Good Friday. What is so good about it? It is the day that we recall Jesus “crucified, dead and buried,” as we remember from the Apostle’s Creed. Some say that the term Good Friday is a corruption of the Old English “God’s Friday.”
This service, The Proclamation of the Passion: A Service of Contemplative Worship for Good Friday,” has roots going back to at least the Ninth Century, and even much earlier. The Passion and Resurrection have been celebrated as the holiest of Holy Days from the earliest time of the Christian Church and the earliest believers.
This service was held at McFarland United Methodist Church in Rossville, Georgia on April 15, 2022. The music was recorded and the congregation was encouraged to follow the hymns in the United Methodist Hymnal and contemplate the lyrics in a contemplative fashion.
The music in this service is:
Go to Dark Gethsemane, performed by William Neil on “He is Risen! Favorite Hymns of the Easter Season”
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, Words by Isaac Watts; Music by Lowell Mason: Arranged by Tom Howard for the Album, In God’s Presence: Music for Spiritual Reflection; Soloist: Katie Gustafsen
Were You There, performed by Jon Serta on “The Catholic Music Project Volume V: Lent”
O Love Divine, What Hast Thou Done!, Words by Charles Wesley, melody by Isaac B. Woodbury, Arranged by Tom Howard for the Album, In God’s Presence: Music for Spiritual Reflection; Soloist: Marty McCall
Spiegel im Spiegel for Violin and Piano by Estonian Composer Arvo Part. Performed by Tasmin Little and Martin Roscoe; The Very Best of Arvo Part
