Good Friday Walk with the Cross
Friday, April 14, 2016, 11 a.m. Start at at St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church, Wolfville.
Theme: Fear Not!
Introduction:
The cross of Jesus’ crucifixion is a universal symbol of human suffering. Traditionally, Christians have gathered on Good Friday to remember the death of Jesus. Again this year, member churches and organizations of the Wolfville Area Inter-Church Council (including local area congregations and L’Arche Homefires), will walk together to remember the suffering and fear that exists all around us and to pray for compassion and courage. Those within and beyond the community of faith are invited to Walk with the World as we Walk with the Cross. It begins at 11am at St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church. Our WAICC Good Friday Ecumenical Worship will be held at 1 p.m at the Manning Memorial Chapel at Acadia following the walk.
ALL ARE WELCOME.
1. St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
All: Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Mark 14: 32-34
They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. And he said to them, ‘I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain, here, and keep awake.’
Reflection (4-5 sentences)
Song:
Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten.
Those who seek God shall never go wanting.
Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten.
God alone fills us.
Reading:
…do not fear, for I am with you,
do not be afraid, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
Prayer
2. St. John’s Anglican Church
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
All: Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Mark 14: 42 & 43, 48-50
“Get up,” he said, “let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.” Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; and with him there was a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders…. Then Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But let the scriptures be fulfilled.” And all of them deserted him and fled.
Reflection (4-5 sentences)
Song: Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten.
Those who seek God shall never go wanting.
Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten.
God alone fills us.
Reading: …do not fear, for I am with you,
do not be afraid, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
Prayer
3. Tim Horton’s
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
All: Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Mark 14: 53-54.66-72
They took Jesus to the high priest; and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes were assembled. Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest…. While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she stared at him and said, ‘You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.’ But he denied it, saying, ‘I do not know or understand what you are talking about.’ … Then the cock crowed. And the servant-girl, on seeing him, began again to say to the bystanders, ‘This man is one of them.’ But again he denied it. Then after a while the bystanders again sad to Peter, ‘Certainly you are one of them; for you are a Galilean.’ But he began to curse, and he swore an oath, ‘I do not know the man you are talking about.’ At that moment the cock crowed for the second time. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows twice, you will deny my three times.’ And he broke down and wept.
Reflection (4-5 sentences)
Song:
Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten.
Those who seek God shall never go wanting.
Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten.
God alone fills us.
Reading:
…do not fear, for I am with you,
do not be afraid, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
Prayer
4. Town Hall
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
All: Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Mark 15: 1-5
As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ He answered him, ‘You say so.’ Then the chief priests accused him of many things. Pilate asked him again, ‘Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.’ But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.
Reflection (4-5 sentences)
Song:
Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten.
Those who seek God shall never go wanting.
Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten.
God alone fills us.
Reading:
…do not fear, for I am with you,
do not be afraid, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
Prayer
5. L’Arche Homefires
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
All: Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Mark 15:16-18, 21-24
Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace and they called together the whole cohort. They clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. And they began saluting him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”…. They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.
Reflection (4-5 sentences)
Song:
Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten.
Those who seek God shall never go wanting.
Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten.
God alone fills us.
Reading:
…do not fear, for I am with you,
do not be afraid, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
Prayer
6. Post Office
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
All: Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Mark 15:25-29a, 32b
It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, ‘The King of the Jews.’ And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him…. Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.
Reflection (4-5 sentences)
Song:
Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten.
Those who seek God shall never go wanting.
Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten.
God alone fills us.
Reading:
…do not fear, for I am with you,
do not be afraid, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
Prayer
7. Wolfville Baptist Church/Wolfville Area Food Bank
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
All: Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Mark 15:33-34,37-39
When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’…. Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”
Reflection (4-5 sentences)
Song:
Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten.
Those who seek God shall never go wanting.
Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten.
God alone fills us.
Reading:
…do not fear, for I am with you,
do not be afraid, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
Prayer
8. Manning Memorial Chapel, Acadia University
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
All: Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Mark 15: 42, 43, 46
When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.
Reflection (4-5 sentences)
Song:
Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten.
Those who seek God shall never go wanting.
Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten.
God alone fills us.
Reading:
…do not fear, for I am with you,
do not be afraid, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
Prayer
Song:
Be Not Afraid
You shall cross the barren desert, but you shall not die of thirst.
You shall wander far in safety though you do not know the way.
You shall speak your words in foreign lands and all will understand.
You shall see the face of God and live.
Refrain:
Be not afraid.
I go before you always.
Come follow me, and
I will give you rest.
If you pass through raging waters in the sea, you shall not drown.
If you walk amid the burning flames, you shall not be harmed.
If you stand before the power of hell and death is at your side,
know that I am with you through it all.
Refrain
Blessed are your poor, for the kingdom shall be theirs.
Blessed are you that weep and mourn,
for one day you shall laugh.
And if wicked men insult and hate you all because of me,
blessed, blessed are you!
Refrain
Closing Prayer
O God,
make of me some nourishment for these starved times,
some food for my brothers and sisters who are hungry for gladness and hope,
that, being bread for them, I may also be fed and be full.
Amen.
(excerpt from “Sometimes It Just Seems to Be Too Much”
Ted Loder, Guerrillas of Grace)
Please join us in the Chapel foyer for hot cross buns, fruit, tea and coffee before our Good Friday Ecumenical Worship Service begins at 1 p.m.
