Serious stillness

Serious stillness
Good Friday

Good Friday is always a public holiday in the United Kingdom, regardless of where Easter and school holidays fall. This means it is increasingly an opportunity for churches to engage with a range of ages. However, Good Friday presents particular challenges. The profoundly moving solemn liturgies use silence, sometimes music, profound reflections and complex language to help explore the deepest of Christian mysteries. These things are not the easiest for younger people to engage with – and can also be difficult for those who face physical challenges. Yet the story concerns the ultimate universal truth that Christians celebrate: that God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Everyone includes all ages.

This worship outline is offered as a way of helping all ages share together in the story of Good Friday, and includes times of silence and stillness as well as the opportunity to respond creatively. Remember that children are often deeply engaged by Taizé and similar worship involving candles, images and chants, which gives them an opportunity to encounter faith rather than be educated or entertained by stories...

Taken from Festivals Together by Sandra Millar