed, who are accused,
for they are the Lamb of God.
You lovingly serve even those who harm you.
Grant us your spirit of humble servanthood.
Your tender love is more powerful than all our evil.
Grant us your spirit of self-emptying love. Amen.

OFFERING

SONG

[Optional: SHARING THE MEAL OF JESUS]

MEDITATION

GOSPEL John 13. 1-17

SILENCE

PRAYER
Loving Christ, in our sin you wash us clean;
in our grief you bless us;
in our shame you honor us, in our weariness you restore us.
We confess our resistance to your grace.
Wash the feet of our hearts, that we may wholly belong to you.
You pour out your Spirit upon us, and make us your brimming vessels.
Grant us your spirit of love, O God, your life-giving spirit of love.

SONG

THE FOOT-WASHING

SCRIPTURE John 13.34-35

SILENCE

PSALM Psalm 141 (A paraphrase)
Holy One, you who are always present for me, I call to you.
Hear the cry of my heart — oh hear!
My prayer rises like incense before you,
my hands I raise as my evening sacrifice.
Beloved, keep watch over my mouth;
stand guard at the door of my lips.
Keep me from evil thoughts,
from joining in other people’s anger.
Help me stay free from joining them in accusing;
may I never seek comfort in belonging with them.
Let righteous people strike me,
let the faithful condemn me,
but may the wicked never anoint me with the acid of their praise:
for every day I pray blessing in defiance of their evil.
With the stones we would throw we are always wounded.
Help us see the way of gentleness, and follow.
The whole warring world is divided and split:
our bones lie at the edge of hell.
So we turn to you, O Loving One:
You are our healing, and our only hope.
Keep me out of the trap of blaming and judging,
the pit of evil, so easy to fall into.
The violent are entangled in their own nets,
while I go freely on a different way.

SILENCE

SONG

BLESSING AND SENDING FORTH

POSTLUDE

         —————————

Suggested Songs

At Your Feet (Original song)

Jesus, at your feet I bow. I am yours completely now.
By your mercy show me how to be loving.

Jesus, teacher, you who save, you have served me as a slave.
This the perfect gift you gave: to be loving.

In each hurting one I meet it is you, O Christ, I greet.
Make my faithfulness complete, to be loving.


By your grace (Tune: What Wondrous Love Is This)

What wondrous love is this O my soul, O my soul,
what wondrous love is this, O my soul!
That you so freely give the bread by which we live,
that you revive our soul, by your Word, by your Word,
and by your life in us make us whole.

Our lives we give to you, by your grace, by your grace,
our lives we give to you, by your grace.
Lord, use the gifts we give to help your children live,
that all may come and feast by your grace, by your grace,
the greatest and the least, by your grace.

God, help us die and rise, by your grace, by your grace,
by Christ alive in us, die and rise;
for when we finally do surrender all to you,
you give us life anew, by your grace, by your grace
you give eternal life, by your grace.

April 9, 2023

Lectionary Texts

Acts 10.34-43 Peter tells the story of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

Psalm 118. A song of God’s victory. What we thought was failure God has made triumph: “the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”

Colossians 3.1-4 . We have died and been raised with Christ: be mindful that your life is “hidden in God.”

Matthew 28.1-10. The women come to Jesus’ tomb and find that he has been raised.

Preaching Thoughts

The Gospel readings
If there is both a sunrise service and a regular one, I recommend using one Gospel at each. The John reading lends itself to two scenes that may be separate readings: verses 1-10, Mary at the tomb; and 11-18, Jesus and Mary. I like to begin the service with the gospel reading (Mt 28.1-11, or Jn. 20.1-10) followed by a response as a call to worship.

Preaching Resurrection
It’s common to preach stuff that’s almost Resurrection but not really. For some folks Easter is some kind of victory party as if our team won the championship. Easter is about victory, yes, but not ours. It’s God’s victory over our sin, over our judgment of others, over our injustice and violence. It’s love’s victory over death and over our fear of it.

Resurrection is not just happy endings. Resurrection isn’t the same as “bouncing back.” There’s no “back” to it It’s about being plunged forward, into a new life that’s not just more of the old one. Resurrection is more like an unexpected beginning than a happy ending. God miraculously creates life where there was none—and no potential—before. Resurrection is not the same as near-death. It’s actual death. Failure. Surrender. It’s out of our brokenness that resurrection comes. Resurrection is not “return;” it’s transformation. (I think that’s why Jesus’ friends didn’t recognize him on Easter: he was changed.) Resurrection is the transformation that happens when we surrender to love. When we give our lives in love God gives us new ones.

It’s tempting to make resurrection the doorway to the afterlife, but it’s not only that, either. Resurrection is the doorway to this life. “Unless a seed dies and is buried it remains a single seed. But if it dies, it bears much fruit” (Jn. 12.24). Jesus wasn’t interested in the afterlife—that is, being dead—but in living this life with love. “Eternal life” doesn’t mean immortality. (Are you kidding? People act as if they want to live forever but they can’t even abide a worship service that goes a few minutes over an hour—and they want to live for millions of years? No way.) Eternal life doesn’t mean life that’s long; it means life that’s infinitely deep. It means life with infinite life in it, with God in it. It means life that can’t be taken from us—not by what happens to us, not by our own actions, not even by death. It means harmony with the infinite love of God. When we abandon the selfish desires of our egos, and the illusion that we are separate individuals instead of members of one Body we enter into life that is greater than our own physical survival (see Romans 7 and 8).

Resurrection is also about the rejected stone that becomes the cornerstone. Again, I don’t mean the triumph of the underdog. I mean the Divine Presence in places we don’t see it, in situations we discount and people we reject. It’s about God’s justice that comes about even if we miss it.

We proclaim the resurrection of the body. Resurrection after this life is not just that we “live on” in people’s memories. It’s that the essence of who we are is embodied in a way that outlives our earthly bodies. What does this mean, exactly? Well, maybe it means we have a body like our old one… or a new one (Paul talks about an earthly body and a resurrection body)…. or we become part of the Body of Christ, which is a real, physical earthly body… But this is all speculation, and it drives people away if we pretend it’s fact. I think it’s important to both affirm that resurrection is both a reality and a mystery. Overall, I’d rather focus on resurrection not as the portal to the afterlife but transformation in this life.

Call to Worship

1.
As I mention above, I like opening worship with the Gospel proclamation—either Matthew 28.1-10 or John 20.1-10, followed by an Acclamation:

Leader: Jesus emptied himself, shared in our sufferings, and received our scorn. All: In humility and trust he became obedient to death, even death on a cross.
But Christ is risen!
Christ is risen indeed!
God has raised the Crucified One to new life!
Death no longer has dominion!
God has rescued us from the power of darkness,
and brought us into the dominion of God’s Beloved.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! ALLELUIA!

2.
In love Christ became empty.
All: and obedient to death on a cross.
But Christ is risen!
Christ is risen indeed!
Christ is raised from the dead by the love of God!
The Crucified One is risen!
Christ has conquered by the cross!
All our hope is in him! Alleluia!
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not,
will not,
can not overcome it.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! ALLELUIA!

* I like to do this with two readers, to provide for a sense of crescendo, like this:

Reader 1: In love Christ became empty.
All: and obedient to death on a cross.
Reader 2: But Christ is risen!
Christ is risen indeed!
Both readers in unison: Christ is raised from the dead by the love of God!
The Crucified One is risen!
Reader 1:Christ has conquered by the cross!
All our hope is in him! Alleluia!
Reader 2:The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not,
Both readers: will not,
can not overcome it.
Reader 1:Alleluia! Reader 2:Alleluia! Both: Alleluia!
Alleluia! ALLELUIA!

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
Holy God, we thank you and praise you for the mystery of your grace.
For on the cross Jesus your Christ bore all that separates us from you and from life;
yet sin and oppression and suffering and death were unable to defeat him.
By his glorious resurrection you have delivered us from the power of death.
Gracious God, make us die every day to sin.
Birth us anew, so that we may walk in newness of life with Christ,
in the joy of eternal life and the life-giving power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

2.
Holy Mystery, Sunrise of Love,
Daybreak of Justice, Miracle of Life, we praise you.
Into the grave of fear and death you have shone your light;
you have transformed our shadows into joy.
All that defeats and diminishes life you have laid in the tomb,
and emptied that tomb by your grace.
Christ has borne our sin into the earth, and risen, free and joyful.
Christ has borne our death into the grave,
and risen, living and radiant.
You have raised us with Christ, and we thank you.
We praise you. We worship you. Christ is risen! Alleluia!

3.
God of Love,
you have changed death into life.
You have changed our fear into courage.
You have changed despair into hope.
Change our hearts, that being raised with Christ
we may live brand new lives,
in the mystery and the power of your love. Amen.

4.
God of resurrection, we thank you,
for you have raised Christ from the dead.
To the poor in spirit you have given your Realm.
Those who mourn you have comforted with great joy.
Those who hunger for justice you have fed with grace.
To the merciful you have given tender mercy.

5.
To those who are persecuted you have given victory.
To the gentle now belongs the world.
We praise you for your grace.
May your spirit of resurrection guide and uphold us
now and always, in the company of the living Christ. Amen.

6.
The Day of Resurrection has dawned upon us, for Christ, our life, has risen. We give abundant thanks and praise to you, O God! In your victory, O Christ, help us shed all sin and death. In your rising, help us receive new life. In your power, direct our lives as your new creation. Grant that we may live new lives in Christ, free of our old ways, free of fear and distrust. Sustain us with your mercy, and bestow upon us your abiding peace and gladness, so that we may find joy in serving you. O Christ, you are our life, which is eternal. We thank you. Grant us grace to receive the gift of life, and by your Spirit to live as fearless servants of your love. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

God of Mystery, God of Glory, God of Life,
as Mary stood weeping at the tomb,
not seeing yet the living Christ beside her,
we enter the stillness of the garden
and gaze into the empty grave,
and listen in the hovering silence.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

1. (1 Pet. 1.3; Eph. 2. 4-6 Rom. 6.4; Col. 3.3 Ps. 51.10)

Alleluia! Blessed be the God and Life-Giver of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In Mercy God has given us a new birth into a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
God, rich in mercy, out of great love for us, has made us alive together with Christ,
and raised us up and seated us with Christ.
We have been buried with Christ by baptism into death,
so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of God,
we too might walk in newness of life.
Gracious God, we have died, and our life is hidden with Christ in you.
Spirit of Life, create us anew!
Create in us a clean heart, and put a new and right spirit within us.
Forgive our sin, and wash us clean in the water of new birth.
Heal us, redeem us, and set us free.
Spirit of Blessing, be our freedom and our life!
Through your risen Son grant victory over the enemies of life.
May your spirit of resurrection overcome all violence, injustice, hatred and greed.
Through your crucified and risen Christ, we pray for your church,
that, committing our spirit into your hands,
we may die and be raised to newness of life.
Grant us the joy of your life-giving resurrection,
and make us by your grace a new and holy people. Amen.

2.
God of love, you have raised Jesus from death to life!
Lead us always into newness of life.
Light of Christ, rising as the sun on a new day,
overcoming the darkness of sin and death,
shine on our path, chase away all darkness,
and lead us to the heart of God.
Light of Christ, rising in glory,
be the light of our hearts!
Spirit of Resurrection, grant us your grace.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Eucharistic Prayer

Click here for eight settings of the Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation and Amen to familiar tunes appropriate for the Easter season.

[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]
1.
God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

We thank you, God, for in the beginning you brought light out of darkness.
From the dust of the earth you made us, lifted us, and breathed life into us.
You make us your people, and promise to be our God.
You walk with us through the valley of the shadow of death.
You condemn the forces of injustice and oppression, and set free the imprisoned.
You set us free from what binds us and go with us toward your new world.
You raise up what is dead and lift up those who are without hope.
Light out of darkness! Hope from despair! Life out of death!
This is your way. We give thanks, and with all Creation we praise you.
            [Sanctus, spoken:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
                     —or—
[sung, to the tune of “Joyful, Joyful”]
     Holy, Holy, Holy Yahweh, God of mercy, God of light,
     all Creation’s ra-diant with your loving presence shining bright.
     Blessed is the one who_ comes_ in your_ holy name, O God.
     Praise to God! Hosanna in the highest! Alleluia!

Blessed are all who come in your name, and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
He loved and blessed, healed and taught.
Spurning privilege and exclusion
he created a community of love and reconciliation
whose power stood against the forces of empire and violence.
For this he was crucified—but you have raised him from the dead!

[The Blessing and Covenant … ]

Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.
As often as we break this bread and share this cup,
we remember his death and resurrection until he comes again.
Remembering these, your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
as a living and holy sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
                     —or—
             [sung, same tune]
Christ has died and Christ is risen. Christ will come again in love.
Praise to God! Hosanna in the highest. Alleluia!

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be the Body of Christ,
who have died and have been raised to new life,
to serve you in love without fear,
in the power of your Holy Spirit
and the strength of eternal life.

     [Spoken:]
Amen.
                     —or—
             [sung, same tune]

By your mercy you have raised us up with Jesus from the dead.
In your Spirit re-create us as your new, life-giving Bread.
Send us out to die with Christ in love, and raise us up again,
serving you, with praise and glory. Alleluia. Amen.


__________
2.
God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

Blessed are you, O God, Creator of all things,
ruler of the world and all that is to come.
You brought light out of darkness, Creation out of chaos.
By mighty acts you delivered your people from slavery,
and brought them back from exile.
In the fullness of time you sent your Son, Jesus Christ.
By the baptism of his death and resurrection
you made with us a new covenant,
that neither sin nor suffering nor death
shall ever separate us from your love in Christ Jesus.
You have doomed the powers of injustice and oppression,
and granted your children the freedom of eternal life.
Therefore with all Creation we sing as one voice:

            [Sanctus, spoken:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
                     —or—

(sung; tune: Christ the Lord is Risen Today)
Holy God, thou source of life, Alleluia!
All Creation bears your Light! Alleluia!
Praise, Hosanna! God above! Alleluia!
Blessed is the one who bears your love! Alleluia

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
who is the resurrection and the life
In your Spirit he preached good news to the poor,
brought sight to the blind and release to the captives,
set at liberty those who were oppressed,
and proclaimed the time of pardon.
Though divine, he emptied himself
and took the nature of a servant; and in human form
he humbled himself and became obedient, even unto death.

[… The Blessing and Covenant …]

Christ being raised from the dead will never die again;
death no longer has dominion.
We have died with Christ; we shall also live with him.

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
                     —or—
                                          [sung, same tune]
Dying, Christ destroys our death. Alleluia!
Rising, Christ restores our life. Alleluia!
Christ in glory shall return. Alleluia!
Raise us; make our living new. Alleluia!

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ.
Grant that by the grace of resurrection imparted in this meal
we may die to sin and be free of all evil.
Set us free from all fear, oppression and idolatry,
that we may live anew each moment,
according to your will, to your eternal glory.
Establish your gracious Dominion in us,
that we may be the Body of Christ, crucified and risen:
one in your love, one in your Spirit,
and one in ministry, for the redemption of the world.

     [Spoken]
Amen.
                     —or—
     [Sung, same tune]God, we give to you our hearts. Alleluia!
May your church your love impart. Alleluia!
Raise us up with Christ anew, Alleluia!
As Christ’s Body, serving you. Alleluia!

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion

[Adapt as needed.]
1.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) May the Resurrection of Christ, the Bread of eternal life, be food for our souls. Send us into the world to proclaim the good news; to live lives of love and healing, made new by your grace; and to devote ourselves to the healing of the world, in the name of the crucified and risen Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) Christ is risen. As members of the Body of Christ, crucified and risen, may we embody love, embody resurrection, embody your victory over death and fear, over sin and injustice. May we embody your everlasting joy, to your glory, in the name and the spirit and the eternal companionship of Jesus. Amen.

3.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) May the Resurrection of Christ be food for our souls. May the living presence of Christ be light for our feet. Having fed upon the eternal life of Christ, we give thanks that death no longer has dominion over us. Send us into the world to proclaim the good news; to live lives of love and healing, made new by your grace; and to devote ourselves to the healing of the world, in the name of the crucified and risen Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)

Communion Songs for Easter set to familiar tunes(
Nine songs of invitation to the table, set to these melodies:
All Creatures of Our God and King,
Infant Holy, Be Thou My Vision, HOLY MANNA,
The Gift of Love / Water Is Wide, Finlandia,
Morning Has Broken, Fairest Lord Jesus, Joyful Joyful.

Easter Eucharistic Responses
Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation and Amen set to:
All Things Bright and Beautiful (Includes Preface)
Christ the Lord is Risen Today, Fairest Lord Jesus
Finlandia, HOLY MANNA, Joyful Joyful, Morning Has Broken
Now the Green Blade Rises, Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us


Children of the Resurrection (Tune: HOLY MANNA. Alternate: Ode to Joy)

Christ is risen! Baptized in his death and rising, so are we.
Children of the resurrection, we are one now; we are free.
Fear no longer holds us, and we live with love courageously,
giving gifts and sharing love for God, who loves eternally.

* In this feast we greet the risen Christ, who calls us all in grace,
gathered into one and fed with love, we now are mercy’s face.
Now we are Christ’s risen Body; for the world we now are light,
children of the resurrection, radiant with eternal life.

* Without communion: “With glad hearts we greet the risen Christ …”


Christ Is Our Sunrise (Tune: Morning Has Broken)

Christ is now living— Alleluia!—
wondrously giving life out of death,
hope gently spoken when we were hopeless,
when we were broken, life-giving breath.

God, you have sought us deep in our suffering,
and you have brought us out of our fear,
gently revealing your presence in us,
tenderly healing, drawing us near.

Christ, in your rising you are our sunrise,
drawing surprising green from the seed.
Still your light finds us, wrapped in our grave clothes;
from all that binds us, now we are freed.

God, your grace gives us brand new tomorrows.
As Christ forgives us we are made new.
Now liberated from sin and sorrow,
newly created, we follow you.


Like the Sun Rising (Tune: Morning Has Broken)

Christ, we surrender all of our living
into your tender, merciful grace
Baptized in you, we join in your dying,
and rising, too, in your life’s embrace.

Christ, you are living in us in mercy,
faithfully giving life that is true.
Like the sun rising, fresh every morning,
free and surprising, we are made new.

Great Holy Spirit, live in us daily,
free from the fear that once bound us in,
free now to love our neighbors with courage,
rising above our death and our sin.

Blest and forgiven and resurrected,
set free for living by grace alone,
may we live lives of gentle compassion,
with the same light that in you has shone.


Morning is Breaking (Tune: Morning Has Broken)

Morning is breaking, sorrowful morning,
as we are making haste to the tomb:
cold and despairing, numb and defeated,
painfully bearing darkness and gloom.

But in the dawning we see the grave now,
empty and yawning, bright like the sun.
Angels in glory say he is risen!
“Go tell the story: Death is undone!”

We came to grieve our crucified Jesus,
but, loving God, you opened his grave!
Jesus is living! Yours is the victory,
great in forgiving, mighty to save.

God, you have greeted sin with forgiveness;
you have defeated evil and fear.
Light of his rising, shine in our courage,
pure, energizing, radiant and clear.

Morning is breaking bright in our hearts now,
as we are waking, light in our eyes.
With him we offer love without fear, for
with him we suffer, with him we rise.


Resurrection Light (Tune: Joyful, Joyful)
[There are additional verses in the downloadable document, especially for a sunrise service]

Holy God, we sing your praises, and we give our thanks to you!
On this day of resurrection all things are created new!
Sin and death you have defeated, raising Christ from death to life.
All of life now shines, transfigured by your resurrection light.

In your mercy you have shattered every tomb we cannot flee.
From whatever binds and traps us, you have set your children free:
free to live in every moment life that is a gift from you,
life unfettered, in your Spirit, life unbounded, always new.

Help us to receive this life that rises up and soars above.
Grant us courage for self-giving; grant us trusting, fearless love.
Help us lose the lives we cling to; with compassion and delight
give our lives, receiving new ones, bright with resurrection light.


Spring Now Blooms (Tune: Now The Green Blade Rises)

Early in the morning we come to the tomb,
bearing sins and sorrows, wounds and hearts of gloom.
But what is this? The stone is rolled away!
And the tomb is empty! Wonder and dismay!

Verse 2, Synoptic version:
* Then an angel greets us, speaking to our fear,saying “Christ is risen. See, he is not here.”Now our despair itself has passed away,and we feel new life rise in the dawning day.

Verse 2, John version:
So we ask the gardener where the body is—
and we hear the voice and know that it is his.
“Why do you weep?” Such sadness fills our eyes.
Then we see and fill with joy and glad surprise.

Christ now stands before us, living as he said.
Oh, what hope he brings us, rising from the dead!
Night was so dark, but with the rising sun
everything is changed now, in this grace-filled dawn.

We give God our spirits, buried just like seeds,.
and emerge forgiven, healed, made new and freed.
Sorrow and dread are changed to joy instead.
Spring now blooms, for Christ is risen from the dead!

Download this service here.

GREETING
In the darkness of our sin, the grace of God rises like the dawn.
In the coldness of our hearts, hope rises like the sun.
Into all that is dark and cold in our lives, the light of God shines.
From the sleep of sin and the dust of our death
a new day rises, and with it our hearts.
O God of grace, shine your light upon us!
Come to us, and renew us, O God of life!
May the light of Christ, rising in glory,
dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds.
Thanks be to God for the light of Christ. Alleluia!

GOSPEL John 20. 1-10

SONG Tune: Now The Green Blade Rises
Early in the morning we come to the tomb,
bearing sins and sorrows, wounds and hearts of gloom.
But what is this? The stone is rolled away!
And the tomb is empty! Wonder and dismay!

OLD TESTAMENT READING From Exodus 14.10 – 15.1

PSALTER Psalm 107.1-2, 10-15
O give thanks to Yahweh, for God is good.
God’s steadfast love endures forever!
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
whom God has redeemed from trouble.
We sat in darkness and in gloom,
prisoners in misery and in irons,
for we had rebelled against the words of God,
and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
Our hearts were bowed down with hard labor;
we fell down, with no one to help.
Then we cried to God in our trouble,
and God saved us from our distress.
God brought us out of darkness and gloom,
and broke our bonds asunder.
Oh God, we thank you for you steadfast love,
for your wonderful works to humankind.


GOSPEL John 20.11-18

SONG (Tune: Now the Green Blade Rises)

So we ask the gardener where the body is—
and we hear the voice and know that it is his.
“Why do you weep?” Such sadness fills our eyes.
Then we see and fill with joy and glad surprise.

Christ now stands before us, living as he said.
Oh, what hope he brings us, rising from the dead!
Night was so dark, but with the rising sun
everything is changed now, in this grace-filled dawn.

We give God our spirits, buried just like seeds,.
and emerge forgiven, healed, made new and freed.
Sorrow and dread are changed to joy instead.
Spring now blooms, for Christ is risen from the dead!

ACCLAMATION
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! ALLELUIA!
O God, on the cross we have assaulted you with all of our evil.
And you have overcome our evil with forgiveness,
and overcome the dealing of death by the giving of life.
Christ, on the cross you have shared our suffering and shame,
received our sin and died our death.
But the God of Life has raised you up, free from death and sin!
Christ, in your rising, we are brought to life.
All Creation awakens. The earth begins a new song.
May we, too, blossom forth with new life in your Spirit.
Victorious Savior, have mercy on us all!

NEW TESTAMENT READING 1 Peter 1.3-9

MEDITATION

SONG

INTERCESSORY PRAYERS

PRAYER OF BLESSING
Loving God, we thank you for your grace. Raise us to new life with Christ. Forgive our sin, heal our sorrows, transform our despair, strengthen us in our struggles, and create us anew. Receive our death and give us life eternal, life in you. Grant that we may live new lives in Christ, free of our old ways, free of fear and distrust. God, you are our life, which is eternal. Sustain us with your mercy, fill us with your love, and bless us that we may serve you for the sake of healing, justice and joy in the name of Christ. Amen.

SONG

BLESSING
God of love, you have raised Jesus from death to life!
Lead us always into newness of life.
Light of Christ, rising as the sun on a new day,
overcoming the darkness of sin and death,
shine on our path, chase away all darkness,
and lead us to the heart of God.
Light of Christ, rising in glory,
be the light of our hearts!
Spirit of Resurrection, grant us your grace.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

SENDING FORTH & PASSING THE PEACE

This service focuses on intercessory prayers.
Click here for this service in a downloadable .doc file.

Good Friday Liturgy

INTRODUCTION (Philippians 2. 5-11)
Though Christ was by nature divine,
Christ did not cling to equality with God,
but in utter self-emptying, took the form of a slave,
and was born as a human.
God have mercy.
Appearing in human form,
he humbled himself,
and became obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Christ have mercy.
Therefore God has highly exalted Christ,
with a name above all others,
that every knee should bend, and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ reigns supreme, to the glory of God the Giver of Life.
God have mercy, and grant us your peace.

KYRIE or other MUSIC

PRAYER
God of love, look with mercy upon your beloved people, for whom Jesus was willing to suffer. Delivered into our hands, he bore our sin in his body and our anguish in his soul. In him we behold the fullness of our human weakness and your divine grace. In your vulnerability for us, in your forgiveness, in your life-giving love, may we, and all who remember this day, find healing, liberation from our sin, and new life in you, that we may walk in your ways, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to your eternal glory. Amen.

SILENT PRAYER

OLD TESTAMENT (Isaiah 52.13 – 53.12)
My servant, you shall prosper;
you shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.
Just as there were many who were astonished at you—
so marred was your appearance, beyond human semblance,
and your form beyond that of mortals—
so you shall startle many nations;
rulers shall shut their mouths because of you;
for that which had not been told them they shall see,
and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate.

Who would have believed what you have just heard?
And to whom has the arm of the Holy One been revealed?
For you grew up before God like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
you had no form or majesty to impress us,
nothing in your appearance that we should desire you.

You were despised and rejected;
one who knew suffering and was familiar with pain;
people despised you and looked away,
and considered you worthless.

Surely you have borne our weakness and carried our diseases.
We thought you were being stricken by God,
punished and humiliated—
but you suffered because of our sins,
and were wounded by the evil we have done.
You were punished, and yet we are made whole;
for in your suffering we find healing.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have all turned to our own way;
in you God has exposed our violence.

SILENT PRAYERS OF CONFESSION

You were oppressed and afflicted,
yet you did not open your mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so you did not open your mouth.
By a perversion of justice you were taken away.
Who could have imagined your future?
For you were cut off from the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people.
They made your grave with the wicked
and your tomb with the rich,
although you had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in your mouth.

Yet God delights in you, who were crushed with pain,
You shall see your offspring,
and shall prolong your days;
through you God’s will shall prevail.

Through your anguish you shall see light;
and knowing the truth, you will find peace.
O righteous one, God’s servant,
you hall make many righteous,
as you suffer for their sins.

Therefore God will allot you a portion with the great,
and you shall divide the spoil with the strong;
because you poured out yourself to death,
and were numbered with the transgressors;
you bore the sin of many,
yet forgave the transgressors.

SONG

NEW TESTAMENT Hebrews 10.14-23

PSALTER Psalm 31.1-16

GOSPEL from John 18.33 – 19.30

REFLECTION

INTERCESSORY PRAYERS
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world.
Have mercy on us.
In your forgiveness in the face of evil,
receive our sins, and grant us peace.
By the mystery of your love in the face of violence,
Show us your way, O God.
Put to death all that is evil in us,
that we may never judge, blame or accuse your children;
that we may never harm, abuse or exploit your Beloved.
Grant that we may die with Christ; and raise us to new life.
Into your hands we commit our spirit.
Silence

O Christ, give us faith to trust your presence in our struggles.
Give us grace to face our trials with love and courage.
O Christ, in your humility, your struggle and your suffering,
give comfort and healing to all who suffer.
We pray for all who are afflicted in body, mind or spirit.
For the hungry, the homeless, the destitute and the poor.
For the sick, and those who struggle with addiction.
For those in loneliness, fear and anguish.
For those who face temptation, doubt or despair.
For relationships that are strained and spirits that are broken.
For the sorrowful and bereaved, and all who experience loss.
For all who are oppressed, abused, or exploited.
For prisoners, and those who face cruelty, torture or execution.
For refugees, immigrants and all victims of war.
In your mercy, God, comfort and heal your Beloved children.
In Christ on the cross you are present with them.
Grant them knowledge of your love,
and stir up in us the grace to minister to their needs.
Silence
We pray for your holy Church, the Body of Christ.
Impart to us the Spirit of gentleness and peace,
the Spirit of compassion and forgiveness.
We pray for the unity of all believers, and those of other faiths,
and those unable to believe. May we learn your way of love.
For the sake of the crucified Christ,
help us to resist evil, injustice and oppression
in whatever forms they present themselves.
We pray for all who exercise power in the world.
We pray that your Empire of Grace may prevail
over the empires of privilege, exclusion and violence.
God, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. God, have mercy.
Silence

THE PRAYER OF JESUS (Lord’s Prayer”)”

SONG

THE SEVEN LAST WORDS

SILENT REFLECTION

You may remain as long as you wish, in silent prayer.

March 28, 2024

Lectionary Texts

Exodus 1-4, 11-14. The Passover feast

Psalm 116. Thanks for God’s saving grace. “I will lift the cup of salvation.”

1 Corinthians 11.23-26. Paul passes on the tradition that at the last supper Jesus said “this is my body… this is my blood.”

John 13.1-17, 31b-35. Jesus washes the disciples’ feet and gives them the commandment to love one another.

Guiding Thoughts

The word “Maundy” is rooted in “commandment.” On this might we focus on the distinctive mark of Christian faith, not the Ten Commandments but the One Commandment: to love one another as Christ has loved us. Note that, as usual, Jesus raises the bar above the golden rule: we are commanded to love our neighbor not just as we love ourselves (which is admittedly imperfect) but as Christ has loved is, which is, in fact, perfect. Jesus embodies this love in washing our feet as a servant, and will do so in his forgiveness on the cross.

Two powerful rituals occur this evening. You may chose to observe either or both. Communion is most directly tied to the Last Supper, although it is also a re-enactment of every instance of Jesus feeding us. Notice how often Jesus “took, broke, blessed and gave” bread: the loaves and fishes, the meal at Emmaus, the Easter breakfast on the beach. Those four actions, or parts of them, occur multiple times in the gospels as well as in 1 Corinthians 11. Powerful actions, they are. Jesus himself is taken, blessed, broken and given. And as disciples so are we.

On Holy Thursday we give special attention to the sacrament of communion. It’s appropriate to expand it so it takes up most of the service. (My Maundy Thursday Liturgies do this. See below.) If you use one of the extended eucharistic prayers I offer, you might want to shorten the rest of the service. If you use one of the extended Eucharistic prayers I offer, you might want to shorten the rest of the service.

The gospels portray the Jesus’ last supper as a Passover meal, a celebration of God’s liberation of the Hebrews from slavery, and a recognition of God’s desire for the liberation of all who are still oppressed. Passover is woven of past and present, celebration and confession, personal and political. (The actual meal may not have been at Passover; even if so it wouldn’t have been what we knows as a Passover Seder: that was a later invention.) As we lament the oppression in the world it is appropriate to examine our complicity in injustice an participation in systems that benefit us at others’ expense: social sins including greed, racism, materialism, heterosexism, xenophobia, violence of all kinds, abuse of the earth, and systems that produce poverty…. At the same time that God judges these evils God loves us, forgives us, and redeems us, empowering us to live in new ways. Methodist baptismal vows ask us to “accept the power Gods gives us to resist evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.” So our confrontation of our sin is not gloomy but hopeful. This is the good news of the cross. God meets us in our sin, as both victim and judge, with love.

In John’s gospel the Last Supper is followed by a footwashing. Enacting this can be challenging in any American congregation, because of its awkwardness and intimacy. Of course that’s what makes it so powerful. Love invites us to risk feeling awkward and not in control, for the sake of another person: washing feet, getting on our knees, doing something that feels beneath us, in love. And the image of Jesus, the Chosen One, getting on his knees and doing a lowly chore, tenderly, for our sake—well, there you have it.

Maundy Thursday Liturgies

Liturgy #1 is a Eucharistic service focusing on communion with Christ.
         Foot-washing is optional but not the focus
Liturgy #2 is a Eucharistic service focusing on justice.
         Foot-washing is optional but not the focus.
Liturgy #3 is a foot-washing service. Eucharist is optional but not the focus.
Liturgy #4 an anointing service linking the raising of Lazarus, the meal at Mary and Lazarus’ home, Mary’s anointing of Jesus, and Jesus’ washing the disciples’ feet. Both communion and anointing (not necessarily washing feet) are emphasized.

An extended Eucharistic Prayer, interspersed with brief scripture readings.

General Resources

Opening Prayer

1.
Leader: Blessed are You, Holy One our God, Ruler of the Universe,
who brings forth bread from the earth. Amen.
All: We praise you, God, for the abundance of the earth.
You give all creatures their food in due season.
We give thanks for your grace, that when we were slaves in Egypt, you set us free.
You commanded us to remember our bondage,
to remember your mighty acts, and to remember all those who are still oppressed.
We come to your table to share this bread that you give to all people.
We receive it with praise and thanksgiving,
and pray that by your grace we may bear it to all of your Beloved,
especially those who hunger, in the name of Christ. Amen.

2.
Leader:
God of love, in a time of fear you invite us in love.
All: In a time of division you make us one.
In a time of violence you give us your peace.
In a time of uncertainty you remind us of your Covenant.
Even Jesus, your Beloved, faces his death, he shares with us the joy of life.
We give thanks. Grateful, humble and hungry,
we come to the table of grace. Amen.

3.
Leader: God is with you.
All: And also with you.
On this day we remember Jesus’ command to love one another.
God, we come to receive your love, so that we may pass it on.
Jesus said there is no greater love than to lay down your life for your friends.
We are the friends for whom Jesus laid down his life.
Grateful and humbled, we come to behold your love,
to feast upon your grace, and to die and rise with Christ in love. Amen.

Collect / Prayer of the day

1.
Holy One, on this night we remember Jesus gathering with his disciples for a Passover meal. You have delivered your people from slavery, and you call us to celebrate. Tonight we give thanks for the love by which you set us free from our fear of death; we confess our part in the oppression of others, and we pray for all who are still in bondage. In wonder and gratitude we meditate on the mystery of this supper in which you give yourself to us. We pray that as we receive the bread of the earth we may also receive the bread of heaven. We pray in the name and the companionship of Christ. Amen.

2.
Loving God, you invite us to feast on your grace. We come.
Generous God, you give us yourself. We open ourselves to you.
Gentle God, you suffer our violence. We confess our sin and receive your grace.
Loving God, you renew us. Feed us your love, and we shall live.

3.
Gracious God, as Jesus ate with his friends, we come to experience the grace of your table. As Jesus celebrated your Passover, we come to rejoice that your deliver us from sin and death. As Jesus washed the feet of his friends, we come to be washed in your love. Jesus commanded us to love one another,; fill us with the bread of our love, that we may humbly and lovingly serve the world in the name of Christ. Amen.

4.
God of grace, as Jesus called his beloved friends to the table, so you call us now, to share in table fellowship as siblings, to give thanks for Jesus, and to receive him into our hearts. Fill us with the love of Christ, that we may be his faithful disciples. Amen.

5.
Loving God, on this night in which Jesus gathered with his disciples, you gather us in your presence. You speak the Word of your love to us. You give us yourself and feed us with your Spirit. And you call us to love in your name. We open our hearts to you, that we may receive you with joy, be filled with your love, and go forth in the power of your Spirit to love and serve all in the name of the crucified and risen Christ, our Savior and our Lord. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

1.
Loving God, we will betray you; yet you invite us to your table.
We will deny you; yet you give us yourself in love.
We will fail to pray with you; yet you pray for us.
We will crucify you; yet you forgive us.
We confess our sin. We receive your grace.

2.
God of love, we give thanks for the mystery of this meal,
in which, even in our sin, you offer us love and grace.
Therefore we are bold to confess our sin to you with one another.
Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you
with all our heart, nor loved our neighbors as ourselves.
In our fear we have withheld compassion.
In anger we have judged others. We have betrayed Christ.
We repent of our sin, and ask your forgiveness.

3. [May also be used as a follow-up prayer to #2 above.]
Gracious God, grant us Christ’s spirit of humility, obedience and love.
Set us free from our bondage to self,
that by your grace we may enter into the fellowship of his suffering
and the body of his love, trusting in your grace alone.
Grant that in his spirit we may freely serve one another
in all lowliness, for the sake of your will. Amen.

Listening Prayer

Jesus, I would not have you wash my feet.
I am too proud.
And I am also unworthy.
Heal both my shame and my pride.
Let me feel your tender love, your strong hands,
the cleansing of your love.
Wash my feet.

Eucharistic Prayer

[See also an alternative Eucharistic Prayer.]

[The body of the prayer may be read responsively with the congregation or by the presiding leader(s) alone).]

————— #1 ——————
God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

Feast of thanksgiving! We come with joy.
Abundant One, we feast on your generosity:
of grace, of creation, of your faithful love.
Feast of self-giving! We nourish ourselves on you.
We take you into ourselves,
The bread of your presence becomes us.
Feast of unity! Your bread is not for us alone, but all your children.
Like grains made into one loaf, we are one Body in Christ.
Feast of justice! We are one with each other, one with the poor.
We stand among the neglected and despised whom you feed,
hungering and thirsting for justice.
We join the slaves you set free, the oppressed you empower.
Here is food for the journey toward justice.
This is the feast of the world that is to come.
Hosanna in the highest.

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Feast of love! You feed us the bread of Jesus,
our bodies made whole by his love.
Feast of miracles! We are transformed.
As grain becomes bread, we are made new,
the wounded whole, the stranded found,
the despairing given hope.
Feast of surrender! Here is the cost of love.
Jesus died in giving himself to us.
Feast of sorrows: we drink the tears of the world.
We are broken like bread, fed to the hungers of the poor,
drinking from the cup of the world’s wounds.
In this bread we take into ourselves
Jesus’ self-giving for the sake of love.
In this cup we take into ourselves
Jesus’ suffering for the sake of justice.
Feast of death: one with Jesus, we come toward the cross.
We who also must die would spend our lives in love.
We let go of our lives to save them.
Feast of resurrection! Like wheat from the ground,
in love you raise us up to new life.

     (The Blessing and Covenant)
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we embody his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]
Feast of the Holy Spirit! Pour yourself out in this bread and cup,
that we may be nourished by the Body of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that receiving the Body of Christ we may become the Body of Christ.
Feast of power! We who are weak are made strong in your love.
We who are solitary are made one in your Spirit.
Feast of joy! Fill us with yourself and your life,
that we may go out with courage and hope.
Unafraid of the hurting world, we go out in love and trust,
to serve and to bless, in the name and company of Christ,
and the power of your Holy Spirit,
for the sake of the wholeness of the world,
and your eternal delight.
     [Spoken or sung]
            Amen.

————— #2 ———————

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

Holy Mystery, we give you our deepest thanks,
for you create us in your image, call us as your beloved,
and covenant to be faithful to us in love.
You condemn the forces of injustice
and free all your beloved from oppression,
and call us to live lives of love and mercy.
In this meal you make us one Body,
united not by our faith but by the love of Christ.
Therefore with all your Beloved we praise you with one voice:

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
who taught and healed, who fed the hungry and loved the outcast.
In perfect humility and self-emptying
he washed the feet of the disciples.
He ate with friends and strangers and even enemies.
At the Passover he ate with disciples who would betray him.
He commanded them, “Love one another as I have loved you.”
At his invitation we come to feast on his love.

     (The Blessing and Covenant)
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the Body and Blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
washing the feet of the outcast, inviting the poor to our table,
and loving as Christ has loved us,
to your eternal glory.
     [Spoken or sung]
            Amen.

————— #3 ——————

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

God, Holy One, Triune Mystery: Love, the Beloved and the flowing of Love:
we thank you. You create us in your image,
claim us as your children, and call us as your Beloved.
When our love fails you remain steadfast in your mercy.
You delivered your children from slavery in Egypt.
You delivered your children from slavery in America.
And even though we are still enslaved by sin,
by greed and fear, by injustice and oppression,
still you love us, heal us, and set us free.
Even though we will betray and deny you, you invite us to your table.
And so we come, singing your praise with all Creation.

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
who fed the hungry and healed the hurting,
who embodied your liberation and stood with tender courage
against all the systems that divide us.
He proclaimed a new life, an Empire of Grace,
and stands among those who still are enslaved and oppressed.
Even as the Empire of Power threatened his death,
he gathered with his beloved to offer the gift of himself
and the gift of life that cannot be taken.

     (The Blessing and Covenant)
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us, O God,
and on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the Body and Blood of the Beloved, Jesus Christ.
Renew your Spirit within us, O God,
grant us the peace of Christ,
and unite us with all who share in this meal.
In this meal you grant us solidarity with all who suffer,
that we may enter into the brokenness of the world;
May we, bearing the light of your resurrection,
live as signs of your covenant with all Creation,
and the coming of the Realm you have promised.
We pray that every oppressive force may be undone,
including those in which we have a part.
We ask for the courage and compassion of your Spirit,
that we may pray and work for justice for all people.
God of mercy, set us free, and free all your beloved children.
May your Spirit live in us, that we may be fearless in love,
and unafraid to give of ourselves.
Make us your humble servants for the healing of the world,
according to your will.
May your Word be made flesh by all your holy Church,
in the love of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.

     [Spoken or sung]
            Amen.

Prayer after Communion

1.
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. In Christ’s self-giving we receive life. In his Spirit may we give of ourselves, lay down our lives for others, and join in his work for justice for all who are not yet free. In humility and hope, in courage and joy, we pray, as we go forth, in your name and your Spirit. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery
in which you have given yourself to us.
You have given us your covenant to be with us in blessing.
You have given us the Body of Christ,
and made us the Body of Christ:
you have united us with one another
and with the crucified and risen Christ.
God of Creation, God of our liberation, God of salvation,
it is your will that all people be free
from hatred, violence, persecution, servitude and poverty.
We pray that we may be freed from the bondage of all sin.
We pray for all those who suffer injustice and oppression,
that they may be set free.
Having set us free, send us to be servants of justice
for the sake of the world.
You have gathered us in a community of love and justice.
By your spirit may we make the world a community of love and justice.
In the grace of your forgiveness,
in the power of your resurrecting love,
send us into the world to be the healing hands of Christ
until we feast together in the Realm that you promise.
“This is my commandment,” Jesus says,
that you love one another as I have loved you.”
May we live in love according to your grace,
in the name and Spirit of Christ. Amen.
_________________________

Suggested songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)

At Your Feet (Original song)

Jesus, at your feet I bow.
I am yours completely now.
By your mercy show me how
to be loving.

Jesus, Master, you who save,
you have served me as a slave.
This, the perfect gift you gave:
to be loving.

In each hurting one I meet
it is you, O Christ, I greet.
Make my faithfulness complete,
to be loving.

Kyrie: Six Versions (Original tunes)

Kyrie Eleison. Christe Eleison. Kyrie Eleison.
Grant us peace and mercy.


Behold the Lamb of God     (Original song)

Behold the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
Come, let us follow, come let us follow
the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.


This Is the Passover (Original Song)

This is the Passover you have desired to share
as you deliver us out of our slavery and fear.

This is the new living covenant sealed in your blood.
Grant that it may be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.

Stripped in our suffering of all but our need for your grace,
join us to you in your dying and rising, O Christ.

Come, Holy Spirit, and grant us new life in our Lord.
gather us into your Body, made new by your Word.


You Feed Us, Gentle Savior (Tune: O Sacred head Now Wounded)

You feed us, gentle savior, the bread that makes us whole,
the wine of your compassion poured out into our soul.
the food of your own presence, your spirit, strong, within,
the grace that heals us deeply and overcomes our sin.

You bind us, gentle savior, and weave us into one,
one flesh and blood, made holy, the Body of your Son.
We gather here in hunger, one hunger, all the same;
and with one grace you bless us together in his name.

You call us, gentle savior, and send us in your name.
You teach and heal and show us how we can do the same.
So strengthened by your Spirit and nourished by your grace,
we go to be your presence in love, in every place.

Download a copy of this service here.

A Palm/Passion Liturgy Based on Matthew

This service is essentially a dramatic reading of the Passion story as a liturgy . The elements of worship are not in the usual liturgical order, but close. They’re arranged to fit the storyline, so that it feels more like storytelling than liturgy. It is important to involve the congregation; therefore a couple of the readings are responsive. You may add or omit or move things around a bit—especially music, depending on what your musicians can do and how each piece best fits the mood, energy and flow of the moment. But let the progression of the story dictate the movements of worship.

There is a lot of reading. Therefore is is wise to keep sermon, Eucharistic prayer and choir numbers shorter than usual. The service will run close to 90 minutes—depending on music.

Because there is a lot of reading I recommend several readers. There’s only one passage it’s best for the pastor to read: the meal, Matthew 26.26-29, containing the “Words of Institution.” The pastor should read this passage from the communion table. Here’s a way to use 7 or 8 readers (depending on whether the Pastor reads the part of Pilate).

Liturgist: Greeting, Psalm 118 & prayer, Phil. 2.5-11, Isa. 50.4-9, Ps. 31

Reader 1: Mt. 21.1-11, (the entrance.)… 26. 45-56 (the arrest.) … 27. 27-31 (the mocking)

Reader 2: Mt. 26. 17-25 (the preparation)… 26.57-68 (the trial)… 27. 32-44 (the cross)

Reader 3: Mt. 26.30-44 (the prayers)… 26.69-75 (the denial)… 27. 55-61 (the tomb)

Reader 4: Narrator
Reader 5: Pilate (May be read by the pastor)

Jesus (only one line)
Pilate’s Wife (only one line)

Instruct the readers: don’t introduce the scripture with headings or descriptions, or give the citation of chapter and verse. Just read the story.

I have indicated movements of worship in ALL CAPS. You’ll see “MUSIC” in several places. They are not crucial to the flow of of the story, but they help, These may be congregational songs, choir anthems, instrumental pieces, vocal solos or other musical items. They are there to break up readings, to give people time to reflect and also, with the congregational; songs, to provide for congregational involvement in the story. Note that some songs serve better to introduce a part of the story; others are better after that portion.

If it’s your tradition to include a children’s time do it in the service of the Palms. Other “local” items may be placed there also, where they best fit the flow of the service, given your needs & customs. But pay attention to the mood and meaning of the moment. Avoid breaking up the passion story except with appropriate music. Avoid announcements. If you must do announcements, do not do announcements at the end of the service. They kill the story. Do them at the beginning, or somewhere in the service of the Palms.

During the reading of the death (Matthew 27. 45-54) a group of people strip the altar/chancel area. Depending on your physical setup, remove as much of the decoration, paraments, flowers and even candles that you can and turn out the lights. Leave the sanctuary as dark barren as reasonable. You may end with music, if it’s somber enough not to break the mood. (I often close by singing “Were You There” or “Oh, Jesus” (see below) a capella from the rear of the sanctuary.) The service ends in silence, preferably with the chancel stripped and the lights out. Yes, it’s brutal. That’s the crucifixion. People may remain in prayer as long as they choose to.

[Materials in brackets should not be printed for the congregation.]

——————The Palms—————

PRELUDE

The Praise and Procession — Matthew 21.1-11

GREETING
Leader: Hosanna to the Son of David!
All: Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest heaven!

MUSIC

PSALTER — Psalm 118. 14-29

PRAYER
Gracious God, You are our strength and power. Open to us the gates of your presence, that we may enter and give thanks. Save us, we beg of you. Bless us with the presence of the One who comes in your name, Jesus, your Christ, our Chief and our Sovereign. Amen.

MUSIC

——————————The Passion————————————

The Preparation

GOSPEL Matthew 26.17-25

SERMON

RESPONSE /CREED / NEW TESTAMENT (Philippians 2. 5-11)

Leader: Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God as something to cling to.
All: Instead Christ, in complete self-emptying,
took the form of the oppressed,
and was born into the human condition.
And being found in human form,
Jesus humbled himself.
Jesus became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.
Therefore God also highly exalted Christ
and gave to Jesus the name that is above every name.
At the name of Jesus every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess,
to the glory of God the Life-Give of us all,
that Jesus Christ reigns supreme!

MUSIC

INVITATION 2 Corinthians 5.18-20

PASSING THE PEACE

The Meal Matthew 26. 26-29

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

[We thank you, God of love, for you create us in your image
covenant with us to be our God, and call us to be your people.
When we fall short of your love you remain faithful to us.
You condemn our injustice, and heal our fear.
In Christ you endure our evil and suffer our death,
and there you conquer death and overthrow the powers of evil.
For Christ has died; Christ is risen; and Christ will come again.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
who by your grace have died and been raised with Christ.]

THE PRAYER OF JESUS
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, forever. Amen.

SHARING THE HOLY MEAL

PRAYER OF BLESSING

Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. In the mystery of the cross we behold your love. Partaking of this grace, may we live always in the love of Christ, by the power of your Spirit. Amen.

SONG

The Prayers Matthew 26. 30-44

SONG

THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

The Arrest Matthew 26. 45-56

OFFERING OUR GIFTS

MUSIC

The Trial Matthew 26. 57-68

OLD TESTAMENT Isaiah 50. 4-9

The Denial Matthew 26. 69-75

PRAYER OF CONFESSION
The grace of God be with you.
And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
Most merciful God, we confess that 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 you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
Receive us, forgive us heal us,
that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways,
by the grace of Christ and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
SILENT PRAYER… THE WORD OF GRACE

RESPONSE [sung]
There Is a Balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole.
There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul.

Jesus Before Pilate (Matthew 27. 1-2, 11-26)

Narrator— When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus in order to bring about his death.  They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

Pilate— Are you the King of the Jews?

Jesus — You say so.

Narrator—But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer.

Pilate— Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?

Narrator—  But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus Barabbas.

Pilate— Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?

Narrator— Pilate realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him.

Pilate’s Wife — Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.

Narrator—Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed.

Pilate—Which of the two do you want me to release for you?

People— Release for us Barabbas.

Pilate—Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?

People — Let him be crucified!

Pilate—Why, what evil has he done?

People—Crucify him!

Narrator—So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd.

Pilate— I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.

People—His blood be on us and on our children!

Pastor— We have been chosen and destined by God the Giver of Life, and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood. If we walk in the light as God is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin. [1 Peter 1.2; 1 John 1.7]

Narrator—Pilate released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.

The Mocking Matthew 27. 27-31

PSALTER (Psalm 31.9-16)
Response: (Sung; Tune: O Sacred Head Now Wounded)
Into your hands, my Savior, my spirit I commit.

Be gracious to me, O God, for I am in distress;
my eye wastes away from grief, my soul and body also.
For my life is spent with sorrow,
and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my misery,
and my bones waste away.
I am the scorn of all my adversaries,
a horror to my neighbors,
an object of dread to my acquaintances;
those who see me in the street flee from me.
I have passed out of mind like one who is dead;
I have become like a broken vessel.
For I hear the whispering of many— terror all around!—
as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life.
But I trust in you, O Holy One; I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in your hand;
deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.
Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.
                  Response…

The Crucifixion Matthew 27. 32-44

MUSIC

The Death Matthew 27. 45-54

THE CURTAIN IN THE TEMPLE WAS TORN IN TWO FROM TOP TO BOTTOM

The Burial Matthew 27. 55-61

The service is ended. Remain in prayer as long as you wish, and leave in silence.

April 2, 2023

Lectionary Texts

Service of the Palms

Matthew 21.1-11. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem as a King, in the imagery of the prophet Zechariah who spoke of a humble king riding a donkey instead of a war horse.

Psalm 118. A celebration of God’s protection and grace, sung as pilgrims entered the gates of the temple. God has honored what others have neglected, “the stone the builders rejected.”

Service of the Passion

Isaiah 50.4-9. God’s servant, who willingly suffers humiliation and abuse in order to encourage the weak on behalf of God.

Psalm 31. A cry for God’s help in a time of distress, trusting in God’s defense of the weak.

Philippians 2. 5-11. Christ, representing God, let go of divine power and status and shared the most vulnerable place in life in loving service. It is in his humility, not his power, that his majesty is hidden.

Matthew 26-27. Jesus’ last meal, his arrest, trial, execution and burial.

Guiding Thoughts

The Palm and Passion service
Because few people attend Good Friday services, if we celebrate Palm Sunday one Sunday and Easter the next worshipers completely miss the story of the cross—the second most important story in our faith! Easter becomes a punchline without the joke. That certainly sits well in our shallow, happiness-addicted, pain-avoidant culture. But not with our faith. It completely avoids our facing our pain and our sin, particularly the consequences of our sin—people get hurt—and we miss witnessing God’s mighty compassion in accompanying us though both our crucifying and our own crucifixion. This is one Sunday in which there is particular power in experiencing the wide narrative sweep of the gospel story instead of the little bits we usually hear on Sundays.

The passion story is intense drama. It takes a while to experience. It deserves more than a brief drive-by viewing. But it’s a along story to read in Sunday worship. It helps to break it up. By God’s grace the arc of a worship service provides the structure for telling the palm-passion narrative. The service outline provided here follows the whole gospel story through the liturgical movements, more as a dramatic reading than a typical worship service—and more engaging of the congregation than an extended reading.

For people not familiar with the palm-passion structure it can feel jarring to suddenly turn from waving Palms to shouting “Crucify him!” Yes. It’s supposed to unsettle us. Our sin ought to. That’s the story we’re telling. The abrupt movement from the praise and confidence of the Service of the Palms to the dark, confessional Service of the Passion follows the Gospel story of Jesus’ last days in Jerusalem, from the festal procession to the awful reality of the cross and the tomb. This progression also reflects God’s presence with us and for us not just in the happy, triumphant times but also in our suffering. And it invites our humility: our praise easily turns to sin, our loyalty to betrayal. (So, in the traditional manner, the palms we wave today will be burned to provide the ashes for our Ash Wednesday worship next year.)

Most importantly, witnessing the story as a whole helps us experience the movement of the Gospel: Christ confronts the violence of our social, political and religious systems as its victim. He exposes the evil of our violence, and meets it with nonviolence, forgiveness, healing and community, setting us free to renounce all violence and live in his spirit of mercy and love. It is only in the cross—in the context of our suffering and our evil—that the grace of God’s life-giving love and forgiveness can honestly promise resurrection.

The New Exodus
Jesus’ Last Supper with the disciples was a Passover meal. The Passover is the great celebration of Israel’s liberation from slavery in Egypt. The feast gives thanks for our freedom, and honors God’s will to liberate all people from oppression and injustice.

Jesus is the new Passover. Note the parallels between the passion story and the Exodus. Like slaves to Pharaoh, we are enslaved to sin. God Godself suffers the plague of the death of the first-born. Jesus is the slaughtered lamb whose blood marks us for freedom, and saves us from the power of death. As Moses leads the people through the Red Sea to freedom, Jesus leads us through death and Resurrection (symbolized in the Red Sea of the baptismal waters).

The Exodus is not an isolated incident, but the heart of God’s activity. Everything God does liberates. To heal, to bless, to forgive, to restore relationships, even the act of creating itself, is a liberation. In Creation God sets living things free to live. (In one sense the Exodus story is not a new story following Genesis, but a continuation of Creation, especially Genesis 1-9. Exodus involves the whole earth; as in Noah’s flood it is God’s repose to human evil and violence and involve\s death and deliverance through water, followed by a covenant.)

The Exodus story is about our liberation. We are those Hebrews. But what we usually completely miss in our White American churches is that it’s also a story about our sin. We are also those Egyptians. We Whites are a dominant group that benefits from the enslavement of blacks which, even though it legally ended 150 years ago, is still at at work today. White Supremacy is the new Egypt. As we celebrate the Exodus we are also called to notice our racism, and our willingness to impoverish certain populations. Pharaoh’s command to slaughter male Hebrew children has a parallel in the targeting of young blacks in our incarceration rates, the police murder of unarmed black men, and our treatment of immigrants in the desert on our southern border. Many of the “liberties” we celebrate in this country are not available to non-whites. We’re not out of Egypt yet.

The Exodus is God’s will not just for the escape of some slaves, but for the abolition of slavery. It’s God’s judgment against all oppression. The Exodus and the resurrection are God’s nonviolent overthrow of the forces of evil and oppression. Baptized into Christ, we are not only grateful for our own liberation; in the words of the Methodist baptismal rite we “resist evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.”

In that work we are not only convicted but also empowered by the cross. The cross is God’s nonviolent resistance to our sin: God exposes and overcomes our violence and our separation from God. When we hurt others, even for “righteous” reasons, we make God our victim. But God does not retaliate or punish— instead, God forgives us and reunites us with God. We are set free from the power of sin and fear of death to control our lives, free to live by the power of love alone. Jesus’ dying and rising is a new Exodus for us.

To take up the cross is to continue Jesus’ work of identifying with the suffering and the victims of violence and injustice, and changing unjust political, economic and social structures—beginning with confessing our own part in them. The cross of Jesus is not just a focus for personal piety. It is also a rallying point for God’s command to change this world on behalf of the poor and oppressed. This is the Great Passover, the New Exodus, a journey that we are still on.

See A Palm & Passion Sunday Service (Matthew) for a complete worship service as a dramatic reading of the Passion story in Matthew.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Blessed is the leader who comes in the love of God.
All: Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!
Amid the powers of this world, Christ comes humbly, riding on a donkey.
Christ alone is our savior and our sovereign.
Christ, we thank you. We honor you. We follow you.
God of love and justice, we worship you. God, save us!

2.
Leader: Hosanna to the Son of David!
All: Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest heaven!

Prayers

1.
Creator God, we praise you, for your Love rules over our lives with grace and beauty, creating us anew each moment. We thank you, for your Christ rules over us in humble tenderness, healing and redeeming us. We open our hearts to you, for your Spirit rules us from within with power, filling us with compassion. Grant that we will always turn to you alone for our salvation, and for the gift of life. Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in your name! Peace on earth, and glory in the highest! Grant us your salvation, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

2.
We praise you and thank you, O God, for the great acts of love by which you have redeemed us through your son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and our Sovereign. Grant that we may ever hail him as ruler of our lives, and share in his obedience to your will, in joy and confidence. Blessed is the one who comes in your name! Peace on earth and glory in the highest! Grant us your salvation, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

3.
Gracious God, You are our strength and power. Open to us the gates of your presence, that we may enter and give thanks. Save us, we beg of you. Bless us with the presence of the One who comes in your name, Jesus, your Christ, our Sovereign, and our Lord. Amen.

4.
Jesus, our companion, we walk with you.
Jesus, our host, we feast with you.
Jesus, our guide, we pray with you.
Jesus, our victim, we confess we betray you.
Jesus, our savior, we worship at your pierced feet.
Jesus, our mystery, we wait with you for new life.

Prayer of Confession

God, in our fear and distrust we have betrayed you.
In the failure of our love we have denied you.
In our selfishness we have crucified you.
Forgive us, heal our hearts,
and set us free to love,
in the name and the gentle grace of Christ.

Listening Prayer

1.
We wave our palms at the foot of the cross.
We sing of our delight, and our despair.
Joyous, we are grateful, and we worship you.
Brokenhearted, we confess we have crucified you, and we repent.
We clutch our palms as you bear the cross.
Swept up, we join the procession.

2.
Crucified savior,
you accept our weakness,
you receive our sin,
you bear our wounds,
you share our suffering and even our death.
We behold the mystery of the cross,
and we give ourselves to you.


3.              (Psalm 118, a paraphrase)
O Deep, you are my strength, my life.
Open to me the gate of your presence,
that I may enter.

What others have rejected is holy.
But to you alone, O Mystery, I turn.
I open my heart to all who bear your presence.

In awe and gratitude I marvel in your light.
I give my heart of thanks to you,
O Infinite Compassion.

Eucharistic Prayer

[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

Holy One, we give you deep thanks,
for you create us in your image, claim us as your Beloved,
and covenant with us to be our God.
You condemn the forces of injustice,
and set your children free from all oppression.
You call us to lives of love, mercy and justice,
and you give us the gift of your Chosen One, Jesus,
to show us the reality of the Empire of your grace.
Therefore we wave branches of palm and sing songs of praise,
with all Creation extolling you as Creator and Sovereign:

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
who taught and healed, who loved at any cost,
even the cost of his own life.
He was arrested and crucified by the powers of in justice
and the forces of oppression, yet he responded with mercy.
Even in his death he embodied your Covenant to be with us in love.

     (The Blessing and Covenant)
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
crucified and risen,
ready to love as Christ has loved us.
     [Spoken or sung]
Amen.

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer after communion

1.
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. Grant that by this grace we may participate always in the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Fill us with the Spirit of Christ, that as we behold his love, his suffering and his death, we may be moved to live lives of non-violent love and self-giving, to do justice, and to rely wholly on your life-giving grace, in the name of the crucified and risen Christ. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. You grant us to share in the self-giving love of Christ and to receive grace, forgiveness, and the promise of your faithfulness. As members of the Body of Christ may we continually die and rise, by the power of your Holy Spirit, in the name and the company of Christ. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)

See all songs with tags for “Cross,” but especially these:

Kyrie (Original tune)

Kyrie Eleison. Christe Eleison. Kyrie Eleison.
Grant us peace and mercy.


Behold the Lamb of God (Original song)

Behold the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
Come, let us follow, come let us follow
the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.


O Jesus, Wounded Sovereign (Tune: O Sacred Head Now Wounded)

Dear Jesus, you who suffer and walk among the poor
whose hearts and lives are broken, whose faith is still unsure:
despised, accused and battered, you do not say a word.
So powerless, yet loving!— you are my Sovereign Lord.

You bear no arms but loving, no threats nor flags unfurled.
You wear no kingly robes, but the sorrows of the world.
Yet your forgiveness conquers each worldly rule and reign,
and rises, whole, undaunted, from evil, death and pain.

While emperors abuse you, and people shrug or stare,
and dark injustice troubles the ones for whom you care,
your mighty grace arises, and hidden from our sight,
enfolds all living beings in your triumphant light.

O Jesus, wounded Sovereign, I pray, give me the nerve
without this world’s armor to love and bless and serve.
My master and companion, rule all eternity
with grace and deep compassion, and, Love, begin with me.


Oh, Jesus (Original song— an acapella solo)

Oh, Jesus, what have you done?
Carried my burdens, every one,
All of my sorrow, all of my sin,
Like a mother gathering her children in.
Now I’m left with nothin’ at all but love,
Nothin’ but your tender, tender love.

Oh, Jesus, what have I done?
Crucified my precious one.
I didn’t want to bear the pain or loss,
So I left you alone to carry the cross.
Now I’m left with nothin’ at all but love,
Nothin’ but your sufferin’, sufferin’, love.

Oh, Jesus, what will you do?
Forgive me like you always do.
With not a word of wrath or blame,
You died with love gently sayin’ my name.
Now I’m left with nothin’ at all but love,
Nothin’ but your precious, precious love.

Oh, Jesus, what will I do?
Give me the courage to follow you,
To give my love if I live or die,
And never again to crucify.
For I’m left with nothin’ at all but love,
Nothin’ but your dyin’, dyin’ love


This Is the Passover (Original Song)

This is the Passover you have desired to share
as you deliver us out of our slavery and fear.

This is the new living covenant sealed in your blood.
Grant that it may be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.

Stripped in our suffering of all but our need for your grace,
join us to you in your dying and rising, O Christ.

Come, Holy Spirit, and grant us new life in our Lord.
gather us into your Body, made new by your Word.


Woeful Cross (Original song)

Woeful cross, saddest wood, death in me of all that’s good,
I confess. Mother/Father, bless. Mercy.

Holy cross, mystery, love from fear of death set free.
Sin’s dark lie. Here I die. Mercy.

Gentle Christ on the cross, for our life your own life’s loss.
You forgive, and we live. Mercy.

Our own cross calling us to your love and gentleness:
may we live, as you give, mercy.


You Feed Us, Gentle Savior (Tune: O Sacred head Now Wounded)

You feed us, gentle savior, the bread that makes us whole,
the wine of your compassion poured out into our soul.
the food of your own presence, your spirit, strong, within,
the grace that heals us deeply and overcomes our sin.

You bind us, gentle savior, and weave us into one,
one flesh and blood, made holy, the Body of your Son.
We gather here in hunger, one hunger, all the same;
and with one grace you bless us together in his name.

You call us, gentle savior, and send us in your name.
You teach and heal and show us how we can do the same.
So strengthened by your Spirit and nourished by your grace,
we go to be your presence in love, in every place.