Prayer

God of Hope, be with me, with us today. Inspire us, encourage us, stir us up that we might know you better. That we might love you better. That we might see you, among these friends, today. Amen.

Introduction

The format is simple. Some teaching, some talking, some summarizing, some homework.

Discussion

• Do you feel a tension between the crucifixion and the resurrection? Do you lean more toward Good Friday or Easter?
• It is a popular idea that you have to go through pain to truly experience life. Can you think of a time when a dark moment became important enough that you could call the experience “good”?

Further Study

• In a section called “Proper Liturgies For Special Days” (page 263), The Book of Common Prayer collects services, all of which are in Lent, and all but one are the proper liturgies for Holy Week. Read through them. What do you see?
• Read how each of the four gospels depict the events of this week. What do the writers focus on? What is the story about? What’s missing from our liturgies? And what part of the stories is our liturgy trying to capture?
• There are many wonderful books, from the historical pattern of The Last Week to the various writings of N.T. Wright. Read widely!

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