|
Children, Youth, and Adults of First Parish of Sudbury, MA This script was created by Katie Lee Crane and Ginny Steel based on ideas gleaned from "In Loving Memory", by Debra F. Kelley and "A Tennebrae Liturgy for Easte, by Rev. Christine Robinson Minister: This is both a sad and a happy occasion. Today we mourn the death and celebrate the life of Jesus of Nazareth. He died on Friday. He died a terrible, awful death, crucified by his enemies. He died late on Friday afternoon—too close to sunset and the beginning of Sabbath—so we had to wrap his body and place it in a tomb until later because, in the Jewish custom, we cannot bury our dead on the Sabbath. We cannot imagine life without Jesus. He was a beloved son, a brother, and a friend. He was a teacher, a healer, and a prophet. He was too young to die. When you were with him, there was something about him you couldn't ignore. He was an observant Jew. Even though he never went to school, he knew about many things. He taught us things that weren't in books and he taught us to think about the things in our holy books in a new way. He questioned things. He did not automatically do things "the way we always do them." Instead, he thought about what makes sense in our day, to our people. I have asked some of Jesus' friends and family to speak from their hearts. Our stories about Jesus will keep his spirit alive forever and ever. John: [walks forward, picks up a candle and lights it from the Chalice] My name is John; I am one of the followers of Jesus. The day I met him, my brother James and I were sitting in the boat with our father, mending the nets. Jesus called to us;"Come and follow me and I will make you fishers of men." I know it sounds crazy, but we dropped our nets and accepted his invitation. Not only did we feel called to go, but we were willing to convince others to join us. There was something about Jesus that made everyone want to follow him. So our little group formed, men and women who thought Jesus was teaching important new ideas. He was so gentle; he cared about everyone. He could be really angry—like that day in the temple when he turned over the moneychangers' tables—but he was never mean. He just hated things that were unfair. He spoke often about the Kingdom of God and it sounded so much better than what we have now. To me, he spoke with such wisdom, anyone would want to listen. Our local leaders take their orders from the rulers in Rome. They take bribes and want to be sure that we poor people stay in our place. Jesus questioned their authority and they became increasingly jealous. That's why they murdered him. They were scared things would change if too many people listened to what Jesus was saying. What a bright light has gone out! [he blows out his candle and takes his seat slowly and sadly.] [Mary and Martha walk forward together and each lights a candle.] Mary: Many times Jesus visited our home. My sister and brother, Martha and Lazarus, live there with me. I remember his tenderness. He had such compassion! I especially remember when we thought Lazarus had died. Jesus wept with me as if Lazarus were his own brother. Then, miraculously, Lazarus got better. A lot of us believe that Jesus brought him back to life. Martha: We loved him so much. Mary spent more time with him than I did; I was always busy around the house. I know Jesus understood that cleaning and cooking was my way of respecting him, but now... I can't believe it. If only we'd known. I just can't believe he is gone. Mary: He spoke with such love that every word painted a picture in my mind. I could sit and listen to him for hours. Once I was so moved by what he was saying I washed his feet and dried them with my long hair. I guess it sounds crazy now, but at the time, it seemed just the right thing to do. It was a way to show him how humble I felt in his presence. And now...now, he's gone. He's gone. Mary and Martha: Gone! [They blow out their candles and sit down.] [Simon Peter forgets to pick up a candle or light it.] I'm such a failure! He called me "the Rock." But when he needed me most, I wasn't there for him. I had such good intentions, but when he asked me to watch and pray, I fell asleep. How could I have been so weak after all he did for me? He was always there for me. All he did was ask me to watch and pray and I FELL ASLEEP! That's not all. Jesus told me I would deny him and I promised I would never do anything like that. Then I did. Not once, not twice, but three times. I pretended I didn't know who he was. Oh, if only I could have just one more chance. I want to tell the whole world how much I loved him, how special he was, how patiently he taught me. Oh, Jesus, I am sorry, I am so sorry! Minister: Simon Peter, would you like to light a candle? [She hands him a lighted candle.] [Simon Peter: he stands there for awhile, looking at the candle, then blows it out and takes his seat without another word.] Minister: Are there others who wish to share their memories of Jesus? [Child puts a hand up, seeking recognition] Minister: Yes, [names child], did you want to say something? [Child hesitates, is encouraged by a parent, finally comes forth with parent who helps child light a candle. Then the child speaks.] Child: I liked Jesus. He told us lots of stories. One day, Jesus picked me up and said that everybody should be like little children like me. I felt really special. Why did those people kill him? He didn't do anything wrong. [Parent encourages the child to blow out the candle. They take their seats.] [It is quiet for a while, then Minister addresses Mary, Jesus' mother.] Minister: Mary do you wish to say anything? Mary: [She comes forward very slowly, obviously overcome with grief. She lights her candle. She begins tentatively, then gains momentum.] It should never have happened. Never! There was no reason. No mother should watch her son die—ever! [composure coming back] He was...he was an unusual boy from the start. To be honest he was a handful. I'll never forget the time he ran away and we found him in the temple speaking with the rabbis. I was horrified until I realized that they were actually listening to what he had to say! I'll admit there were times when he frustrated me. Especially these last few years. He was gone so much, traveling all around the countryside. Once he was so busy preaching that, when I sent word that I wanted to see him, he ignored me. But that's how he was; he was passionate about his work. I never knew from day to day whether he had food or a place to stay. He put himself in danger all the time. But how could I complain? He was speaking up for what is right. Wasn't that what I'd taught him? I was proud of him. Still, I worried and worried. What mother wouldn't? What mother wouldn't? [Mary begins to lose her composure and an unnamed man blows out her candle for her and assists her back to her seat.] Minister: You called this man Yeshua. He was your son, your brother, your kin, your friend and your teacher. He was both meek and strong, both gentle and powerful. He was hard to describe. He was different. He had new ideas. And he deeply loved the Jewish tradition. He taught those who loved and followed him a new way of life. A way based on love and fairness. It is hard to believe that someone who cared so much about love and justice would be so cruelly killed. But we will not forget his message! For his sake, we must continue to teach it to everyone who will listen. We will live as Jesus taught us to live. We will keep him alive in our hearts and in our deeds. I light this candle to remind us that out of the darkness comes light; from death comes life. I light this candle to remind us that one person can make a difference every time we help someone, every time we speak up for what matters, every time we try to love people and understand people—all kinds of people. I light this candle to remind us not only of the spirit of Jesus but of the spirits of all who are our teachers, our healers, our inspiration and our guides. Their spirit is alive. It lives this day and every day. [This light stays burning throughout the service.] Minister: On the Sunday morning after Jesus died, Mary Magdelene came running to tell the others that his body was missing from the tomb and that she thought she had seen Jesus, alive, in the garden. From the stories that have come down to us, we do not know exactly what happened. Some people were convinced Jesus had risen from the dead; others couldn't believe anything like that could happen. It is still like that today. Some people think it was a miracle with a very special meaning, some don't. Regardless of what happened that Sunday, most people believe that Jesus was a special man and that his messages of love and justice are just as important in our world today as they were in his time. That's why we tell his story over and over again. It reminds us to remember to love one another and to be fair. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Information:
info@uua.org