The Way of the Cross
Emmanuel at Home
Good Friday, April 10, 2020

The Book of Occasional Services

Fourteen Stations Interwoven with Music from the Taize Community


Good Friday Offering
Through Christ let us continually offer to God the sacrifice of praise, that is the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. But do not neglect to do good and share what you have for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Hebrews 13: 15-16

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Opening Devotions

Leader              In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 
People              Amen.
Leader             Lord, have mercy.
People               Christ, have mercy.
Leader              Lord, have mercy.

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
  for ever and ever. Amen.

Leader              We will glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ:
People                In whom is our salvation, our life and resurrection.

Leader              Let us pray.  

Silence

Assist us mercifully with your help, O Lord God of our salvation, that we may enter with joy upon the contemplation of those mighty acts, whereby you have given us life and immortality; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  
The First Station
Jesus is condemned to death

Leader              We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
People                  Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Leader              As soon as it was morning, the chief priests, with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation; and they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him to Pilate. And they all condemned him and said, “He deserves to die.” When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. Then he handed Jesus over to them to be crucified.

Leader              God did not spare his own Son:
People                But delivered him up for us all.
 
Leader              Let us pray.  

Silence

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.  Amen.
 
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.


Be still, be still. Know that I am God.
(repeat)

 
The Second Station
Jesus takes up his Cross

Leader              We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
People                  Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
 
Leader              Jesus went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. Like a lamb he was led to the slaughter; and like a sheep that before its shearers is mute, so he opened not his mouth. Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.

Leader              The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all:
People                  For the transgression of my people was he stricken.

Leader              Let us pray.  

Silence

Almighty God, whose beloved Son willingly endured the agony and shame of the cross for our redemption: Give us courage to take up our cross and follow him; who lives and reigns for ever and ever.  Amen.
 
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
 
Our Soul Waits for the Lord           The London Fox Taize Choir

Our soul waits for the Lord.
He is our Help and our Shield.
(repeat)


The Third Station
Jesus falls the first time
Leader              We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
People                  Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
 
Leader              Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped; but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, and was born in human likeness. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him, and bestowed on him the name which is above every name. Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, and kneel before the Lord our Maker, for he is the Lord our God.

Leader              Surely, he has borne our griefs:
People                  And carried our sorrows.

Leader              Let us pray.  

Silence

O God, you know us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright: Grant us such strength and protection as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.
 
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
 
Come, Let Us Bow Down     The London Fox Taize Choir

Come let us bow down
Come and bend your knee
Here before the Lord our Maker
Harken to His voice
Harden not your hearts
For He is our God
(repeat)


The Fourth Station
Jesus meets his afflicted mother
Leader              We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
People                  Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
 
Leader              To what can I liken you, to what can I compare you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What likeness can I use to comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For vast as the sea is your ruin. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. The Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.

Leader             A sword will pierce your own soul also:
People                  And fill your heart with bitter pain.

Leader              Let us pray.  

Silence

O God, who willed that in the passion of your Son a sword of grief should pierce the soul of the Blessed Virgin Mary his mother: Mercifully grant that your Church, having shared with her in his passion, may be made worthy to share in the joys of his resurrection; who lives and reigns for ever and ever.  Amen.
 
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
 
    
Bless the Lord, My Soul       Simply Taize

Bless the Lord, my soul, and bless God's holy name.
Bless the Lord, my soul, he rescues me from death.

It is God who forgives all your guilt,
who heals every one of your ills,
who redeems your life from the grave,
who crowns you with love and compassion.
 
Bless the Lord, my soul, and bless God's holy name.
Bless the Lord, my soul, he rescues me from death.
 
The Lord is compassion and love,
slow to anger and rich in mercy.
God does not treat us according to our sins,
nor replay us according to our faults.
 
Bless the Lord, my soul, and bless God's holy name.
Bless the Lord, my soul, he rescues me from death.
 
As a father has compassion on his children,
The Lord has pity on those who fear him,
for God knows of what we are made.
God remembers that we are dust.
 
Bless the Lord, my soul, and bless God's holy name.
Bless the Lord, my soul, he rescues me from death. 


The Fifth Station
The Cross is laid on Simon of Cyrene
Leader             We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
People               Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Leader             As they led Jesus away, they came upon a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross to carry it behind Jesus. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Leader             Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me:
People               Cannot be my disciple.
Leader             Let us pray. 

Silence

Heavenly Father, whose blessed Son came not to be served but to serve: Bless all who, following in his steps, give themselves to the service of others; that with wisdom, patience, and courage, they may minister in his Name to the suffering, the friendless, and the needy; for the love of him who laid down his life for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.
 
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.

The Lord is Gracious            The London Fox Taize Choir

The Lord is gracious, full of compassion
Slow to anger and of great kindness
(repeat)

The Sixth Station
A woman wipes the face of Jesus
Leader              We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
People                  Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
 
Leader              We have seen him without beauty or majesty, with no looks to attract our eyes. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not. His appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of men. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed.
 
Leader              Restore us, O Lord God of hosts:
People                  Show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

Leader              Let us pray.  

Silence

O God, who before the passion of your only-begotten Son revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant to us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.
 
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.

In God Alone             The London Fox Taize Choir

In God alone my soul can find rest and peace,
in God, my peace and joy.
Only in God my soul can find its rest,
find its rest and peace.
(repeat)



The Seventh Station
Jesus falls a second time
Leader              We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
People                  Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Leader              Surely, he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. For the transgression of my people was he stricken.

Leader              But as for me, I am a worm and no man:
People                Scorned by all and despised by the people.
Leader              Let us pray.  

Silence

Almighty and ever living God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; who lives and reigns for ever and ever.  Amen.
 
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.

Lamb of God (Agnus Dei)    The London Fox Taize Choir

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world.
Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world.
Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world.
Grant us peace


The Eighth Station
Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
Leader              We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
People                  Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
 
Leader              There followed after Jesus a great multitude of the people, and among them were women who bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.”

Leader              Those who sowed with tears:
People                 Will reap with songs of joy.
Leader              Let us pray.  

Silence

Teach your Church, O Lord, to mourn the sins of which it is guilty, and to repent and forsake them; that, by your pardoning grace, the results of our iniquities may not be visited upon our children and our children’s children; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.
 
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.

Kyrie Eleison (Lord, Have Mercy)   The London Fox Taize Choir

Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison. Kryie eleison.
Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison. Kryie eleison.
Kryie eleison.
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.


The Ninth Station
Jesus falls a third time
Leader              We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
People                  Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
 
Leader              I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath; he has driven and brought me into darkness without any light. He has besieged me and enveloped me with bitterness and tribulation; he has made me dwell in darkness like the dead of long ago. Though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer. He has made my teeth grind on gravel and made me cower in ashes. “Remember, O Lord, my affliction and bitterness, the wormwood and the gall!”
 
Leader              He was led like a lamb to the slaughter:
People                 And like a sheep that before its shearers is mute, so he opened not his mouth.

Leader              Let us pray.  

Silence

O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.
 
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.

           Wait for the Lord      The London Fox Taize Choir

Wait for the Lord,
Whose day is near.
Wait for the Lord:
Keep watch, take heart!
(repeat)


The Tenth Station
Jesus is stripped of his garments
Leader              We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
People                  Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
 
Leader              When they came to a place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull), they offered him wine to drink, mingled with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And they divided his garments among them by casting lots. This was to fulfill the scripture which says, “They divided my garments among them; they cast lots for my clothing.”

Leader              They gave me gall to eat:
People                 And when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink.

Leader              Let us pray. 

Silence

Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.
 
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.

                       O Lord, Hear My Prayer      The London Fox Taize Choir

O Lord, hear my prayer,
O Lord, hear my prayer;
when I call answer me.
(repeat)



The Eleventh Station
Jesus is nailed to the Cross
Leader              We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
People                  Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
 
Leader              When they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified him; and with him they crucified two criminals, one on the right, the other on the left, and Jesus between them. And the scripture was fulfilled which says, “He was numbered with the transgressors.”

Leader              They pierce my hands and my feet:
People                 They stare and gloat over me.

Leader              Let us pray.  

Silence

Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name.  Amen.
 
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
 
Jesus, Remember Me            The London Fox Taize Choir

Jesus, remember me
When you come into your kingdom.
(repeat)


The Twelfth Station
Jesus dies on the Cross
Leader              We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
People                  Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
 
Leader              When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And when Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished!” And then, crying with a loud voice, he said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” And he bowed his head and handed over his spirit.

Leader              Christ for us became obedient unto death:
People                  Even death on a cross.

Leader              Let us pray.  

Silence

O God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; who lives and reigns now and forever.  Amen.
 
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.

In Our Darkness                   Simply Taize

In our darkness
There is no darkness.
With You, O Lord,
The deepest night
Is clear as the day.
(repeat)


The Thirteenth Station
The body of Jesus is placed in the arms of his mother
Leader              We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
People                  Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
 
Leader              All you who pass by, behold and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow. My eyes are spent with weeping; my soul is in tumult; my heart is poured out in grief because of the downfall of my people. “Do not call me Naomi (which means Pleasant), call me Mara (which means Bitter); for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.”

Leader              Her tears run down her cheeks:
People                 And she has none to comfort her.

Leader              Let us pray.  

Silence

Lord Jesus Christ, by your death you took away the sting of death: Grant to us your servants so to follow in faith where you have led the way, that we may at length fall asleep peacefully in you and wake up in your likeness; for your tender mercies’ sake.  Amen.
 
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us .
 
Ubi Caritas (Where love is, God is there.) The London Fox Taize Choir

Ubi caritas et amor. Ubi caritas Deus ibi est.
(repeat)



The Fourteenth Station
Jesus is laid in the tomb
Leader              We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
People                  Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Leader              When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb.

Leader              You will not abandon me to the grave:
People                  Nor let your holy One see corruption.

Leader              Let us pray.  

Silence

O God, your blessed Son was laid in a tomb in a garden, and rested on the Sabbath day: Grant that we who have been buried with him in the waters of baptism may find our perfect rest in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns for ever and ever.  Amen.
 
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
   
In the Lord, I’ll Be Ever Thankful              The London Fox Taize Choir
 
In the Lord I'll be ever thankful,
In the Lord I'll rejoice.
Look to God, do not be afraid,
Lift up your voices, the Lord is near;
Lift up your voices the Lord is near.
 
In the Lord I'll be ever thankful,
In the Lord I'll rejoice.
Look to God, do not be afraid,
Lift up your voices, the Lord is near;
Lift up your voices the Lord is near.
 
You are my salvation.
I trust in you.
I shall not be afraid,
You are my strength,
You are my song.
The Lord is my Rock
The Lord is my fortress.
My God, You are my refuge and my shield.
 
In the Lord I'll be ever thankful,
In the Lord I'll rejoice.
Look to God, do not be afraid,
Lift up your voices, the Lord is near;
Lift up your voices the Lord is near.
 
My God, You are at my right hand,
He is worthy of praise.
The Lord shall save me.
My soul shall sing to You,
Your act and wondrous things O God.
Let me speak more,
Let me speak more of Your act O Lord.
 
In the Lord I'll be ever thankful,
In the Lord I'll rejoice.
Look to God, do not be afraid,
Lift up your voices, the Lord is near;
Lift up your voices the Lord is near.


Concluding Prayers

Leader              Savior of the world, by your cross and precious blood you have redeemed us:
People                Save us, and help us, we humbly beseech you, O Lord.

Leader              Let us pray. 

Silence

We thank you, heavenly Father, that you have delivered us from the dominion of sin and death and brought us into the kingdom of your Son; and we pray that, as by his death he has recalled us to life, so by his love he may raise us to eternal joys; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Leader              To Christ our Lord who loves us, and washed us in his own blood, and made us a kingdom of priests to serve his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.  Amen.
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