Additional Scriptures

Job 14:1–14; Psalm 31:1–4, 15–16; 1 Peter 4:1-8

Preparation

The worship area is completely bare with the exception of the black cloth draped over the cross.

Prelude

Gathering Song

“O Sacred Head, Now Wounded”  CCS 463

OR “Ah, Holy Jesus” CCS 461

Welcome

Call to Worship Responsive Reading

Leader: Come this day and open your hearts. Wait for the Lord.

People: We come from the darkness of loss and await God’s word.

ALL: We will wait and pray.

Ministry of Music OR Community Song

“Wait for the Lord” repeat several times  CCS 399

OR “How Long, O Lord”  CCS 201

Scripture Reading

Psalm 31:1-4, 15-16

Song

“O God, Our Help in Ages Past”  CCS 16

OR “Breathe on Me, Breath of God”  CCS 190

Encourage participants to sing in languages other than their own.

Silent Prayer

Scripture Reading

Job 14:1-14

Song

“Dear God, Embracing Humankind” CCS 194

OR “O God We Call” repeat several times  CCS 195

Silent Prayer

Scripture Reading

1 Peter 4:1-8

Song

“El amor nunca pasará” repeat several times  CCS 6

OR “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” CCS 565

Silent Prayer

Scripture Reading

John 19:38-42

Song

“Who Is This Jesus”  CCS 38

OR “Look at This Man, Born of God”  CCS 26

Silent Prayer

Reading

He Is Not Here

The darkness of Saturday resides in our souls. Outside the sun may be shining, people may be going about their business; but we cannot forget what happened last night, how he cried from the Cross, his last words “It is finished” and “Father, into your hands I commend my Spirit.”

No amount of noise, color, busyness can erase the darkness.

He is not here. He is not sitting with us, walking with us, comforting with us. We are alone. And we wait. For what we are not sure…..for some sign of hope, some sign of life, some miracle that will mend our brokenness and bind up out wounded spirits.

He is not here. And we are frightened. We could count on him being present. What are we to do in this world without Jesus. Our souls are utterly bereft. Lord, God, where are you? Where is the hope? Come to us. Come, now……please.

He is not here. And we wait.

—Nancy C. Townley

Song

“De noche iremos/By Night, We Hasten” repeat several times CCS 551

Encourage participants to sing in languages other than their own.

OR “What Comfort Can Our Worship Bring” CCS 199

Silent Prayer

Closing Song

“Beneath the Cross of Jesus”  CCS 206

OR “Jesus, Remember Me” repeat several times  CCS 459

Sending Forth

Go now in peace. God’s peace will be with you.

Postlude

Gathering

Welcome

Holy Saturday is a solemn day of waiting, fasting, and reflection on Jesus’s death and burial. It also invites us into an awareness of his descent into the realm of the dead. This service often takes place after sunset as an Easter Vigil, in anticipation of transitioning from the stillness of the tomb to the joy of the Resurrection. Easter Sunday is coming but has not yet arrived. Traditionally, the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is not shared on Holy Saturday.

Prayer for Peace

Ring a bell or chime three times slowly.
Light the peace candle.

God of the stillness and the tomb,
on this day of waiting, we rest in the shadows between death and life.
The earth holds its breath, and so do we.

When hope feels buried and light seems distant,
grant us the quiet courage to trust your promise of new creation.
Let your peace hold us when answers do not come,
and your presence steady us when we cannot yet see the dawn.

As Christ descended into the depths,
may your Spirit descend into the broken places of our world and our lives,
bringing comfort, healing, and the first stirrings of resurrection hope.

Keep us watchful through the night
until the stone is rolled away
and your love breaks forth with life again.

Amen.

—anonymous traditional Holy Saturday prayer, adapted

Spiritual Practice

Holy Saturday Reflection

Say: Our spiritual practice today is a time of listening and personal reflection. The reading is taken from “Holy Week” by Keri Hill.

As we begin, find a comfortable place to sit, with feet on the floor and arms gently resting with hands in your lap, or however you feel comfortable.

three second pause

Become aware of your breathing. In and out. Simply rest in the natural rhythm of your breath.

three second pause

I will read several paragraphs then pause to pose a series of reflection questions, followed by one minute of silence for personal reflection.

Then I will read some additional paragraphs, pause, and pose a series of reflection questions, followed by another minute of silence for personal reflection.

After the second silence I will offer a brief prayer of gratitude and blessing.

three second pause

Rest in the natural rhythm of your breath.

three second pause

It was late afternoon, but it looked and felt like the middle of the night. I was emotionally drained from the day’s events. I left my brother’s body on the cross wondering what would become of it. It was too late to bury him. The sun was going down. I had no tomb to place him in anyway. My heart broke at that thought, but then I remembered Jesus’ promise. Could it be true? Would he really be with Jesus in Paradise?

As I made my way home, I noticed that there were no lamps lit. There had been some damage from the quake. I had even heard someone say that the veil in the temple had been torn in two. Jerusalem was a city in the dark. The townspeople looked so lost. I was confused. Didn’t they get what they wanted? They were the ones who called for his death. Now that he was dead, they receded into the darkness. What did they think would result from his death? Life didn’t only seem to cease on Golgotha, but also in town as well. It felt cold and dismal.

When I reached my home, I entered the small room and sat. Scenes from the day flashed in and out of my mind. I could still hear the taunts for Jesus to save himself. Why didn’t he? If he was the King of the Jews, why would he put his family and his followers through that? Why would he endure such horrendous beatings and humiliation? Why would he allow himself to be nailed to a cross and die? Why would he leave his loved ones and his followers after spending so much time teaching and explaining the scriptures?

three second pause

The speaker has the same questions as the crowd, even though she didn’t shout them at Jesus in anger.

three second pause

What is the role of questioning in your faith?

Observe 60 seconds of silence

I thought about the disciples who didn’t have the courage to follow Jesus and stand with him in his death. I wondered what darkness they were now living in.

I couldn’t get the images of the day out of my head–the sights, the sounds. My head felt like it was going to burst. My brother and his companion were beaten, but Jesus was hardly recognizable. The soldiers had put that crown made of thorns on his head, which caused even more bleeding. I shuddered when I thought about the pain Jesus must have felt. Yet, he endured it all.

I sat quietly and said a prayer for my brother, and for my family, and for Jesus’ family–and even the family of the other criminal. I was filled with such a sense of peace–so much so, I did not want to remain in the dark, so I lit my lamp. As I watched the flame grow, I began to think about the things that I had heard Jesus teach and preach about, and how, while dying on the cross, he asked God to forgive all of those who had brought harm and pain to him. Then I thought about my brother, a man classified as unworthy, a man who caused much pain to his community. Jesus opened the eyes of my brother and released the demons that had taken over his life.

three second pause

Who are the “unworthy” people in your community? The people who you would rather not be associated with?

three second pause

How does Jesus’ example show us how we ought to love them?

Observe 60 seconds of silence

Could that be the reason Jesus sacrificed his life? In the scriptures, Isaiah speaks of a lamb that will be sacrificed. Was Jesus that lamb? Did he die for all people? Is that who the forgiveness is for?

I opened my eyes and saw the glow from my lamp, and I felt a wave of warmth come over me, and I started to feel that what happened today had much more meaning than I was even beginning to grasp. On the surface, it was the worst kind of darkness that overshadowed our town. I witnessed the brutality, the suffering, and the death of Jesus. I heard the taunting calls from the Jewish leaders, soldiers, and even from my brother’s criminal companion. Yet, I also saw a mother and a few of those loyal followers weep deeply with grief, and I witnessed a dying man cry out for God to forgive those who had condemned him to death. It’s almost inconceivable to believe, but in all that pain and cruelty, on top of that mountain, there was something else.

Love.

There was a love present that I believe was stronger than anything a soul could ever know, and something told my heart that the darkness would not last forever, that soon, a day would come that would bring a great light that would shine for all time.

three second pause

Rest in the words, “a love stronger than anything a soul could ever know.”

three second pause

How has your heart come to know “that the darkness doesn’t last forever?”

Observe 60 seconds of silence

Holy One,
In the quiet of this sacred time,
we give thanks for your presence among us—
gentle, steady, and unbroken.

As we have listened, reflected,
and walked the tender path of this night,
we are grateful for the stories that hold us,
the love that claims us,
and the Spirit that meets us here.

Stay with us in the silence.
Open our hearts to the mystery of your grace,
and strengthen us to follow where your love leads.

Amen.

Sharing Around the Table

John 19:38–42 NRSVue

After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission, so he came and removed his body.

Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews.

Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Joseph of Arimathea was a follower of Jesus who kept his distance. As one who held a position of prominence in Jewish society, he could have lost his standing within the community if they had known he followed Jesus. In going to Pilate and asking for the body of Jesus, however, he puts his future in jeopardy. He also provides an unused tomb for Jesus to be laid.

Nicodemus was another follower of Jesus who was known to have kept his distance. He visited Jesus in the cloak of darkness to avoid being seen with him. Nicodemus brings the mixture of myrrh and aloes to prepare the body for a customary Jewish burial. He brings a hundred pounds which is the amount for a kingly burial.

It was not the familiar followers of Jesus who went to claim his body but two men who kept to the periphery. It was these men who were witnesses that Jesus was dead. Holy Saturday is not a day of celebration; it is a day that the body of Jesus rested between the crucifixion and the resurrection. In the Episcopal faith, it is the one day that the Eucharist is never served. Holy Saturday is the one event that is not often observed during holy week. It is a day to reflect on the violent death of the prince of peace, looking hopefully to his resurrection.

Questions

1. Why do you think Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus claim and prepare the body for burial when before his death they hid their alliance to him?
2. How does the lavish amount of myrrh and aloe speak to Nicodemus’ understanding of Jesus standing on earth?
3. On Holy Saturday, how might we grieve the death of Jesus?

Sending

Generosity Statement

Faithful disciples respond to an increasing awareness of the abundant generosity of God by sharing according to the desires of their hearts; not by commandment or constraint.

—Doctrine and Covenants 163:9

The offering basket is available if you would like to support ongoing, small-group ministries as part of your generous response.

God of waiting and promise,
receive these gifts as signs of our trust in your transforming love.
Hold them, and us, in the hope of resurrection yet to come.
In Christ’s name, Amen.

Invitation to Next Meeting

Closing Hymn

CCS 287, “Come and Bring Light”

Closing Prayer

Optional Addition Depending on Group

Thoughts for Children

Materials: small candles and lighter, or battery-operated candles.

This activity includes a few moments of darkness. It would be wise to speak to parents ahead of time. You may choose to leave on a background light or seat children with their parents to ensure each child feels safe.

Set the candles on a table in the center of the group. Light the candles. Turn off overhead lights and lamps. How do you feel when you see candles burning? (happy, excited, peaceful)

Often we light candles as a symbol of hope. The light of the candle flame reminds us of the light Jesus brings into the world.

Good Friday is a day when we remember that a world without the message and ministry of Jesus would be a world without hope. We extinguish the candles one by one until we rest for a moment in darkness.

If using battery-operated candles, you can have each child hold one, and turn them off one by one. If the candles are lit, the children may come up one by one and blow out a candle until all are extinguished.

Wait a few moments in darkness. Then have someone turn on a light.

How did it feel to sit in darkness? (scary, sad, quiet)

Even when there is darkness, we know Jesus is with us, and the joy of Easter will soon be here.

Let’s offer a short prayer:

Gracious God,

We thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus, who brings light into the darkness. Amen.