LENT and EASTER CREATIVE WORSHIP

THE TOLLING OF THE PASSION SERVICE

The Tolling of the Passion order of service has evolved over the years. The prayers, scriptures and song selections have been modified to meet the needs of the community to which it was offered. Similar orders of service can be found in many faith traditions books of worship and other worship related materials. We offer you the bones of the service and pray that as you will modify it and use it for the education and transformation of the community you serve, that the Lord will be in the mist.

Suggestions
 This is a powerful service for any size congregation. The preparation is minimal and the song selections work well without music or at the most with a simple piano
 The mood is solemn
 There is quite a bit of reading you may want to use several readers

You will need
 Seven candles of the same or different heights, sizes and colors
 one large Christ candle, gold or white placed in the center and
higher than all the others
 A candle extinguisher

Be creative and let the Lord guide you.


Good Friday
Tolling The Hours of the Passion

Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above Ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Lighting the Candles
Leader: Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Our God, King of all creation. You kept us alive, and sustained us, and brought us to this season.
People: May our community of faith be consecrated by the light of your love, and may it shine upon us, and bring us peace.

Invocation Prayer (Unison)
Gracious God, dare we call this day good, when it recalls the Passion of your Son, our Lord? Dare we worship you on this night, when we remember the suffering and death of Jesus Christ? Dare we sing praise in the community of friends, when it reminds us of the betrayal, and denial, and deception of his friends? Come to us in the depth of your love these moments of quiet remembrance. Speak to us of sorrow and of joy, of denial and of triumph, that we may find in the crucifixion your gift of reconciliation and peace. Keep us in communion with you, and in community with one another, that we may worship in spirit and in truth. Amen.

9:00p.m. - In the Garden
Mark 14:26-31

Lead Me to Calvary (AME Hymn #306)
King of my life, I crown Thee now,Thine shall the glory be;
Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow, Lead me to Calvary.
Lest I forget Gethsemane; Lest I forget Thine agony;
Lest I forget Thy love for me, Lead me to Calvary.

Show me the tomb where Thou were laid. Tenderly mourned and wept;
Angels in robes of light arrayed Guarded Thee whilst Thou slept.
Lest I forget Gethsemane; Lest I forget Thine agony;
Lest I forget Thy love for me, Lead me to Calvary.

Prayer of Confession
Gracious God, You know our frailty; you understand our weakness: you are acquainted with our failures. though we have professed to believe, we betray our Lord by our action. though we have promised to follow, we deny our Christ by our selfishness and our actions. Though we have vowed to be faithful, we desert our Savior by following our own desires. we have lived for ourselves and abandoned our neighbors. we have refused to bear the troubles of other. we have ignored the pain of the world, and passed by the hungry, the poor and the oppressed. In Your great mercy, forgive our sins, and free us from all evil, that we may choose Your will and obey Your commandments, through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
Mark 14:32-42

Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone (AME Hymn #155)
Must Jesus bear the cross alone, and all the world go free?
No, there’s a cross for everyone, and there’s a cross for me.

12:00 Midnight - Betrayal and Arrest
Mark 14:43:-52
The first candle is extinguished

He Looked Beyond My Fault (African American Heritage Hymnal#249)
Amazing grace shall always be my song of praise,
For it was grace that brought my liberty;
I do not know just why Christ came to love me so,
He looked beyond my faults and saw my need.
I shall forever lift mine eyes to Calvary,
To view the cross where Jesus died for me;
How marvelous the grace that caught my falling soul,
He looked beyond my fault and saw my need.

3:00 a.m. - The Sanhedrin Trial
Mark 14:53-65
The second candle is extinguished

I Know It was The Blood (African American Heritage Hymnal#267)
They whipped him all night long, They whipped him all night long,
They whipped him all night long for me
One day when I was lost, He died upon the cross
I know it was the blood for me


Mark 14:66-72
The third candle is extinguished

I Know It was The Blood (African American Heritage Hymnal #267)
He never said a mumblin’ word,
He never said a mumblin’ word,
He never said a mumblin’ word for me,
One day when I was lost, He died upon the cross
I know it was the blood for me

6:00 a.m. - The Roman Trial
Mark 15:1-15
The fourth candle is extinguished

Were you There (AME Hymn #136)
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Mark 15:16-20
The fifth candle is extinguished

Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?

9:00a.m. - The Crucifixion
Mark 15:21-32
The sixth candle is extinguished

Were you There (AME Hymn #136)
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble

12:00 Noon - Darkness
Mark 15:33
Sanctuary Lights Are Extinguished

Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?

A minute of Silence

3:00p.m. - Death
Mark 15:34-41
The seventh candle is extinguished

Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Were you there when the laid Him in the tomb?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
Were you there when they when they laid Him in the tomb?

One Candle Remains - The Candle of the Light of the World
It is the Candle that can never be extinguished, for the Light came into the world and brought life to all humankind. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.
Mark 15:42-47

Closing of the Pulpit Bible
Stripping of the Sanctuary
(Adornments are removed from the sanctuary, flowers, flags, candles, fabric, only the cross and the single candle remains, as a stark reminder of the suffering and bleakness of the crucifixion.)

Benediction
Leader: Go now into the darkening night, O people of God. Though we walk in darkness, we are not forsaken. We are led by the hand of God. May the love of God calm your fears; may the grace of God keep you through the night; may the presence of God sustain you through life. God go with you and with all of God’s people . Amen.

Please exit reverently in silence.


CREATIVE WORSHIP AND IDEA STARTERS
The following is a list of worship ideas to assist you as you plan Holy Week services and teaching opportunities. It is not intended to be all inclusive, but rather a conversation starter as you work with your ministry team to develop transformative teaching and worship experiences. Remember those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Happy Holy Week!

Palm Sunday
 Go Green: decorate the sanctuary with borrowed planted palms from the local nursery and thank them in your worship bulletin.
 Processional: choir, ministers, officers and children lay palm branches and cloaks/cloths on the floor in front of the chancel and altar, during the processional.

Good Friday Service
The Tolling of the Passion order of service that is attached has evolved over the years. We offer you the bones of the service and pray that you will modify it and use it for the education and transformation of the community you serve, that the Lord will be in the mist.
Click here to download The Tolling of the Passion.

Resurrection Sunday/Sonrise Service
 Partner with other churches for Sonrise Service to maximize resources
 Have the youth or drama ministry perform the scripture instead (10 mins) of having it read followed by Now Behold the Lamb and it is preaching time
 Full processional: during the first morning service worship bring the light of Christ into the sanctuary, empty cross along with other Resurrection symbols

Holy Week
Reclaim the power of the numerous symbols of Holy Week

Where: church school, youth meetings, bible study, small group meetings, component meetings, outreach ministry, prison ministry, hospital ministries, prayer service, worship bulletins, worship service, home…

When: at every opportunity

What: Palm Sunday: palms, cloaks, donkeys…
Passover: unleavened bread, the bowl, water, wine, the lamb…
The Passion: cross, crown of thorns, nails, torn robe, tomb, stone…
Resurrection: stone, empty tomb, linen cloths…

Who: parents, grandparents, church school teachers, youth directors, choir directors, small group leaders, bible study teachers, worship leaders and clergy in whatever capacity you serve


Holy Week Worship Planning Resources
AME Hymnal
Special readings 717-724
Prayers 782,783
Lectionary 795 Year B
Hymns 129-173

African American Heritage Hymnal
Biblical Responsive Reading 8,27,45
Litany Prayers 6,67,68
Hymns, 239-285,
Palm Sunday Hymns 22, 226, 227, 225, 331

The African American Pulpit, www.theafricanamericanpulpit.com

Waiting to Go! African American Church Worship Resources From Advent Through Pentecost, James Abbington and Linda H. Hollies

When We Gather: A Book of Prayers for Worship, James G. Kirk

The African Worship Book, Valerie Bridgeman Davis, and Safiyah Fosua

Season of Ash and Fire: Prayer and Liturgies for Lent and Easter, Blair Gilmer Meeks

Destination Easter: Lenten Programs and Practices for Youth, Kaylea Huston and Kathy Hershman

Submitted by Rev. Joy Gallmon