Good Friday

St Barnabas Anglican Church, Warrington

Good Friday,

10 April 2020

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Grace and peace to you from God.

Today is Good Friday, the day when Jesus was crucified.

The nation is at Pandemic Level 4. And we are forbidden from gathering to support each other.

The Gospel lesson is John 18 & 19.

On Sunday we cried “Hosanna!”

The English translation of Hosanna is “Help!”

In quietness let us be aware of the presence of God within and around us:

God calls us to the foot of the cross today, that we may watch awhile with Jesus, the man of Galilee.

We come in search of awareness, for it is hard to be aware of the reality of the Cross.

We come in search of the God of love, for it is hard to face the cross alone.

Jesus came that we might know the Creator, the Giver of Life.

Jesus came that we might know the reality of God’s love in our human terms.

Jesus came that in his dying we might be united with the God of love.

Gracious and eternal god, you love us more than we deserve, and have even gone to the Cross for us; we draw near in humility, seeking your wisdom and the truth of your word for our lives; which comes from Jesus, whom we call the Christ. Amen.

The Psalm for Good Friday is 22 v1-11 Please pray it aloud and insert this refrain, ‘Be not far from me, O Lord.’, after verse 5 and again at the end.

Restless with grief and fear,

the abandoned turn to you:

in every hour of trial, good Lord, deliver us,

O God most holy, God most strong,

whose wisdom is the cross of Christ.

Read the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John: 18.1–end of 19

Let us pray:

Saviour you have conquered tears by your crying, pain by your suffering, and death by your dying. We remember your suffering and realise afresh the wonder and compassion of your love.

We have listened to your words from the cross, showing us the truth about ourselves. Help us now, to determine to follow your way of life, and bring glory to your name forever.

Amen.

It is inconceivable that we should not be in church today, yet it is so. Do not let the day pass without giving time to God. Remember for many of our brothers and sisters it is an everyday fact, that faith in Christ must be hidden.

Remember also that for many of our sisters and brothers the presence of a killer virus in the community is normal. In the Congo Cholera and Ebola are present always. Remember our brother the Archbishop of West Africa who has Covid. He lives in Liberia, a nation founded by freed slaves who returned from the US to Africa after the US civil war. The population is the same as NZ. They have one ventilator.

Blessings

Jeremy

Rev Dr JJ Nicoll, 0274 361 481

Priest-in-Charge

St Barnabas, Warrington, NZ