Here’s
a pastoral prayer for Good Friday. It
was written by Rev. Gord, and posted on Worship
Offerings.
Pastoral Prayer
God
of life, God of beginnings and endings,
today
we pause to remember the power of death.
Today we tell the story of what happens
Today we tell the story of what happens
when
someone angers those in power.
Today we tell a story of betrayal by a friend,
Today we tell a story of betrayal by a friend,
trial
by empire,
execution
as a way of silencing the one who names injustice.
Today we tell a story that happened long ago in a land far away.
Today we tell a story that continues to happen today in places close at hand.
As we remember the story today help us to see its truth.
As we tell of Jesus' trial and execution,
Today we tell a story that happened long ago in a land far away.
Today we tell a story that continues to happen today in places close at hand.
As we remember the story today help us to see its truth.
As we tell of Jesus' trial and execution,
remind
us of those who are found legally guilty
for
doing and saying the right things.
As we tell of the friends who are conspicuously absent from the cross,
As we tell of the friends who are conspicuously absent from the cross,
remind
us how easily we slip away
when
the struggle for justice becomes dangerous or challenging.
As we look at the cross,
As we look at the cross,
remind
us of the power of empire in any age,
and
remind us of our duty as people of faith to proclaim a different empire,
a
different kingdom, a new way of living together.
God
of endings, today we hear the agonized words “It is finished”.
Today
we think of all those things that are stopped before they come to fruition,
of
hopes crushed beneath reality's heavy foot,
of
promises left unfulfilled,
of
possibilities that leave us wondering....
God of life and death, beginnings and endings,
today
we pause to remember the power of those in charge to run the world.
Today we remember the many people near and far who are broken by that power:
those who live in places where peace is just a word,
Today we remember the many people near and far who are broken by that power:
those who live in places where peace is just a word,
not
a reality, not even a dream;
those who are pushed to the margins
those who are pushed to the margins
because
of their race, their gender, their bank balance,
their
marital status, their orientation,
or
any of the countless other ways we find to set people apart;
those who live with nothing so that others may live with abundance
those who choose to challenge the injustices in their world
those who live with nothing so that others may live with abundance
those who choose to challenge the injustices in their world
and
are crushed beneath the feet of those in charge
...time
of silent prayer...
But
even as we remember that power,
we
remember that day follows night,
hope
replaces despair,
and
life will conquer death.
And
now, as we prepare to leave this gathering,
may
we do so ready to challenge the empires of our world,
even
if such a challenge leads us to a cross outside the city gates.
Help
us remember that every ending is a new beginning,
even
if in the depths of The End
we
have no way of seeing what that new beginning might be.
We pray in the name of the one who showed us
We pray in the name of the one who showed us
the
depth of his passion for Your Kingdom,
who taught us to live in love and justice,
in
whose life, death and resurrection we can find the path to Kingdom living,
and
who taught his friends to pray by saying:
Our Father, who art in heaven...
Our Father, who art in heaven...
~
posted by Rev Gord on his blog, Worship
Offerings. http://worshipofferings.blogspot.ca/
