Good Friday Service

Our Good Friday musical worship is entitled “The Seven Last Words of Christ Expressed in Music from the Sacred Harp” by Dr. Jane Hawes.

You may have heard various classical works of “The Seven Last Words of Christ.”

This work differs from others in several ways.

In other works, the choir sings the words of Christ on the cross. However, in this work, two narrators will read from both the Old Testament and New Testament Scriptures the words spoken by Christ. After each of the “words” – familiar phrases from the crucifixion narratives – the choir will respond with a song from from Early American hymn tunes from a collection called The Sacred Harp.

Several hymns are familiar texts to most of us; however, they are set to Sacred Harp tunes, rather than more recent tunes we know. When such an application is made, it gives us the opportunity to apply a deeper reflection than from the usual over-familiar tunes.

Other songs will be a wonderful challenge for the active listener to make a connection between the Scripture that has been read and the song that follows. Examples:

Jesus says that he is thirsty. The song, then, is about how a life lived in God’s presence is refreshing, but a life disconnected from God is a desert experience resulting in death.

Another text recounts that Jesus gives his mother into the care of a disciple. The hymn tune is called HOME. One line is: “Our Savior, by His precious grace, Has offered us a home….”

This musical worship is not light and entertaining; after all, it is Good Friday. Please come, listen prayerfully to this profound, and spiritually kneel at the cross as we contemplate again the Wondrous Love of Christ, our Savior.

In Christ’s Amazing Love,
Karen Hetrick, Director of Worship & Worship Arts