Ship of Fools: "The Three Hours" on Good Friday

Thread: "The Three Hours" on Good Friday Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Liturgylover (# 15711) on :

Does anyone know the background to the Three Hours Good Friday service? I attended one at St Martin-in-the Fields a couple of years ago and it was a moving series of readings, hymns, choral pieces, silence and brief reflections broken up into convenient half-hour slots for people to come and go.

The popularity for this service seems to have waned and has been replaced by the Good Friday Liturgy (Passion reading, Veneration of the Cross and Holy Communion from reserved element) though I notice a few parishes stick to the traditional three hour slot including the the formal liturgy and adding elements of reflection and preaching before it.

Posted by Angloid (# 159) on :

Jesuit, innit?

Posted by leo (# 1458) on :

Yes. Before the liturgical reforms of the last century, the Good Friday liturgy was celebrated by a handful of people in the early morning so churches needed some sort of popular service for the laity. Stations is one of them, the 3 hours the other.

The 3 hours has become so imbedded in people's consciousness that some churches do 1 1/2 hours of devotion and then start the proper liturgy at 1.30pm

Posted by malik3000 (# 11437) on :

The Church of Our Saviour in Atlanta, the highest up the candle in the city, has the Good Friday Liturgy between 12 and 3. To make it last 3 hours, at the time in the liturgy prescribed for the sermon, they have a hymn and a sermon for each of the 7 last words

Posted by ken (# 2460) on :

We do it. No idea when it started. Our vicar reduced it to two hours a few years ago, but only once. Everyone agreed we needed three.

It works. People come and go. Over the whole period its easily our best- attended non-Sunday service of the year, other than Christmas.

The various "reflections" and songs and readings have been the first opportunity for many lay people to take part in a church service "from the front".

Its also a very serious opportunity for us to collectively think and talk about stuff we ignore most of the time.

If only there was a real Saturday service other than the (from our point of view) new fashion on starting Easter early.

Posted by PD (# 12436) on :

Jebby and 17th century in origin, but widely adopted by High and then middle of the road Anglicans c.1870-80. It eventually made its way into Lowish circles round 1900s. In Anglo-Catholic circles it was strictly speaking an extra with the proper liturgy being early in the morning, whereas in MOTR and Low circles it could be the GF service.

In 19 years in Holy Orders I have only ever done one. I am far more used to the 1662/English Hymnal Litany, Ante-Communion, Solemn Collects, reproaches and veneration, or Matins, Litany and Ante-Communion than I am to the Three Hours.

PD

Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on :

quote:
Originally posted by malik3000:
To make it last 3 hours, at the time in the liturgy prescribed for the sermon, they have a hymn and a sermon for each of the 7 last words

Or you could just sing "Oh Sacred Head Sore Wounded" a capella without a choir director to keep the congregation on tempo. That could get you to three hours easy...

Posted by venbede (# 16669) on :

The main thing is that there is lots of silence.

My experience is that the Good Friday Liturgy is incorporated into it, either in the last hour or spread out over the period.

Posted by Bishops Finger (# 5430) on :

Silence is vital, whatever rite or length of service you opt for.

We have Morning Prayer at 930am, with the Solemn Liturgy at 11am. A notice in the church porch says 'Welcome! Coffee and Hot-Cross-Buns in the Hall. Please keep silence in the Church both before and after the services. Thank you.'

This seems to work, and makes it easier for those who wish to use the Church for private prayer.

Ian J.

Posted by Spiffy (# 5267) on :

From my parish's web page:

quote:
On Good Friday the church is as bare as death. Seven preachers offer seven reflections of Jesus’ last words from the cross, interspersed with prayer, hymns, and music to die for, performed by our treasured annual musical guests from all over. This year for the first time we welcome the Quadraphonnes saxophone quartet.

I can't comment on it 'cause I'm always at work and have never actually seen it in action. We do the traditional service in the evening.

Posted by Enoch (# 14322) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Spiffy:
From my parish's web page:

quote:
On Good Friday the church is as bare as death. Seven preachers offer seven reflections of Jesus’ last words from the cross, interspersed with prayer, hymns, and music to die for, performed by our treasured annual musical guests from all over. This year for the first time we welcome the Quadraphonnes saxophone quartet.
I can't comment on it 'cause I'm always at work and have never actually seen it in action. We do the traditional service in the evening.

What do you mean by 'traditional'? It's clear even from this thread that there are many different ways of keeping Good Friday. I've encountered all sorts of ways over a long life time of 'doing' it. Is 'traditional' something more specific than 'how my church has always done it'?

Posted by venbede (# 16669) on :

By "traditional", spiffy almost certainly means the Good Friday liturgy, with John's passion, solomn prayers, veneration of the cross and communion from the reserved sacrament.

I don't see anything wrong in calling that "traditional".

Incidentally, she highligts something the English tend to forget, namely they are unusual in having Good Friday as a public holiday. If it was a working day, the "traditional" liturgy would take place after work, as I believe it does in France and obviously chez spiffy.

Posted by Pearl B4 Swine (# 11451) on :

My church has a slice of the Three Hour Service at an ecumenical deal at the Big Lutheran Church in town. The plan is the seven last words. We have #2 this year. They stick to the timing plan pretty well. My choir is singing "All you who pass this way", from the Taize collection.

Then, we have an evening service at our own (Episcopal) place. From the BCP, communion from Reserved Sacrament, followed by the Stations of the Cross.

We also had the all-night Vigil with people signed up to watch & pray from 9PM Thurs. night to 9 Am today, with MP following.

Posted by Spiffy (# 5267) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Enoch:

quote:
Originally posted by Spiffy:
We do the traditional service in the evening.
What do you mean by 'traditional'?

I mean, "The service begins on page 267 in the red Book of Common Prayer."

Posted by leo (# 1458) on :

quote:
Originally posted by venbede:
By "traditional", spiffy almost certainly means the Good Friday liturgy, with John's passion, solomn prayers, veneration of the cross and communion from the reserved sacrament.

I don't see anything wrong in calling that "traditional".

Indeed - it goes back 17 centuries.

Posted by PD (# 12436) on :

In my parish the tradition has evolved considerably over the years as to what is done on Good Friday. They originally had a the Three Hours which had the Seven Last Words followed by the Stations in an expanded form. The next version was 'Ante-Communion followed by Stations.' Then they just did Stations of the Cross for a few years.

The present arrangement is MP, Litany, and Ante-Communion with a sermon in the morning which gets the older or strict BCP folks, and Ante-Communion, Sermon, Reproaches and Veneration of the Cross in the evening, which seems to attract everyone else.

The other Anglican shack does the Three Hours, and the TEC parish Stations at Noon, and the GFL in the evening.

PD

Posted by venbede (# 16669) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Spiffy:

quote:
Originally posted by Enoch:

quote:
Originally posted by Spiffy:
We do the traditional service in the evening.
What do you mean by 'traditional'?
I mean, "The service begins on page 267 in the red Book of Common Prayer."

Giggle.

Posted by Try (# 4951) on :

I went to part of a three hour service for the second time in my life last week. In my county it's an ecuminical affair that alternates between being hosted by my Episcopal parish and one of the local ELCA parishes- the one EC parish in an overwhelmingly pietist area. An assortment of mainline protestant ministers preach, and people come and go as they need to- the service is noon to three. I work evenings so I missed the proper liturgy.

Posted by Saint Hedrin the Lesser-Known (# 11399) on :

The service I attended was the Good Friday liturgy... that lasted three hours.

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