Holy Week – Saturday 19 April 2025
Call to Worship:
It is Saturday,
and there is nothing left,
except death.
So come gently,
come quietly, come warily
in the darkness.
Come mourning,
come weeping, come lamenting,
in the darkness.
Come praying,
come hoping, come believing
light will overwhelm darkness.
Come friends,
come strangers, come family,
light will overwhelm darkness.
Reading: Mark 15:42-47 – The Burial of Jesus
42 When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Then Pilate wondered if he were already dead, and summoning the centurion he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. 45 When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. 46 Then Joseph bought a linen cloth and, taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.
Reflection:
An earie silence, as we walk amidst the tombs and crypts,
remembering what could have been,
and recalling memories of a life shared.
The sorrow of loss,
veils each footstep with a darkness and foreboding,
of the shared dreams now dashed and vanished,
in the darkness.
The aching heart,
the tear-filled eyes,
the dark night of the soul, unleashed,
in a cascade of lament.
What now, dear God,
crucified, dead and buried!
What now of salvation and hope,
sealed behind a stone of rock?
What now of life eternal,
wrapped in linen cloth?
Lost,
broken,
beaten,
defeated,
denied!
Yet, there is something even now that whispers hope in my heart,
that all is not lost, and life may yet be found,
when the sun rises and hopes are reborn.
So, we wait, we watch, we listen.
for God is not finished yet!
Prayer:
Come, you people of God,
dry your tears of disappointment,
lay down your fears,
let go of your burdens,
and let God reign in your hearts.
Come, you people of God,
do not fear death nor be overwhelmed
for your God reigns and resurrection is imminent.
Let the light be present,
joy experienced, hope planted, love harvested.
Comforting God,
in our hour of need be with us,
in our loss and sorrow be with us,
in our mourning and grief be with us.
Amen.
Blessing:
As we wait, with only death,
hold to the knowledge,
that light will come with the dawn.
It does not end here.
There will be joy in the morning.
(Holy Week Reflections are taken from Spill the Beans Resource)