An Order For “the Seven Last Words” Service

Many congregations order their worship on Good Friday around the seven statements that Christ spoke on the cross. The following liturgy provides an example of this type of service. Introduction In the early church, devotions were held during the three hours Christ hung on the cross, from twelve noon to three o'clock. Although records of this devotion are available from the writings of Egeria, the devotion itself did not survive and develop into a traditional devotion of the church as did other devotions of Holy Week. In the late seventeenth century, the idea of the ancient church observing three hours of devotion during the time Jesus hung on the cross was revived in Peru. This service has since been adopted by many Catholic and Protestant churches. The content of the service consists of a reflection on the last seven words of Jesus. Usually, a brief service of Scripture reading, sermon, and prayer are offered around each of Jesus' last words. A period of silence is maintained b…