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But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed – Isaiah 53:5 (KJV) Let me now therefore, once more, before I finally cease to speak to this congregation, repeat, and earnestly press the counsel which I have often urged on the heads of families, while I was their pastor, to great painfulness in teaching, warning, and directing their children; bringing them up in the training and admonition of the Lord; beginning early, where there is yet opportunity, and maintaining constant diligence in all labors of this kind. … Every Christian family ought to be as it were a little church, consecrated to Christ, and wholly influenced and governed by His rules. And family education and order are some of the chief means of grace. If these fail, all other means are likely to prove ineffectual.” – Jonathan Edwards [PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.timothypauljones.com/family-ministry-as-it-were-a-little-church-the-puritan-model-for-family-discipleship/] https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/11/leading-family-worship-by-joel-beeke.html https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/11/leading-family-worship-by-joel-beeke_27.html |
Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, or Friday of the Passion of the Lord, is a solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary (Golgotha). It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum.
For this Good Friday, I will post different Good Friday Prayers before posting an article on how the Amish celebrate Good Friday.
Most loving Jesus, meek
Lamb of God, I, a miserable sinner, salute and worship the most Sacred Wound of
Your Shoulder on which You bore Your heavy Cross which so tore Your flesh and
laid bare Your bones as to inflict on You an anguish greater than any other
wound of Your Most Blessed Body. I adore You, O Jesus most sorrowful; I
praise and glorify You, and give You thanks for this most sacred and painful
Wound, beseeching You by that exceeding pain, and by the crushing burden of
Your heavy Cross, to be merciful to me, a sinner, to forgive me all my mortal
and venial sins, and to lead me on towards Heaven along the Way of Your
Cross. Amen. https://padrepioministry.org/prayers-information/wounds-of-christ-prayers/ [PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=23880794288262137&]
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When someone sets his affections upon the cross and the love of Christ, he crucifies the world as a dead and undesirable thing. The baits of sin lose their attraction and disappear. Fill your affections with the cross of Christ and you will find no room for sin. - John Owen [PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.azquotes.com/quote/864238] https://lutherandcalvinbrigade914.blogspot.com/2020/08/quote-from-john-owen-work-of-spirit-in.html |
Valley of Vision is a compilation of Puritan prayers:
Christ was all anguish that I might be all joy,
cast off that I might be brought in,
trodden down as an enemy that I might be welcomed as a friend,
surrendered to hell's worst that I might attain heaven's best,
stripped that I might be clothed,
wounded that I might be healed,
athirst that I might drink,
tormented that I might be comforted,
made a shame that I might inherit glory,
entered darkness that I might have eternal light.
My Savior wept that all tears might be wiped from my eyes,
groaned that I might have endless song,
endured all pain that I might have unfading health,
bore a thorned crown that I might have a glory-diadem,
bowed his head that I might uplift mine,
experienced reproach that I might receive welcome,
closed his eyes in death that I might gaze on unclouded brightness,
expired that I might for ever live.
https://ponderingthecross.blogspot.com/2009/04/puritan-prayer-on-good-friday.html
Lord Jesus, you are my
righteousness, I am your sin. You have taken upon yourself what is mine and
given me what is yours.” – Martin Luther prayer on Jesus https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/11/sermon-by-cornelis-kleyn-lords-day-1.html
A Prayer For Good Friday (Lutheran Book of Prayer)
"O Christ, Lamb of God, slain for the sin of the whole world, with penitent heart I come to Your cross, pleading for mercy and forgiveness. My sins -- and they are many -- have added to the burden of Your suffering and have nailed You to the accursed tree. For me You tasted the agony of the utter darkness that I might not perish, but have everlasting life. Have mercy upon me.
O Christ, Lamb of God, embrace me with Your love, and forgive me all my sins. Your death brings healing to my soul, peace to my mind, cleansing to my heart. If You would mark iniquity, I could not come, for my hands are unclean, my lips are sullied, and my heart is blackened by sin. But beholding You bleeding, despised, forsaken, dying, pierced, I come to be cleansed and forgiven.
O Christ, Lamb of God, grant that I may hate sin and wickedness more and more as I behold You in Your great agony. My grateful heart today finds hope in Your words, comfort in Your promises, and salvation in Your finished work on the cross, by which You have overcome sin, Satan, and death. O Lord, have mercy. O Christ, have mercy. O Lord, hear my prayer. Amen."
-- A Prayer For Good Friday (Lutheran Book of Prayer)
http://www.lutheranlayman.com/2017/04/a-prayer-for-good-friday.html
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"We and our families stand in need of blessings in a domestic capacity, therefore in that capacity we should pray for them; in that capacity too we receive many blessings; therefore in that capacity we should return thanks for them; and singing of psalms is the most proper method of thanksgiving." — ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฌ, "The Necessity and Excellence of Family Religion" in ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ก ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ , Vol. 2 (1849 ed.), p. 47 [pictured: Jennie A. Brownscombe, ๐โ๐ ๐น๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐กโ (1914)] [PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=509582272104703&set=a.107210572341877] https://offgridsurvival.com/puritan-living/ https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/11/leading-family-worship-by-joel-beeke.html https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/11/leading-family-worship-by-joel-beeke_27.html |
The Sacred Observance of Good Friday…
March 25, 2024·By Scott
Greetings from our Amish community, where the beauty of Spring is bringing joy and blessings.
As we anticipate the observance of Good Friday this coming week, it's a privilege to share how the Amish community honors this significant day.
Good Friday is a time of reflection and spiritual reverence for the Amish. It's not a day for work or business but a day of rest and fasting. Necessary chores for livestock care are tended to, but the emphasis is on peaceful contemplation that mirrors a simple and faith-filled way of life.
One unique aspect of each Amish community is its division into multiple districts. Each district has its own school and its own church organization. During Easter, many neighboring districts coordinate their services, with one holding their church service on Good Friday and the other on Easter. This arrangement allows the ministers from both districts to come together to assist at both services and allows any families who wish to attend both services to do so.
Fasting is a significant part of the Amish Good Friday tradition. Baptized members abstain from food and drink until the noon meal to create a deeper connection with Jesus's sacrifice.
While fasting is expected of baptized church members, unbaptized children and teens are not required to participate. The Amish believe that young people should gradually be introduced to the deeper aspects of their faith and that the decision to participate in fasting should be made when they are spiritually prepared.
Amish families pray together throughout the morning on Good Friday, reflecting on Jesus's life and teachings. They read passages from the Bible, particularly those related to the crucifixion and resurrection, and engage in heartfelt discussions about the profound meaning of these events. This shared spiritual experience strengthens the bonds within the family and fosters a deeper sense of connection to God.
The spirit of family and community extends beyond church services on Good Friday. After the day's observances, many Amish families engage in leisurely activities together. This might involve working on jigsaw or word puzzles, reflecting their appreciation for simple, wholesome entertainment. Others might hitch up their buggy to visit family members or welcome visitors into their homes, reinforcing the strong sense of community integral to Amish life.
Good Friday is a time for deep spiritual reflection, fasting, prayer, and family togetherness among the Amish. Through these practices, they honor Jesus's sacrifice and seek to align their hearts and minds with the true meaning of Easter.
In addition to crafting heirloom baskets for our AmishBaskets.com website, our dedicated Amish families have been actively engaged in various tasks this week.
“Let family worship be
short, savory, simple, tender, heavenly.” – Richard Cecil 6 And these words
that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them
diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house,
and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. – Deuteronomy
6:6-7 (ESV) PHOTO CAPTION: Amish
family praying together before dinner [PHOTO SOURCE: https://au.pinterest.com/pin/317081630014236023/] https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/11/leading-family-worship-by-joel-beeke.html https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/11/leading-family-worship-by-joel-beeke_27.html
The Mast family's daughters are conducting a unique project in their strawberry patch. They are experimenting to see if they can coax their early-ripening variety of strawberry plants to yield edible fruit as early as April. To achieve this, they have diligently fertilized the plants and provided extra care, including covering them at night for protection and uncovering them during warm days. Their efforts have begun to pay off as the plants bloomed this week. The girls are thrilled with the prospect of enjoying homegrown strawberries in the near future.
1 Children, obey your
parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father
and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that
it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 4 Fathers,
do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and
instruction of the Lord. – Ephesians 6:1-4 (ESV) “Where
the heart is rightly disposed, it doth not demand any uncommon abilities to
discharge family worship in a decent and edifying manner.” – George Whitefield An Amish family gathers
for a meal around their kitchen table. | David Turnley/GettyImages [PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.mentalfloss.com/culture/misconceptions-about-the-amish] https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/11/leading-family-worship-by-joel-beeke.html https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/11/leading-family-worship-by-joel-beeke_27.html
On Tuesday and Wednesday evenings this week, the Yoder family's men and boys visited their English neighbor's extensive egg production farm to assist in the replacement of aging chickens with younger ones. They waited until the early evening when the lights in the chicken coop were turned off. While the chickens were asleep, they could easily approach them, pick up four at a time, and carry them to the waiting trailer equipped with cages. The project was spread over two evenings with nearly 20,000 chickens needing removal.
14 “Now therefore fear the
Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that
your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And
if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will
serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or
the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house,
we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:14-15 (ESV) Stanley Knepp along with
his wife, Shannon, and their children — Bryant, 12, Cody, 11, Darius, 10,
Tyler, 8, Zachary, 5, and Andrea, 3 — sang “Be Present at Our Table” as a song
of grace before eating dinner in their Loogootee home Dec. 30. Stanley, who described
his family’s beliefs as on the more conservative side of the Mennonite faith,
said the family will sometimes sing a “grace song” before a meal, as opposed to
a nonmusical prayer. He said his family will always dismiss from the table with
a song. [PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.jacobwiegand.com/simply-believers] https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/11/leading-family-worship-by-joel-beeke.html https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/11/leading-family-worship-by-joel-beeke_27.html
This week, Elizabeth was busy planting peas in their garden, nurturing the soil with care and anticipation. She looks forward to expanding their garden with radishes, beets, carrots, and dill next week, weather permitting. Meanwhile, Bennie devoted his Friday afternoon to replacing the shoes of the family's team of Percheron workhorses—a task that once took him less than an hour. With a reflective smile, he admits that the job takes longer now, and his back reminds him he's not as young as he once was.
"Teach a child to be aware of and appreciate God's fingerprints on nature. All children take an interest in something and if God's creation holds no attraction to them then likely the lusts of this world will."
— Amish Wisdom
“Where
the heart is rightly disposed, it doth not demand any uncommon abilities to
discharge family worship in a decent and edifying manner.” – George Whitefield 6 And these words
that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them
diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house,
and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. – Deuteronomy
6:6-7 (ESV) PHOTO CAPTION: The
Martin family gathers at their table in Halfway, as a neighbor child (on the
left) also joins them. The Mennonite family is devoted to their Christian
faith, and avoids worldly influences that would distract them from God. Shanna Sissom/Plainview
Herald [PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.myplainview.com/news/article/Mennonite-family-has-life-filled-with-devotion-8421237.php] https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/11/leading-family-worship-by-joel-beeke.html https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/11/leading-family-worship-by-joel-beeke_27.html
RELATED LINKS:
Family Worship:
1a. “Teach your children that worshipping God is the greatest calling in our lives. Teach them that they were created to glorify God.” — Joel R. Beeke
PHOTO: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=959425863131154&set=pb.100071912463252.-2207520000&type=3
https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/11/leading-family-worship-by-joel-beeke.html
https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/11/leading-family-worship-by-joel-beeke_27.html
1b. "We and our families stand in need of
blessings in a domestic capacity, therefore in that capacity we should pray for
them; in that capacity too we receive many blessings; therefore in that
capacity we should return thanks for them; and singing of psalms is the most
proper method of thanksgiving." — ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฌ, "The Necessity
and Excellence of Family Religion" in ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ก ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ , Vol. 2 (1849 ed.), p.
47 [pictured: Jennie A. Brownscombe, ๐โ๐ ๐น๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐กโ (1914)]
[PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=509582272104703&set=a.107210572341877]
PHOTO: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=939231141817293&set=pb.100071912463252.-2207520000&type=3
1c. “Let family worship be short, savory,
simple, tender, heavenly.” – Richard Cecil
6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall
teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in
your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you
rise. – Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (ESV)
PHOTO CAPTION: Amish family praying together before dinner
PHOTO: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=881721957568212&set=a.747880644285678
“Every Christian family ought to be as it were a little church, consecrated to Christ, and wholly influenced and governed by His rules. And family education and order are some of the chief means of grace. If these fail, all other means are likely to prove ineffectual.” – Jonathan Edwards
1d. "We and our families stand in need of blessings in a domestic capacity, therefore in that capacity we should pray for them; in that capacity too we receive many blessings; therefore in that capacity we should return thanks for them; and singing of psalms is the most proper method of thanksgiving." — ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฌ, "The Necessity and Excellence of Family Religion" in ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ก ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ , Vol. 2 (1849 ed.), p. 47 [pictured: Jennie A. Brownscombe, ๐โ๐ ๐น๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐กโ (1914)]
This blog post is Part 2 of a Sermon by Joel Beeke about Leading Family Worship. Please see Part 1 before reading this.
