BUC Worship Service, Good Friday – April 3, 2026

Balzac United Church
April 3, 2026, 10:00am
Guest Minister: Rev. Ruth McArthur
Music Ministry: Lee Dowan, Dr. Alex Shawn

We travel the path of the Cross to be there with Jesus so that he is not alone. We dare
to re-tell the harsh story of this day because we know the ending, and the ending
is not death. Yet let us pause here for a while and absorb the powerful truth of
this story. These are familiar voices that we hear in the scripture. We are the voices
in the story. Let us reflect on our participation in the story so we might ever more
celebrate the new life offered to us in his resurrection.
Gather
Prelude Lead me to the Cross arr. T. Beaney

Welcome & Announcements
Service Link
Choir Link

Land Acknowledgement
Witnessing the Christ Candle
Choir Special Jesus Died Alone arr. J. Raney
Drama of Voices
Opening
JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA (speaking quietly and firmly): Hello. My name is Joseph; I am
from Arimathea. You know, no one knows where that town was. Perhaps that’s best –
my part in the gospels is a small one, almost an insignificant one. Where I come from
is not important.
And yet, all four gospels tell how I was present at the time of the crucifixion. I
didn’t do much – indeed, no one really knew I liked Jesus’ stories. I liked his message. I
liked the things he taught. But, you understand, I was important in the community.
What would people have said if I had spoken up for him? I was a member of the
council, you see and could have voted against putting him to death. But then so could
Nicodemus, and he didn’t either. It wasn’t worth it.
Or was it? I wish I knew. So I did the best I could – I offered my tomb. Some will
say, “too little, too late” And perhaps they are right. But it was something, I suppose.
So come, on this sad and heavy day, and listen again to the story. And imagine your
place in it all. Reflect with me on how we could do things differently, on how the
things we say and do proclaim the words of Jesus in our world.
Opening Prayer
MARY, WIFE OF CLOPAS: I was one of the women who watched – who dared to stand
until the end. I watched them nail Jesus to a cross, watched them abuse him to death.
You have no idea what it was like, but I knew I had to stay there – to support his
mother, and Mary Magdalene, and stand witness that, just as Jesus would not run
away, we would not, either. Will you join me in prayer?
Prayer: With heavy hearts and a heavy world,
we meet you this day/this dark night, O Christ.
In your clenched hands,
stretched and nailed,
you gather us.
In holy sorrow,
we find silence our only friend.
With strength only you can give, even now,
and with a courage only you can know,
may we find ourselves beside you, O God.
And as life teeters and eternity weeps,
may we see through love’s pain,
into love’s promise and love’s destiny.
And may we even now,
even now, hear the echo.
Scripture
MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS: I am Jesus’ mother. Perhaps you are only used to me as a
quiet character in the Christmas story. But I never went away – I stayed with Jesus
through his ministry, challenging him when he needed it, and comforting him when he
needed it. You will meet me again in one of the first stories of the early church, where
I was a part of the group that decided we would carry on. I could only do that because
I was there this day. Like Mary, the wife of Clopas, I could not turn my head away – I
stood and watched, too. Do you know what it is like to watch your child die? To stand
helpless as they beat him almost senseless, and caused him pain beyond my worst
imagining? But I stayed. There was nowhere to go.
Listen, now, as I recount the story of Jesus’ last hours.
(Reads John 18:1—11.) The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus
(Reads John 18:12—14.) Jesus Before the High Priest
(Reads John 18:15—18.) Peter Denies Jesus
(Reads John 18: 25-27.) The High Priest Questions Jesus
(Reads John 18:28—40.) Jesus Before Pilate
(Reads John 19:1-42.) Jesus sentenced, Crucifixion, and Burial
Hymn Were You There When They Crucified My Lord? VU144 vs.1,2
Response
PILATE: I am Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor. Yes, I know, you think I could have
stopped it. And maybe I could have – but the crowd was so huge, and their anger was
so intense. I’m sure you know what that’s like – the newspapers are full of stories of
masses of people carrying a mood to extremes. I mean, I know I had the army and all
that, but there must have been hundreds, even thousands of them. I could only do so
much, you know?
I asked him why he was there, what it was all about. Was he trying to overthrow
me? Did he want to sit on a throne somewhere? His answers didn’t make any sense:
“I’m here to proclaim the truth,” he said. I don’t have time for that! I have to maintain
order and discipline.
They could have had me release him, but they cried out for Barabbas. My hands
were tied. You know what that’s like, don’t you? Some boats are just not worth
rocking.
Hymn Were You There… VU 144 vs. 3,4
Offering Invitation Valley arr. R. Summers
Confession
NICODEMUS: It is only John who tells my story – three small glimpses – but they say so
much. Perhaps you can relate. My name is Nicodemus; you may recall that I went to
see Jesus one night, filled with questions. What did he mean by being born again? Was
someone like me – a leader of the people, an upstanding figure in the religious
community, someone who had studied long and hard to find answers to life’s
problems – was I supposed to start over? It seemed preposterous.
He said something curious to me: God’s Spirit goes where it will. It does what it
wants – does what it must. I didn’t really understand it then.
Some time later when Jesus was speaking in Jerusalem, people were arguing: could
he be the Messiah? I wanted the other leaders to give him a fair hearing, but they just
sneered and said “the Messiah can’t come from Galilee.” I held my tongue after that.
And look where it brought us: to this moment.
It was with a heavy heart that I brought some myrrh and ointment for his body.
How might things have happened if I had acted differently? What if I had spoken up
and said, “he doesn’t deserve to die”? What then? I was afraid they would kill him
anyway, and perhaps me as well (pause). Now I suppose we’ll never know.
Assurance
The Good News is that the Voices of God’s People have been heard this way
before. We can take comfort from that knowledge, knowing that we will be given
what we need to be faithful, justice, and compassionate in this time of
uncertainty at the foot of the Cross. Thanks be to God. Amen
Hymn Were You There… (vs 5)
The Lords Prayer
GOING FORTH
I AM MARY MAGDALENE: I, too, was one of the women who stayed. What else could I
do? Jesus had changed my life beyond measure.
I was despised before I met Jesus, and after as well. My name is Mary and I come
from Magdala. I was one of the women who followed Jesus, and we were not treated
well. As Jesus spoke of how God’s view of the world included all people, we felt
welcome. The men tried to include us, but they had grown up in a world that didn’t
give us much time and attention, and sometimes they resented that there were
women in the group of followers.
I had struggled for many years with ailments that made it hard to function. Some
say I had demons; I only know that I would have fits from time to time, and Jesus put
an end to them. I was forever grateful and stayed with him out of appreciation for
what he had done. I wanted others to know that the message he brought and the
things he did offered new life and new hope to all of us.
And yet I also knew that it would not last. No one can proclaim the things that
Jesus did without raising serious opposition. No one can keep declaring that God’s
love is for all people, without those in power and control needing to put a stop to it.
Imagine! If the world understood that we are all sisters and brothers in God’s family,
what might it be like?
History has not been kind to me – because I was such a powerful testimony to the
message Jesus brought, they discredited me, claiming I was a prostitute and calling me
all sorts of horrible things. As you know, that’s not the story the Bible tells. Only that I
was Jesus’ friend.
I will come back. When the Sabbath is over, I shall return to this tomb and spend
time with Jesus once again. I will come here often and pray that he might still speak to
me and guide me. Will you do that?
BLESSING
Recessional Stay With Me VU950 x2
Postlude The Old Rugged Cross arr. M. Hayes
+++