| New Book now Available Here is an anthology of over 1100 brief prayers and thought-starters, for each day of the year, with almost 400 original prayers by Bruce Prewer. Included is both a subject index and an index of authors-- an ecumenical collection of about 300 different sources. |
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| Title: Brief Prayers for Busy People. Author: Bruce D Prewer ISBN 978-1-62880-090-6 Available from Australian Church Resources, web site www.acresources.com.au email service@acresources.com.au or by order from your local book shop or online on amazon. |
John 13: 1-7, 31b-35
! Corinthians 1: 11: 23-26
Exodus 12: 1-14
Psalm 116: 1-2, 12-19
A SERVICE OF SOLEMN REMEMBRANCE
PRE-SERVICE
ARRANGEMENTS
The church should be in near darkness or deep shadow,
A long table is partly set. One large candle stands unlit in front of the Christ Chair,
and two slender candles are set at each end of the long table.
At the back of the table is the large “Christ Chair,” with a purple band of violet cloth,
crossing from shoulder height to waist level.
To one side is a font (or a large basin on a stand) with a jug of water and a towel displayed.
On the other side, fixed at head height, is a large olive branch, wet with enough dew to glisten in candle light.
Two candles are placed in position so as to later illuminate first the font and towel,
and then the olive branch. These will be lit later in the service.
General music to be by organ or keyboard.
A solo musician (oboe, violin, clarinet or flute) is prepared at the rear of the church,
or out of sight in a transept.
A vocal soloist is at the rear to lead the Kyrie and to sing the Agnus Dei
Readers are also at the rear of the church: Narrator, a Disciple, Jesus, Peter.
* Please note: In the following drama, there is no physical representation of Jesus. It is left
to the imagination.
THE REMEMBRANCE
BEGINS
Bearing a small lamp, the Minister, enters, stands beside the “Jesus Chair” and says:
PASTOR: We are here to remember the love of our “Lord Jesus Christ,
who although he was rich, or our sakes became poor,
taking upon himself the form of a lowly servant,
and humbled himself” for the suffering which would test a man to the utmost,
and during this night of sorrows, would sorely test even God.
Let us prepare to hear the story of the passion of our Lord, as it begins to unfold
on the evening of Maundy Thursday, by singing the Kyrie eleison.
I invite you to respond to the cantor:
* A solo voice from the rear of the Church leads the singing-
Kyrie, Kyrie, eleison
Kyrie,
Kyrie, eleison
Christe
eleison, Christe eleison
Christe eleison, Christe eleison
Kyrie, Kyrie, eleison
Kyrie,
Kyrie, eleison
* Sung twice, then a short period of silence. During the singing the minister moves into the congregation, and extinguishes his lamp.
THE PREPARATION
NARRATOR: On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread,
the disciples came to ask Jesus:
DISCIPLE: Master, where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?
JESUS:
Go into the city to a man whose
name I will give you, and say to him:
“The master’s hour has arrived. We
will celebrate the Passover at your house.”
NARRATOR: The disciples followed his directions, and went into the city and prepared
the Passover meal.
* Mood music, organ or keyboard. Two people enter with oil lamps,
light the large Christ Candle in front of the formal chair,
and set bread -preferably crisp matzos- on about 4 plates, with a wine jug,
and 4 small dishes of a sour herb “dip”.
NARRATOR: That evening, Jesus knew that his time had come to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own friends in this world, he loved them to the very end.
* A child lights a taper from the Christ candle and then the candle by the Font.
Knowing that he came from God and was about to return to God,
Jesus rose up from the table, took off his outer robe, poured water into a bowel,
and began to wash his disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel.
* Very soft organ or keyboard music for about 60 seconds.
When he came to Peter, this disciple protested:
PETER: Are you, Lord, going to wash my dirty feet?
JESUS:
At this moment, you don’t
understand what I am doing; in the future you will.
PETER: No, Lord I will never let you wash my feet.
JESUS: If I do not wash your feet, Peter, you will no longer be a disciple of mine.
PETER: Then Lord, please wash me; not only my feet but also my hand and my head.
JESUS: Those whom I have washed, will never need to be washed again.
NARRATOR: When Jesus had finished, he put on his robe, returned to the table and the Passover meal. He said to his disciples:
JESUS: Do you understand what I have done for you? You call me Rabbi and Lord, and you say that truly. If then I your Lord and Rabbi have washed your feet, then it is up to you to wash one another’s feet.
THE SUPPER
NARRATOR: While they were at supper, Jesus took some bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to his disciples saying:
JESUS: Take this and eat, this it is my body.
NARRATOR: Likewise he took the cup saying:
JESUS: This
is my blood shed for you.
**** SHARING
THE BREAD AND BITTER HERBS
* Soft music.
* The MINISTER invites the people to come forward informally, gather at the table,
take a piece of unleavened bread and dip it into the sour dip and eat,
then return to their seats.
* Towards the end of the meal, the narration will continue.
NARRATOR: While they were eating, Jesus became agitated and said:
JESUS:
One you will betray me. One of
you whose hand has dipped with me
in this dish, will betray me.
NARRATOR: After eating the bread, Judas immediately left and went out; and it was dark.
A little later, an argument broke out among them as to which disciple was the greatest.
Jesus addressed them:
JESUS: Among you, the greatest must live like the youngest,
and the leader as a servant.
I am giving you a new commandment:
You must love one another.
Even as I have loved you, so you are
to love one another.
· The congregation sings
· “A new commandment.......”
until all have partaken and returned to their seats.
AFTER SUPPER
NARRATOR: After supper Jesus again lifted up the cup, saying:
JESUS:
This cup which is poured out for
you
is the new
covenant sealed with my blood.
* A brief musical
interlude
NARRATOR: A little later Jesus turned to Peter
JESUS:
Simon. dear
Simon, Satan has wanted to have you, but I have prayed
that your faith may not fail.
NARRATOR: Peter answered:
PETER: Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and death.
JESUS: I tell you this, Peter, before cock crow you will have denied me three times.
* Brief musical interlude-: foreboding theme.
NARRATOR: They sang a hymn of praise
JESUS:
What shall I offer to my God
for all his
bounty to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on
the name of God.
I will pay my vows to my Lord
in the
presence of his people.
Precious in the sight of God
is the
death of his saints.
O Lord, I am your servant,
the son of
your handmaid.
I will pay my vows to my Lord
in the
presence of his people.
NARRATOR: After singing the psalm, they went out into the night
* As organ or keyboard play softly, a child lights a small lamp
from the Christ candle.
* Then the candles on the Table are extinguished.
IN THE OLIVE GROVE
NARRATOR: They came to an olive grove known as Gethsemane.
* As the story continues, the child lights a lamp a lamp walks very slowly from the Table to where the olive branch is stationed, and lights that lone candle,
then extinguishes the lamp and sits nearby in the shadows.
NARRATOR: Jesus said to his disciples…..
JESUS: You
wait here while I go and pray.
NARRATOR: Taking Peter, James and John, he went deeper into the dark olive grove and said to the three:
JESUS: My
spirit is deeply troubled; watch and pray with me.
NARRATOR: Going a few steps further on, he threw himself down, face to the ground.
* Solo music: plaintive oboe, violin or clarinet, for about 3 minutes.
JESUS:
Father, if it be possible, remove this bitter cup from me.
Yet not my will but yours be done.
* Solo music; for 1 minute.
NARRATOR: As he prayed, his sweat was like clots of blood, falling to the ground.
* Solo music, about 30 seconds.
Jesus returned three times to the three disciples, and found them not praying but asleep.
The third time he woke them and said:
JESUS: That’s enough. My time has come. The Son of
man is now to be betrayed
into the hands of
sinners. Get up on your feet. My betrayer is at hand.
NARRATOR: While he was speaking, Judas arrived with armed men,
sent by the Chief Priests. As a sign to the armed men,
the betrayer went up to Jesus, kissed him and said:
JUDAS: My dear Rabbi!
NARRATOR: The armed men seized Jesus, and dragged him off to the court
of the chief priests and elders.
The disciples scattered and fled,
although Peter did follow from a safe distance.
* The last candle beside the olive branch is extinguished by the child.
* A solo voice sings:
“Lamb of God, you take way the sin of the world.”
THE SENDING OUT
* Carrying a small lamp, the Pastor moves from the congregation to the Table
and says:
PASTOR: This is the Table of the Lord. Return to this trysting place on the third day and be ready to celebrate your liberation.
BLESSING
The grace ...................
