The Crucifixion, seen from the Cross, by James Tissot
Today’s Bible reading and an excerpt
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
More thoughts for meditation
This is a guide for how to observe our Tenebrae (“Darkness”) observance held at 2007 Frankford Ave. tonight or at home. As we followed Christ through his last week, we now remain with Christ through his final hours on the cross.
As Christ hung on the cross, the gospel writers record him making seven final statements, each of which we will spend time with today. We will descend with Christ towards death. We’re dying with Jesus today.
Light seven candles and prepare to extinguish them. Try to do it in a dark room. If that’s not possible, draw seven squares and prepare to blot them out. If you can do it in a small group, that’s better.
Read from Luke 23:26-3:
As they led Him away, they seized Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, and laid the cross on him to carry behind Jesus. A large crowd of people followed Him, including women who were mourning and lamenting Him. But turning to them, Jesus said,
“Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and your children. Look, the days are coming when they will say, ‘The women without children, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed, are fortunate!’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us! For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
Two others—criminals—were also led away to be executed with Him. When they arrived at the place called Golgotha [The Skull], they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one on the right and one on the left.
Then Jesus said,
ALL TOGETHER:
“Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.”
And they divided His clothes and cast lots. The people stood watching, and even the leaders kept scoffing: “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked Him. They came offering Him sour wine and said, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!”
PAUSE
Read: Join us in this litany as we are reconciled with and through Christ: The hatred which divides nation from nation, race from race, class from class,
All: Father, forgive.
The covetous desires of people and nations to possess what is not their own,
Father, forgive.
The greed which exploits the work of human hands and lays waste the earth,
Father, forgive.
Our envy of the welfare and happiness of others,
Father, forgive.
Our indifference to the plight of the imprisoned, the homeless, the refugee,
Father, forgive.
The lust which dishonours the bodies of men, women and children,
Father, forgive.
The pride which leads us to trust in ourselves and not in God,
Father, forgive.
[ Extinguish first candle ]
Reader Luke 23:26-43:
The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
[ Extinguish second candle ]
We’ve extinguished two candles, and walking closer to Jesus’ death and our death with him. Imagine what needs to die in you as you lay in the grave with Christ. But also mourn the death of your Messiah on this solemn day; Jesus said this would happen, but it’s hard to believe. For his friends, for his Mother, and for us today, even. The backwardness and upside-downness of Jesus’ death might still haunt you. Let it haunt you. Hold your suffering and let God hold you. It’s OK if it doesn’t make sense to you. We’re now moving into the second act, two words, two candles, two steps closer to inevitability.
Read John 19:26–27:
Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.
[ Extinguish third candle ]
Read: At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice: “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”.
Psalm 22:
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
and by night, but I find no rest.
Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
In you our fathers trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
All: I believe, help my unbelief (Mark 9:24)
To you they cried and were rescued;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
“He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
All: I believe, help my unbelief
Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
On you was I cast from my birth,
and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
Be not far from me,
for trouble is near,
and there is none to help.
All: I believe, help my unbelief
Many bulls encompass me;
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
they open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.
I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.
All: I believe, help my unbelief
For dogs encompass me;
a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet—
I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
they divide my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.
All: I believe, help my unbelief
But you, O Lord, do not be far off!
O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
Deliver my soul from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dog!
Save me from the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!
I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
All: I believe, help my unbelief
You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
For he has not despised or abhorred
the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from him,
but has heard, when he cried to him.
All: I believe, help my unbelief
From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
May your hearts live forever!
All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
All: I believe, help my unbelief
For kingship belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.
All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not keep himself alive.
Posterity shall serve him;
it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
that he has done it.
All: I believe, help my unbelief!
[ Extinguish fourth candle ]
Reader 3 John 19:28: After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said,
“I thirst.”
A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.
[ Extinguish fifth candle ]
Reader John 19:30: When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
[ Extinguish sixth candle ] Reader Luke 23:44-46:
It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.
[ Extinguish final candle ]
Suggestions for action
On Friday between the hours of 12 and 3 p.m. we remember Jesus on the cross. We walk with Jesus from his arrest to being laid in the tomb on an imaginative prayer walk in the neighborhoods where each of our congregations meet. A vigil at each location is an opportunity to begin and end in prayer, to spend the three hours keeping watch with the women who waited. If you can’t make it during work hours, the guide around each neighborhood is available online.
If you want to experience this Tenebrae vigil (“Darkness”) with others come to 2007 Frankford Ave at 8pm tonight.
