Holy Textures

Good Friday Resources

The United Church of Canada's worship resource, Celebrating God's Presence, has - among other blessings - an excellent Prayer of Confession listed in Ash Wednesday. It struck me as also appropriate for Good Friday, possibly to be used in place of the traditional "Remonstrations."

And the poem, No Words, by Anne LeDressay which opens the Preface also struck me as completely appropriate for Good Friday.

For those of you who can open Microsoft Word documents, click here, or click here for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version.

I've also updated a responsive litany based on The Seven Last Words of Christ. Click here for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version.

Matthew 4:1-11

Read the passage: The Message   or   The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

My comments for this text are drawn directly from, Social Sciences Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, Second Edition, 2003, by Bruce J. Malina and Richard L. Rohrbaugh, Fortress Press.

Matthew has made extraordinary claims for the unknown son of an unknown carpenter from a backwater unknown hamlet. If we are to believe Matthew, his claims about Jesus must pass the severest test.

In Job, Satan acts as a secret agent of God who tests the loyalty of Job through a series of tragic calamities. Indeed, the name "Satan," comes from the Persian for just such a person - a secret agent of the King who secretly tests subjects loyalty to the King.