Good Friday

Scripture: Mark 14:66-72 
While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she stared at him and said, ‘You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.’ But he denied it, saying, ‘I do not know or understand what you are talking about.’ And he went out into the forecourt. Then the cock crowed. And the servant-girl, on seeing him, began again to say to the bystanders, ‘This man is one of them.’ But again he denied it. Then after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, ‘Certainly you are one of them; for you are a Galilean.’ But he began to curse, and he swore an oath, ‘I do not know this man you are talking about.’ At that moment the cock crowed for the second time. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.’ And he broke down and wept.

Prayer before going to church on Good Friday

Loving God, Living Water, 

It is hard to watch you, to know your struggle, to see the violence of

the state that bruises and breaks, 

to imagine your pain, 

to know you stripped, betrayed and

alone. 

But I will come. I will join you there. I will bear witness to your pain. 

I will come to see

you in the crucified people of El Salvador and Palestine, 

Venezuela, Sudan and Ukraine

struggling in the streets of Omaha and Jerusalem. 

I will come

to see you in the wounds that enslave humanity to power and greed; 

to see you in the child who hungers and the inmate deemed beyond reform, 

the refuge displaced and the elder abused, forgotten and alone. 

I will come and open my eyes to the heartbreak to say, 

“No” to violence that betrays our humanity and, 

“Yes” to the sacred twinkling in eyes across our city and around the globe. 

I will come, I will remain with you.

Amen.

Journal: Reflect on folks witnessing state violence in our country, can you imagine holding the phone to film? What does it feel like to witness harm and how do you transform that into new life?

Action: Worship at 6:30pm 
We invite you to contact your state and federal representatives asking for the closure of the McCook ICE detention center.