A Service of Waiting Between the Times
Preface for Pastors and Leaders
Holy Saturday places us in an uneasy but honest space. After observing Good Friday and revisiting Jesus’ crucifixion and death, we naturally begin to anticipate Easter and the celebration of resurrection. Yet Holy Saturday interrupts that movement. It asks us to pause between what has ended and what has not yet begun.
This day rests between two journeys. The journey that led Jesus to the cross has reached its end. The new journey of resurrection life for all creation has not yet been revealed. Holy Saturday becomes a space of reflection that bleeds into expectation, a pause where conflicting emotions are allowed to surface. Grief and hope sit side by side. Silence speaks louder than certainty.
In many ways, Holy Saturday names the space Christians live in every day. We live between the times, between a broken world and the fullness of the kingdom that will be revealed when Jesus returns. Like the disciples, we are tempted to return to business as usual, to distract ourselves rather than wait. Holy Saturday gently resists that impulse. It invites us to rest, to remember who Jesus is and what he has done, and to trust that even in the quiet, God is still at work.
This gathering is intentionally brief and restrained. It does not resolve the tension of the day. Instead, it gives space to wait with God, to hear God’s word again, and to hold hope without rushing it. Holy Saturday teaches us how to rest between the times.
The Gathering
Gathering in Silence
People enter quietly.
The space is dim.
A single unlit candle is visible.
No music.
Opening Words
Leader:
After the cross, there is a pause.
The journey that led Jesus to death has come to its end.
The new journey of resurrection life has not yet begun.
Today we gather in that space between the times.
This is a day of waiting.
A day of reflection.
A day when grief and hope exist side by side.
We do not rush toward morning.
We rest here, trusting that God is still holding all things.
Silence.
Psalm Reading
Psalm 31:1–4, 15–16 NIV
Reader:
1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.
15 My times are in your hands;
deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
from those who pursue me.
16 Let your face shine on your servant;
save me in your unfailing love.
Silence.
Call and Response
Leader:
We wait in the space between loss and hope.
People:
Our times are in your hands.
Leader:
We do not yet see what comes next.
People:
Our times are in your hands.
Leader:
We rest in trust, even in the silence.
People:
Our times are in your hands.
Silence.
Reflection
Leader:
Holy Saturday is the day when Jesus rests in the tomb.
Nothing seems to be happening.
The stone is sealed.
The future is unclear.
The disciples wait without knowing what this story will become.
They carry grief, confusion, and questions.
They are caught between what they have lost
and what they do not yet understand.
This is a familiar place for us.
We often live between the times,
between God’s promises and their fullness,
between suffering and restoration.
Holy Saturday teaches us that waiting is not empty.
Even here, God is present.
Even here, the Spirit is at work.
Even here, Jesus remains Lord of life.
So today, we rest.
We trust that our times are in God’s hands.
And we wait for morning.
Silence.
Moment of Reflection
Leader:
Before we light the candle,
take a moment to reflect quietly.
Consider where you find yourself living between the times.
Where you are waiting.
Where answers are not yet clear.
Notice what it feels like to remain here without rushing ahead.
To rest in the pause.
To trust that God is still at work, even in silence.
Hold that place gently before God.
You do not need to resolve it.
You are not alone in it.
Silence.
Lighting of the Candle
Leader:
We light this candle to bear witness to this truth:
God’s presence has not gone out, even when everything feels still.
The candle reminds us that while Jesus rests in the tomb,
the love of God has not been extinguished.
The faithfulness of Father, Son, and Spirit continues, quietly and steadfastly.
Lighting a single candle is a way of holding hope without rushing it.
It acknowledges that we are still between the times.
Darkness has not yet lifted, but it has not won.
The leader slowly lights the single candle.
No words are spoken.
Silence is kept.
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