Invitation to by Rev. Rev Lee Ann Higgins
Feel free to use/edit. Credit to the original author (i.e. based on prayer/prayers written by Rev Lee Ann Higgins) appreciated.
Luke 23:32-47 and Psalm 31:5-13 ro Palm 31:5a
Call to Worship
(Based on KJV – Psalm 31:1, 5-13)
Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.
I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the Lord.
I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;
And has not shut me up into the hand of my enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room.
Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly.
For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.
I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me.
I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.
For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.
But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God.
My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. Amen.
Opening Prayer:
Loving Father,
We come today, not only to worship and praise you,
But also to remember Your Son, Jesus Christ,
Who gave up his life for us.
Be present with us here today as we remember
This sad day and why it had to happen.
Help us to see the joy within the tragedy,
A life so willingly given, …
For me … for us … Amen!
Prayer of Confession
Forgiving Father,
On that Friday, oh so long ago,
Your Son asked you to forgive his killers,
Because “they know not what they do.”
As we stand here in our humanness
Not always knowing what we do,
We cannot possible understand the
Great love you had for those people, and
We do not understand the great love you have for us.
You allowed your Son to be put to death
In a cruel fashion, yet, we know it was because of
Your unceasing love for us.
Just like those soldiers, we have sinned
And fall short of your glory.
We aren’t always aware of where we fall short,
But we don’t mean to disappoint you.
You are our perfect God who wants nothing
But the love of Your children.
Through Your Son’s death we are assured of your love
And we ask for your unconditional forgiveness.
Lead us to your way. Guide us in our path.
Forgive us, we pray. AMEN!
Assurance of Pardon
(from Chalice Worship)
Our redeemer God, we bless you for meeting us in Jesus Christ,
Who for our salvation humbled himself to die for us.
We bless you for all the burdens Christ has borne,
For all the tears he has wept,
For all the pains he has suffered,
For every word of comfort he spoke on the cross,
For every conflict with the power of darkness,
And for his eternal victory over the terrors of death.
Lead us through the valley of the shadow of death,
That we may fear no evil, for you are eternally with us;
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Communion & Communion Prayer
On the night He was betrayed, Jesus met with His disciples in the upper room and they ate a meal together. This began the tradition of the Lord’s Supper that we now observe every Sunday.
Paul wrote about Communion in 1 Corinthians 11:26. He said, “whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes”.
The meal that Jesus ate with His disciples on the night He was betrayed is known as the Passover meal.
- When Passover was 1st observed, the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. God sent Moses to confront Pharaoh, and to bring God’s people out of slavery.
- Part of the way God “convinced” Pharaoh to release the Israelites, was through the 10 plagues.
The last of those plagues was the death of the firstborn of every household that did not have the blood of a spotless lamb painted on its doorposts.
- The people of Israel were commanded to slaughter an innocent spotless lamb, paint its blood on their doorposts
- And eat the meal that would now be known as the “Passover”, because God told His people,
- That when He saw the blood of the lamb on their homes, He would pass over their homes, and death would not visit their families.
- They were to eat the Passover meal dressed to leave the next day – BECAUSE on the next day they would leave the land of their slavery and enter into freedom.
Let us Pray:
Gracious and loving Heavenly Father. A lamb died on that first Passover so that the people of Israel would live. Our lamb (Jesus Christ) died so that we might live.
A lamb died so that the people of Israel would be freed from the fear of enslavement. Our Lamb (Jesus, the Lamb of God) died so that we might be freed from the slavery of our fear of death.
Thank you dear Lord, that, in communion, we receive the message of freedom from the grave.
Thank you that this message is not received only at Easter. Thank you that we receive this message every time we gather around this Table as believers.
Thank you for the message that: DEATH HAS BEEN CONQUERED! AMEN!
Offering Prayer/Prayer of Dedication
Heavenly Father,
We give back but a portion of ourselves,
Wishing we could give so much more.
You have made many things out of nothing;
You fed thousands with a basket of bread and fish,
You made wine from mere water,
And You made Saul into Paul.
We have faith that you will magnify these morals.
Allow us to see Your perfect vision,
And to continue your work on Earth.
Gird us up to share with the world; that You sent YOUR Son as
THE ultimate offering and sacrifice.
That by accepting this truth, all would be forgiven
And spend eternity in your presence.
AMEN.
A Link to a Good Friday Liturgy of the Nails http://wp.me/p2rhxZ-25W
More Narrative Lectionary Lenten Themed Prayers
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