| Title: | The CHRISTIAN Notesfile |
| Notice: | Jesus reigns! - Intros: note 4; Praise: note 165 |
| Moderator: | ICTHUS::YUILLE ON |
| Created: | Tue Feb 16 1993 |
| Last Modified: | Fri May 02 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 962 |
| Total number of notes: | 42902 |
For those of you with reasonable access to the southern New Hampshire area, who don't have a service at your own church on Good Friday, I encourage you to join us for a service focusing on the mighty work of redemption that the Lord suffered for our sake. I've been a part of this service (or attended) four times, three at this church and once elsewhere. While I've been to services where the Holy Spirit has done more powerful work than He has usually done at this service, this service is *BY FAR* the most powerful human-planned service I've ever attended. Boxes of kleenex will be provided in each pew. :-) The focus of the service is a series of dramatizations by witnesses to the crucifixtion. The service goes through a cycle for each witness of singing a hymn (or having an anthem), reading a scripture describing that witness, and then the witness's dramatization. The thing I love about this service is that it is never the same - there is no script. The people to do the dramatizations are chosen through prayerful selection, as people who have a heart for the Lord, and hopefully a bit of a dramatic bent (though one of the most powerful witnesses I've ever seen was by someone I would NEVER have expected to be able to put that much into it) They are simply given the charter to bring that witness alive for the congregation. The service begins by a large, rough, wooden cross being dragged to the front of the dimly-lit sanctuary, where three nails are then driven into the cross. Then the cycle begins, going through five witnesses. The witnesses this year will be: Mary, the Mother of Christ John the beloved apostle Mary Magdalene Joseph of Arimathea The Thief on the other cross As the service progresses, people in the congregation are invited forward as they feel led, to hold up the cross. The group of people holding the cross is being constantly refreshed as new people come to take the place of others in holding up the cross. We are adding something new at the service this year. Each person attending will be given an index card and a wrought-iron nail. At the close of the service, people will be asked to leave in silence or remain for prayer. Those who feel so led are encouraged to write some of their sins on the card, bring the card forward and nail it to the cross. Each of us had our part in affixing Christ to the cross. The cards will be carefully removed after the service (so no one sees them), and will be brought to the sunrise service, where they will be burned to celebrate that through the blood and sacrific of Jesus, our sins exist no more! I get excited just writing about it. Hope to see some of you there! If you come, come see me afterward. I'd love to put a face to your name. I'll be doing the witness of the thief on the cross. The service will be on Friday, April 14, at 7:30, at the Windham Presbyterian Church. The church is right off the north side of Rt 111 (visible from Rt 111) in the Windham town center, about 2 miles west of Rt 93 and about a mile east of the Windham police station. Paul
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 690.1 | y | GAVEL::MOSSEY | Fri Mar 10 1995 17:00 | 6 | |
WOW! This sounds powerful! I'm interested in going; need to check
with hubby first.
Thanks for sharing this with us.
Karen
| |||||
| 690.2 | how far? | GAVEL::MOSSEY | Fri Mar 10 1995 17:04 | 8 | |
A question: Where is Windham in relation to any of the following
cities: Nashua/Merrimack/Hudson/Keene/Hollis
I am familiar with the above cities, not with Windham. I live in
Leominster MA, which is about 40 minutes from Nashua.
Thanks,
Karen
| |||||
| 690.3 | CSLALL::HENDERSON | Friend will you be ready? | Fri Mar 10 1995 23:13 | 10 | |
I'm not Paul, but I live close to Windham (in Derry)..about 15-20 mins from Hudson to Windham (actually less than that) on Rte 111..~45 mins from Leominster. Jim | |||||
| 690.4 | CSLALL::HENDERSON | Friend will you be ready? | Fri Mar 10 1995 23:14 | 9 | |
I think I might go myself...this sounds wonderful. Jim | |||||
| 690.5 | CNTROL::JENNISON | Oh me of little faith | Mon Mar 13 1995 09:14 | 4 | |
I'm going to ask my husband about going, too! Karen (the "other" one!) | |||||
| 690.6 | PAULKM::WEISS | Trade freedom for His security-GAIN both | Mon Mar 13 1995 10:52 | 6 | |
> A question: Where is Windham in relation to any of the following > cities: Nashua/Merrimack/Hudson/Keene/Hollis Windham is the town just east of Hudson. Paul | |||||
| 690.7 | GAVEL::MOSSEY | Mon Mar 13 1995 11:19 | 3 | ||
thanks for the directions.
Karen
| |||||
| 690.8 | PAULKM::WEISS | For I am determined to know nothing, except... | Fri Apr 14 1995 10:46 | 6 | |
Please pray today for this service. It's at 7:30, description and directions are in previous notes. I'm really pumped for it. So whose faces from CHRISTIAN can I expect to see there tonight? Paul | |||||
| 690.9 | PAULKM::WEISS | For I am determined to know nothing, except... | Thu Apr 20 1995 12:13 | 41 | |
Well, I didn't see any faces from CHRISTIAN there, or at least no one introduced themselves. But the service was powerful. All of the witnesses did a tremendous job of capturing the crucifixion. For me the most powerful moment was one that most people probably missed. I was sitting in the back, in the choir loft. As the woman who had just finished the witness of Mary, Christ's mother, came to the back of the church, she met the woman who had previously done the witness of Mary Magdalene. The two fell into each other's arms, and muffled sobs escaped from them. It went right through me. It was *exactly* what must have been like. Jesus' friends and family finally turned away, after it was all over, fell into each other's arms, and sobbed. The ending was really powerful too. Nearly everyone went forward and nailed a card to the cross. Just sitting in the dimly-lit sanctuary for a half-hour of solid, continuous pounding as person after person nailed their sins to the cross was a powerful testimony. That continuous pounding of our sins, each one holding Jesus to the cross, has gone on for millenia, for all of human history. One woman shared in church on sunday a little scene she had witnessed that was particularly moving for her. A young girl (3rd grade) had gone forward at the end with her parents. She tried to nail her card to the cross, but she didn't hit the nail hard enough, and it fell off. She picked it up and tried again, with the same result. And again and again. Her father knelt behind her patiently watching. After four or five times, he gently reached forward and helped her hold the nail, and helped her drive it. Finally, it stayed put. The woman telling this story related how this was just like our situation. We know the cross is there, and we try in our own strength to bring our sins to the cross and nail them there, but our own strength isn't sufficient even to do that. Our sins keep falling off the cross. All the while, our loving Father is waiting patiently and lovingly with us, and eventually He reaches out and helps us to affix them there, where they are covered by the blood of Jesus. Praise God, it was a glorious service. Paul | |||||
| 690.10 | PAULKM::WEISS | For I am determined to know nothing, except... | Fri Mar 22 1996 08:56 | 25 | |
I've been delinquint in announcing that we are doing this service again this year, which will be in two weeks on Good Friday, at 7:30. A full description of what the service is like, and directions to the church, can be found in the base note. One thing we're doing a bit differently this year is to have two of the witnesses be groups instead of individuals. The witnesses this year are: Mary the Mother of Christ and John the Apostle Peter Judas Mary Magdelene, Mary the mother of Clopas, and Salome Simon of Cyrene I was delighted to discover that some people from this notesfile did attend the service last year, and were so moved by it that they are doing it at their church this year, in Manchester NH. I don't remember the exact church, but perhaps one of the members could post directions? I encourage anyone who can to attend. And introduce yourself, I'd love to put some more faces on names. I'm 6'3" with brown hair and beard, and the greeters would know who I am. Paul | |||||