Holy Week | Holy Saturday 16 April 2022
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening:
O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the
crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested
on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming
of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The place of crucifixion was near a garden,
where there was a new tomb, never used before.
And so, because it was the day of preparation
for the Jewish Passover
and since the tomb was close at hand,
they laid Jesus there.
(John 19:41-42)
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Great Is Thy Faithfulness – First Baptist Dallas
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O.T. Reading: Lamentations 3:1-9, 19-24 (NLT)
Hope in the Lord’s Faithfulness
3:1 I am the one who has seen the afflictions
that come from the rod of the Lord’s anger.
He has led me into darkness,
shutting out all light.
He has turned his hand against me
again and again, all day long.
He has made my skin and flesh grow old.
He has broken my bones.
He has besieged and surrounded me
with anguish and distress.
He has buried me in a dark place,
like those long dead.
He has walled me in, and I cannot escape.
He has bound me in heavy chains.
And though I cry and shout,
he has shut out my prayers.
He has blocked my way with a high stone wall;
he has made my road crooked.
3:19 The thought of my suffering and homelessness
is bitter beyond words.
I will never forget this awful time,
as I grieve over my loss.
Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:
The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!”
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Psalms: Tehillim / Psalm 31
Carlos Perdomo
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N.T. Reading: 1 Peter 4:1-8 (NLT)
Living for God
4:1 So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.
Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead. That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead—so although they were destined to die like all people, they now live forever with God in the Spirit.
The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.
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How Deep the Father’s Love for Us – Selah
Camwin128
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Gospel Reading: John 19:38-42 (NLT)
The Burial of Jesus
Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus’ body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away. With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes. Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth. The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before. And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.
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While I Wait – Lincoln Brewster
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Prayer: Prayers for Holy Saturday – Lia Martin
In the Waiting
+ Dear God, I’m reminded this Holy Saturday that you are no stranger to death, darkness, or doubt. Help me to remember as I wade within my own discomforts and fears today, that you are still alive, even when I can’t see you. You know waiting is hard. And yet you allow it, for your glory to be revealed in your perfect timing. I rest in you, Lord, as I wait on what only you can do. Amen.
For Resurrection
+ Lord, your miracles are so inconceivable, it’s tempting to not believe. How awesome you are to prove yourself able to defeat even death, so we can look forward to each new day. Help me to invite this Saturday as a holy day that you have made. I’m in awe that what appeared dead to human senses, by your power and grace, rose to life.
+ Guide me to trust in the proof you’ve given, even during the confusing, inevitable “tomb” seasons of life this side of heaven. Praise you for making resurrection so perfect and plain! In your name, Amen.
To Find Refuge in Hope – Rachel Marie Stone
+ Teach us to take refuge in you when we are afraid Teach us that death is not our end.
+ Teach us to hope always in you and in the resurrection, the making of all things New.
+ Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
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Closing: excerpted from Saint Gregory the Great’s Easter Prayer
Our life had no hope of Eternal Happiness before You redeemed us.
Your Resurrection has washed away our sins,
restored our innocence and brought us joy.
How inestimable is the tenderness of Your Love!
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.
The Peanut Gallery 