Online Worship Service (April 10/Good Friday) Athens First UMC

Welcome to our April 10 (Good Friday) online worship @ Athens First UMC!

2 S. College St., Athens, OH 45701

Call to Worship

L: Blessed be the name of the Lord our God,

P: Who redeems us from sin and death.

L: For us and for our salvation, Christ became obedient unto death, even death on the cross.

P: Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Hymn                          In the Cross of Christ I Glory

Prayer of Confession & Words of Assurance

We confess to you, our Lord and Savior, that we have betrayed and denied you, forgotten and doubted you. When our faith is tested, we wonder where you are. When we see injustice in the world, we often stand by, we turn our backs, we ignore the cries of others. We confess that we deny you and betray you with our silence when we fail to proclaim your good news, when we fail to live out your teachings and love our neighbor as ourselves. Help us to remember your sacrifice, your love, and to know your forgiveness. In the name of the one who lived, who was crucified, and who lives again, Jesus the Messiah, we pray. Amen.

L: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.

P: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!

All: Thanks be to God!

Old Testament Lesson - Psalm 22:1-22

[This is the psalm that Jesus quoted when he hung on the cross. Even though this psalm begins with a statement of feeling forsaken by God, notice that it also concludes with a statement of praise and trust in God.]

Gospel Lesson - John 19:16b-37

[In John’s telling of Jesus’ crucifixion, we are given many details of this gruesome scene. Notice that Jesus’ last words before he died were, “It is finished.” Where have we heard those words before? Way back in the Genesis creation story where after all that God had created, we are told that it was finished. It’s a little hint that John gives us that even after Jesus breathed his last, new life for God’s creation is about to begin.]

A Reading       Sunflower   A Short Story by Trevor Dennis 

Rev. Robert McDowell

Special Music   O, my Father, why has Thou forsaken me? -- Theodore Dubois

    (from The Seven Last Words of Christ) Tyler Thress, baritone

                                                           

Benediction

L:  May Jesus Christ, who for our sake became obedient unto death, even death on a cross, keep you and strengthen you, now and forever. 

P:  Amen.

Join us here this Sunday (April 12/Easter Sunday) for our online worship!

For previous online worship services, click here.