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A storytelling/dramatic reading version of the passion reading for Palm Sunday. I hope people will take and use this - just please give me credit for the arrangement. Also, I would love to hear from you if you do use this. Passion For 7 voices Arranged by Alan Irvine The
general idea is that of witnesses; that each reader is a witness to some of the
events of the passion, which they are relating to the congregation. To this end, the reading is divided into
sections, each one assigned to a single reader.
(Each reader has a couple of sections.)
There are three places – the arrest, Peter's denials, Pilate and the
crowd – where multiple readers have short pieces, a verse or even a piece of a
verse. These are places where there is
an exchange of dialogue; each reader is relating one part of the exchange. The idea here is that several people
witnessed this event and are chiming in, even correcting each other
("Jesus said…" "But then
Peter said…" "But
then…") The readers in these
sections should be ready to come in quickly one after another to give this
feeling of multiple witnesses discussing/haggling over what they saw
happen. At the crucifixion scene
itself, there are also a number of short parts, but the intention here is
different. The pace here is slower, as
each one contributes another piece of the scene. Rather than correcting/interrupting each
other, here the witnesses are building
on each other's testimony, slowly and deliberately. Reader
1: When the hour came, he took his place at the
table, and the apostles with him. He
said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before
I suffer; for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the Reader
2: A dispute also arose among them as to which one
of them was to be regarded as the greatest.
But he said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them;
and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather the greatest
among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who
serves. For who is greater, the one who
is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am
among you as one who serves. You are
those who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer on you, just as my Father
has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my
kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of "Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded
to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your own faith
may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your
brothers." And he said to him, "Lord, I am
ready to go with you to prison and to death!" Jesus said, "I
tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you have denied three
times that you know me." Reader
3: He said to them, "When I sent you out
without a purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?" They said,
"No, not a thing." He said to them,
"But now, the one who has a purse must take it, and likewise a bag. And
the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you, this scripture must be
fulfilled in me, 'And he was counted among the lawless'; and indeed what is
written about me is being fulfilled." They said, "Lord,
look, here are two swords." He replied, "It is enough." Reader
4: He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Then he withdrew from
them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, remove this
cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done." Then an angel from
heaven appeared to him and gave him strength.
In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great
drops of blood falling down on the ground.
When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them
sleeping because of grief, and he said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get
up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial." Reader
5: While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd
came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He
approached Jesus to kiss him; Reader
3: but Jesus said to him, "Judas, is it with a
kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?" Reader
6: When those who were around him saw what was
coming, they asked, "Lord, should we strike with the sword?" Reader 4: Then one of them struck the slave of the high
priest and cut off his right ear. Reader
1: But Jesus said, "No more of
this!" And he touched his ear and
healed him. Reader 7: Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the
officers of the temple police, and the elders who had come for him, "Have
you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit? When I was with you
day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your
hour, and the power of darkness!" Reader
4: Then they seized him and led him away, bringing
him into the high priest's house. But Peter was following at a distance. When they
had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter
sat among them. Then a servant-girl,
seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said, "This man also was
with him." Reader 2: But he denied it, saying, "Woman, I do not
know him." Reader
4: A little
later someone else, on seeing him, said, "You also are one of them." Reader
2: But Peter said, "Man, I am not!" Reader
4: Then about an hour later still another kept
insisting, "Surely this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean."
Reader
2: But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what
you are talking about!" Reader
4: At that moment, while he was still speaking, the
cock crowed. The Lord turned and looked
at Peter. Reader
2: Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how
he had said to him, "Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three
times." And he went out and wept
bitterly. Reader
6: Now the men who were holding Jesus began to mock
him and beat him; they also blindfolded him and kept asking him,
"Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?" They kept heaping many other insults on him. When day came, the
assembly of the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, gathered
together, and they brought him to their council. They said, "If you are the Messiah, tell
us." He replied, "If I
tell you, you will not believe; and if I question you, you will not
answer. But from now on the Son of Man
will be seated at the right hand of the power of God." All of them asked,
"Are you, then, the Son of God?" He said to them, "You say that
I am." Then they said, "What further testimony do we need? We have
heard it ourselves from his own lips!" Reader
5: Then the assembly rose as a body and brought
Jesus before Pilate. They began to
accuse him, saying, "We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding
us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a
king." Then Pilate asked him,
"Are you the king of the Jews?" He answered, "You say so." Then Pilate said to
the chief priests and the crowds, "I find no basis for an accusation
against this man." But they were
insistent and said, "He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all
Judea, from When Pilate heard
this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean.
And when he learned that he was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him
off to Herod, who was himself in Reader
7: When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he
had been wanting to see him for a long time, because he had heard about him and
was hoping to see him perform some sign.
He questioned him at some length, but Jesus gave him no answer. The chief priests and the scribes stood by,
vehemently accusing him. Even Herod with
his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant
robe on him, and sent him back to Pilate.
That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other; before
this they had been enemies. Reader
5: Pilate then called together the chief priests,
the leaders, and the people, and said to them, "You brought me this man as
one who was perverting the people; and here I have examined him in your
presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against
him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him
back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death. I will therefore have him flogged and release
him." Reader
6: Then they all shouted out together, Congregation:
"Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!" Reader
6: (This was
a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in
the city, and for murder.) Reader
5: Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them
again; Reader
6: but they kept shouting, Congregation: "Crucify, crucify him!" Reader
5: A third time he said to them, "Why, what
evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I
will therefore have him flogged and then release him." Reader
6: But they kept urgently demanding with loud
shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed. Reader
5: So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand
should be granted. He released the man
they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder,
and he handed Jesus over as they wished. Reader
3: As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon
of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and
made him carry it behind Jesus. A great number of the people followed him, and
among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. But Jesus turned to them and said,
"Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and
for your children. For the days are
surely coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that
never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.'
Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us'; and to the
hills, 'Cover us.' For if they do this
when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?" Congregation stands (if your church does not traditionally have the congregation stand at this point, you can omit this. The standing disrupts the reading a bit, but in many denominations, the tradition of standing here is important.) Reader
4: Two others also, who were criminals, were led
away to be put to death with him. When they came to the place that is called
The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and
one on his left. Reader
3: Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for
they do not know what they are doing." Reader
7: And they cast lots to divide his clothing. Reader
1: And the people stood by, watching; but the
leaders scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if
he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!" Reader 5: The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and
offering him sour wine, and saying,
"If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" There was also an
inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews." Reader
2: One of the criminals who were hanged there kept
deriding him and saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and
us!" But the other rebuked him,
saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of
condemnation? And we indeed have been
condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this
man has done nothing wrong." Then
he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied,
"Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Reader
6: It was now about noon, and darkness came over
the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun's light failed; and
the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said,
"Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." Having said this, he
breathed his last. Silence Reader 1: When the centurion saw what had taken place, he
praised God and said, "Certainly this man was innocent." And when all the crowds who had gathered
there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating
their breasts. But all his
acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Reader 2: Now there was a good and righteous man named
Joseph, who, though a member of the council, had not agreed to their plan and
action. He came from the Jewish town of
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