Gazing at the Cross

Prelude and Lighting of the Candles

Words of Welcome

The Hymn “Jesus Messiah”

Call to Worship from Psalm 22 and John 1

Leader:   My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?

People:   O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.

Leader:   Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel.

People:   In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.  They cried to you and were saved;  in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

Leader:    The light has come into the world and the world loved darkness rather than light.

People:   God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

Leader:    Lift up your hearts.

People:   We lift them unto the Lord.

Leader:    The Lord be with you.

People:    And also with you.

The Hymn “Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross”

The Prayer of Reflection

The Reading Luke 23:32-34

The first candle is extinguished.   

Homily – Blake Creel

The Hymn “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us”

The Prayer of Confession   

Leader:  God of mercy, we come before you to confess our sins.

People:   Lord have mercy.

Leader:  God of grace we have not believed in the power of the gospel as we should.  We are a proud and obstinate people whose hearts are prone to wander.

People:   Lord have mercy.

Leader:  We so often forget the suffering you endured on that cross was for our sake. 

People:   Lord have mercy.

Leader:  God our Father, who keeps your covenant with your people, we have sinned, committed iniquities, acted wickedly, and rebelled, even turned aside from your commandments.

People:   Righteousness belongs to you, O Lord, but to us open shame, because of our unfaithful deeds which we have committed against you.                                                                                     

Leader:   Lord hear our prayers and forgive us!  O Lord listen and take action.  Forgive us for not being faithful to you.

All:   Lord have mercy!         

The Reading Luke 23:39-43

The second candle is extinguished. 

The Hymn “Hallelujah What A Savior”     

The Reading John 19:25-27 

The third candle is extinguished.

The Reading Matthew 27:45-49

The fourth candle is extinguished.

Homily – Bill Maynor

Responsive Reading  Isaiah 53, Mark 15

All:    Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?    

Leader:  He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering.  Like one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.

People:  They put a purple robe on Him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on Him.  And they began to call out to Him, “Hail, king of the Jews!”  Again and again they struck Him on the head with a staff and  spit on Him.  And when they had mocked Him, they took off the purple robe and put His own clothes on Him.                 

Leader:  But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.

People:  And they crucified Him.  Dividing up His clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.  It was the third hour when they crucified Him.

All:    We all like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him    the iniquity of us all.   

The Reading  John 19:28, 29

The fifth candle is extinguished.

The Hymn “There is a Fountain Full of Blood”

The Reading John 19:30

The sixth candle is extinguished.                  

Homily – Craig Swartz

The Reading Luke 23:44-46

The seventh candle is extinguished.

The Hymn “Were You There”

Celebration of the Lord’s Supper

The Hymn “Is He Worthy?”