Chimayo Road Cross. Photo by T.K. Thompson/ladailypost.com

This Friday, March 29 from noon until approximately 3 p.m., at Trinity on the Hill Episcopal Church, the Los Alamos community is invited to a unique Good Friday service that features the ministry of six different churches in town. 

The service of “The Seven Last Words” is a distinctive worship service of prayer, song and reflection.

During the three hours, priests, pastors, and ministers from Los Alamos’s diversity of Christian churches are each given an opportunity for a seven-10 minute reflection on a specific phrase spoken by Jesus during his crucifixion. 

This rare ecumenical opportunity began in 1985 when Trinity on the Hill’s (then) new rector, Fr. Colin Kelly III, was searching for a special Good Friday service. 

The first three-hour service was a solo endeavor that within a few years grew to inviting clergy from three other churches. 

The commitment to promoting unity among different Christian faiths has expanded to include clergy from Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church, The United Church, White Rock Baptist Church, First United Methodist Church, Grace Vineyard Fellowship, and White Rock Presbyterian Church USA. 

In reflecting on the history, Kelly states, “this service is the greatest gift to myself,” acknowledging the unusual opportunity to hear gifted speakers from throughout Los Alamos.

The service is “come and go” and all are welcome to drop in for 15 minutes, during the lunch hour, or to savor this spiritual time for the entire three hours. 

The Trinity on the Hill Chancel Choir provides music during the first hour and the brief sermons are interspersed with prayer and meditation. 

“The Seven Last Words” is Friday, March 29, 12-3 p.m. at Trinity on the Hill Episcopal Church, 3900 Trinity Dr. (at the corner of Diamond Drive, Canyon Road and Trinity Drive.)

For information, call 662-5107.