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Leader: Throughout Lent, we have been hearing the story of Jesus’ life through Mark’s gospel, and we’ve been learning about how we can encounter God through different Spiritual Practices. Tonight, we continue our journey: we will hear the story of Jesus’ final moments with his disciples as we encounter God through the Spiritual Practice of Meditative singing.
Like traditional hymn singing, meditative singing is a way of learning about and expressing our faith. But due to the brevity and simplicity of the songs, meditative singing allows us to quickly move beyond an intellectual understanding of the message into a deeper spiritual experience. Because of this, our liturgy tonight will be simple: we will alternate words of scripture with words of song. I will begin and you can join in as you feel comfortable. As we repeat the words of each song, let yourself get lost in the music, reflecting on the scripture you just heard and lifting up your heart to God. “Talent” is irrelevant, and harmonies are welcome.
Let us, then, enter into worship by centering ourselves with the words of Psalm 46:10 – “Be still and know that I am God.” We will sing it as a round, repeating until the music stops.
Call to Worship: GTG Hymn #414, “Be Still and Know”
Be still and know that I am God; be still and know that I am God…
Watch Out: Mark 13:3-13 (CEB)
Affirmation of Faith: GTG Hymn #392, “Jesus, We Are Here”
Jesus, we are here; Jesus, we are here; Jesus, we are here for you…
How Terrible: Mark 13:14-23 (CEB)
Confession: GTG Hymn #427, “Jesus Knows the Inmost Heart”
LEADER: Our prayer of confession will be a little bit different: I will sing the verses, and you will repeat the refrain. But you’re still invited to get lost in the music so that our prayer might be a spiritual as well as an intellectual experience.
[REFRAIN:] Jesus knows the inmost heart; nothing can be hidden.
Stay Alert: Mark 13:24-37 (CEB)
Prayerful Meditation: GTG Hymn #227, “Jesus, Remember Me”
Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom;Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
Preparation for Burial: Mark 14:1-9 (CEB)
Anointing: GTG Hymn #205, “Live in Charity”
LEADER: On Ash Wednesday, we were anointed with ashes as a reminder of our mortality. Tonight, as we sing, I invite you to come forward to be anointed with oil for a different reason: as Jesus prepares for his death, we prepare for the life of service that he has called us to from the very beginning – a life of charity and steadfast love.
Live in charity and steadfast love. Live in charity; God will dwell with you.
Passover Meal: Mark 14:10-21 (CEB)
Invitation to the Lord’s Table
LEADER: Friends, even as he anticipated his own betrayal, suffering, and death, Christ sat with those who would abandon him, betray him, and deny him, and he broke bread with them, offering his very self for them.
How, then, could we possibly imagine that ANYONE would be turned away at this table which he has prepared out of love? Come, all who are hungry and thirsty, no matter who you were, are, or will be, no matter what you’ve been told: Christ welcomes you.
The Lord’s Prayer
Communion: GTG Hymn #527, “Eat This Bread”
Eat this bread; drink this cup; come to Christ and never be hungry.Eat this bread; drink this cup; trust in Christ and you will not thirst.
Prayer of Dedication
Gethsemane: Mark 14:26-42 (CEB)
Stripping of the Sanctuary
(As the liturgists strip the worship space, symbolizing the disciples’ abandonment and the humiliation of the coming cross,
the congregation sings hymn #204)
Stay with me; remain here with me; watch and pray. Watch and pray…
(All depart in silence. There is no benediction, because we are keeping vigil with Christ as his disciples were unable to. We will re-gather to worship together on Easter Sunday.)
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