Lord, have mercy on us!
Opening Responses
We gather at the foot of the Cross,
in the presence of the crucified God.
Lord, through your Cross, draw near to us.
Jesus reveals God to us;
a God who weeps with those who suffer.
Lord, through your tears, grant us compassion.
Jesus shows us how to live;
fulfilling the Law through acts of love.
Lord, through your suffering, melt our hearts.
Jesus shows us who we are;
the people for whom he gives up his life.
Lord, through your love, change us from within.
Jesus gives us a chance to start again;
to pick up our cross and live for God.
Lord, through your death, grant us life.
Psalm
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and shall be forever. Amen.
Engaging with the Word
- What jumps out at you from the text?
- What is God saying to us today?
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come; thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Closing Responses
The Cross was foolishness to some.
May we find wisdom in unlikely places.
The Cross was used to destroy God’s Son.
May we find victory even in our failures.
The Cross was the end for a man they called ‘Messiah’.
May we find life in the midst of death.
May the Cross of Christ,
help us to see God in this broken world.
Amen. Thanks be to God.
