HOLY SATURDAY SERVICE
A LITURGY OF LAMENTATION AND HEALING
GUIDING SCRIPTURE:
My soul is bereft of peace;
I have forgotten what happiness is…
But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
God’s mercies never come to an end;
They are new every morning; Great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:17, 21-23
PRELUDE
CALL TO WORHSIP
Leader: The God of mercy and compassion be with you
People: And also so with you
Leader: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
People: God’s mercies never come to an end
All:
They are new every morning,
Great is your faithfulness.
INVOCATION:
God of steadfast love
“We do not pretend to come with more faith than we have
We do not come to make promises beyond our grasp.
We only come to offer ourselves, our words and our actions
We trust that you know us as we are.
We trust that you hold us in your hands”1
We ask you to enfold us with your loving kindness
We ask that you draw near to us, stay with us, lift us and carry us.
We ask that you help us move from despair to hope.
In Jesus name we pray. Amen
RESPONSIVE READING:
Great Is Your Faithfulness: A Responsive Prayer2
Leader: O God, we have felt the blow of our enemy death.
We are bowed down low; Gone is all we had hoped for.
Turn our minds toward you.
Grant us grace to remember your steadfast love.
All: Great is your faithfulness, O God our Savior.
Leader: All that is around us mourns…the sky is empty,
The flowers fade, the houses sit on lonely ground.
Turn our minds toward you.
Grant us grace to remember your steadfast love.
All: Great is your faithfulness, O God our Savior.
1
"Prayer: Openness to God #193," in Chalice Worship, ed. Colbert S. Cartwright and , O.I. Cricket
Harrison (St. Louis , MO: Chalice Press, 1997).
2 Blair Gilmer Meeks, Standing in the Circle of Grief (Abingdon Press, 2002).
LAMENTATION
RESPONSIVE READING:
Leader: God, we are walled in by our grief.
Who will comfort us? Who will give us rest?
Turn our minds toward you.
Grant us grace to remember your steadfast love.
All: Great is your faithfulness, O God our Savior.
Leader: We cry out in the night;
We pour out our hearts like water before your presence
Hear our cry; Take our lifted hands.
Turn our minds toward you.
Grant us grace to remember your steadfast love.
Great is your faithfulness, O God
ACTIVITY:
Create a Psalm of Lamentation based on Psalm 56
MUSIC: (Choose One or More)
Oh Lord Hear My Prayer
Bless the Lord My Soul
Balm In Gilead
Spirit of the Living God
SUPPLICATION
RESPONSIVE READING:
LEADER: We call on your name, O God, from the depths of our sorrow.
We long to hear your voice.
Turn your face toward us
That we may live in the light of your steadfast love.
ALL: Great is your faithfulness, O God
LEADER: Take up our cause O God, and give us reason to live.
Scatter the clouds that stop our prayers.
Turn your face toward us
That we may live in the light of your steadfast love.
ALL: Great is your faithfulness, O God
ACTIVITY:
PARTICIPANTS ARE INVITED FORWARD TO LIGHT INDIVIDUAL CANDLES
MUSIC:
Jesus Remember Me
Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
Repeat
LISTENING
RESPONSIVE READING:
LEADER:
Remember O Lord what has happened to us.
Come near to us that we may hear you say, “Do not be afraid.”
Turn your face toward us
That we may live in the light of your steadfast love.
ALL: Great is your faithfulness, O God
ACTIVITY
Silent and Attentive Listening
PSALM OF ASSURANCE:
PSALM 23
READ IN UNISON
MUSIC:
Amazing Grace 4 Verses
Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch life me
I once was lost but now am found
Was blind, but now I see
Twas grace that taught my heart to heal
Twas grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear?
The hour I first believed
Through many dangers toils and snares
I have already come
Twas grace that brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home
The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures
SENDING FORTH
LEADER: Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored.
Grant us your tender mercies, new every morning.
Our hope is in you, for you have redeemed our life.
Your steadfast love never ceases.
ALL: Great is your faithfulness, O God our Savior. Amen
POSTLUDE
Great Is Your Faithfulness: A Responsive Prayer3
O God, we have felt the blow of our enemy death.
We are bowed down low; Gone is all we had hoped for.
Turn our minds toward you.
Grant us grace to remember your steadfast love.
Great is your faithfulness, O God our Savior.
All that is around us mourns, the roads are empty, and the sky is veiled,
The flowers fade, the houses sit on lonely ground.
Turn our minds toward you.
Grant us grace to remember your steadfast love.
Great is your faithfulness, O God our Savior.
God…we are walled in by our grief.
Who will comfort us? Who will give us rest?
Turn our minds toward you.
Grant us grace to remember your steadfast love.
Great is your faithfulness, O God our Savior.
We cry out in the night;
We pour out our hearts like water before your presence
Hear our cry; Take our lifted hands.
Turn our minds toward you.
Grant us grace to remember your steadfast love.
Great is your faithfulness, O God
We call on your name, O God, from the depths of our sorrow.
We long to hear your voice.
Turn your face toward us
That we may live in the light of your steadfast love.
Great is your faithfulness, O God
Take up our cause O God, and give us reason to live.
Scatter the clouds that stop our prayers.
Turn your face toward us
That we may live in the light of your steadfast love.
Great is your faithfulness, O God
Remember O Lord what has happened to us.
Come near to us that we may hear you say “Do not be afraid.”
Turn your face toward us
That we may live in the light of your steadfast love.
Great is your faithfulness, O God
Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored.
Grant us your tender mercies, new every morning.
Our hope is in you, for you have redeemed our life.
Your steadfast love never ceases.
Great is your faithfulness, O God our Savior. Amen
3
Blair Gilmer Meeks.
Psalm 56
My Psalm of Lament
1 Be gracious to me, O God, for people
trample on me;
all day long foes oppress me;
2 My enemies trample on me all day long,
for many fight against me. My cry to God for Help
O Most High,
3 when I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I
trust; I am not afraid;
what can flesh do to
me?
My statement(s) of trust in God
My Complaint - Description of my problem(s)
5 All day long they seek to injure my
cause; all their thoughts are against me for
evil.
6 They stir up strife, they lurk, they watch my
steps.
How I want God to help
As they hoped to have my life,
7 so repay them for their crime;
in wrath
cast down the peoples, O God!
8 You have kept count of my tossings;
put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your record?
9 Then my enemies will retreat in the day
when I call.
My statement of trust in God
This I know, that God is for me.
10 In God, whose word I praise in the Lord,
whose word I praise,
11 in God I trust; I am not afraid. What can a
mere mortal do to me?
My vow to praise God
12 My vows to you I must perform, O God; I
will render thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered my soul from
death,
and my feet from falling,
so that I may walk before God
in the light of life.
My thanks to God
My Psalm of Lament
My cry to God for Help
My Complaint - Description of my problem(s)
How I want God to help
My statement of trust in God
My vow to praise God
My thanks to God