Thank you for joining us for Holy Week Prayer. The guide below indicates in bold type where all of us read together; the normal type is said by a single voice, and the italic type indicate instructions or references, not read aloud. A colon (:) indicates a pause.
​A PDF version of the week's prayers is found here >>

Monday
 
O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you
As the day rises to meet the sun.
​
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
 
Come, let us sing to the Lord : let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
 
With you, O Lord, is the well of life : and in your light we see light.
 
Psalm 36:5-10
Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
    And your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the strong mountains,
    your justice like the great deep :
    You save both man and beast, O Lord.
How priceless is your love, O God! :
    Your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house :
    you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life :
    in your light we see light.
Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you :
    And your favor to those who are true of heart.
 
With you, O Lord, is the well of life:
and in your light we see light.
 
Old Testament reading
1 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
    and he will bring justice to the nations.
2 He will not shout or cry out,
    or raise his voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reed he will not break,
    and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
4     he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
    In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”
 
5 This is what God the Lord says--
the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out,
    who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it,
    who gives breath to its people,
    and life to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;
    I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
    to be a covenant for the people
    and a light for the Gentiles,
7 to open eyes that are blind,
    to free captives from prison
    and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
 
8 “I am the Lord; that is my name!
    I will not yield my glory to another
    or my praise to idols.
9 See, the former things have taken place,
    and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
    I announce them to you.”
Isaiah 42:1-9 New International Version (NIV)
 
New Testament Gospel reading
3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages[a] and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.
6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
Mark 14:3-9 New International Version (NIV)
 
With you, O Lord, is the well of life:
and in your light we see light.
 
Contemporary Ugandan theologian Emmanuel Katongole has written, “Mary represents the ‘rebel consciousness’ that is essential to Jesus’ gospel.  Wherever the gospel is preached, we must remember that its good news will make you crazy. Jesus will put you at odds with the economic and political systems of our world. This gospel will force you to act, interrupting the world as it is in ways that make even pious people indignant.”
 
Prayers for others
 
Our Father (Lord's Prayer)
 
While we sat in darkness, Lord Jesus Christ, you interrupted us with your life. Make us, your people, a holy interruption so that by your Spirit’s power we may live as a light to the nations, even as we stumble through this world’s dark night. Amen.
 
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you  :
Wherever he may send you :
May he guide you through the wilderness :
Protect you through the storm :
May he bring you home rejoicing :
At the wonders he has shown you :
May he bring you home rejoicing :
Once again into our doors.

This liturgy is taken from the book, Common Prayer A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals, by Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, and Enuma Okoro, published by Zondervan, copyright 2010 by The Simple Way and School for Conversion.