 TENEBRAE

April 10, 2020 7:00 p.m.

EXPLANATION OF THE SERVICE “The death of Christ, our Lord, we celebrate…” says one of the hymns of Passion Week. Good Friday brings us to the heart of that celebrating, combing elements of sorrow and love, despair and victory, death and life. Through the words and the actions of this service we observe the completion of Jesus’ saving work and pass into the shadows of Tenebrae as our Lord’s body is placed in the tomb.

THE SERVICE OF TENEBRAE

PRELUDE “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” -Hopson

TOLLING OF THE BELL

OPENING HYMN “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” LSB 450 st. 1-3, 5

INVOCATION  The sign of the cross  may be made by all in remembrance of their . L: In the name of the Father and of the  Son and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen.

COLLECT OF THE DAY

L: Let us pray together. All: Almighty God, graciously behold this Your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was betrayed into the hands of sinners and suffered death upon the Cross; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

HYMN “Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted” LSB 451 st. 1 & 4

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HOLY GOSPEL John 19:17-30

L: The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the 19th chapter.

C:

17 and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in , and in Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” 23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24 so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” So the soldiers did these things, 25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

L: This is the Gospel of the Lord.

C:

THE TENEBRAE SEQUENCE JESUS IS SENTENCED TO DEATH

L: Humbly we adore You, O Christ, and we proclaim Your saving love. C: By Your holy cross and precious blood You have redeemed the world.

L: Almighty and everlasting God, who hates nothing which You have made and forgives the sins of all who are penitent, create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain from You, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. C: Amen.

L: Luke 23:13-25 (Pilate finds no guilt in Christ.)

[The first candle is extinguished] 2 HYMN “O Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken” LSB 439 st. 1

THE CROSS CARRIED TO CALVARY

L: God forbid that I should glory: C: Except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

L: Almighty and everlasting God, since You govern and sanctify the whole Christian Church by Your Holy Spirit, hear our prayers for all its members, and mercifully grant that by Your grace, we may serve You in true faith; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. C: Amen.

L: Luke 23:26-31 (Simon of Cyrene carries the cross of Christ.)

[The second candle is extinguished]

HYMN “O Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken” LSB 439 st. 2

3 JESUS’ CLOTHES ARE DIVIDED

L: O Lord, deal not with us after our sins. C: do not reward us according to our iniquities.

L: O God, merciful Father, because You do not despise contrite hearts and have mercy on the sorrowful, graciously hear our prayers in the midst of our troubles and adversities. Frustrate the way of wickedness; guard us from evil angels and sharpen our defenses against the cunning craft of the adversary. Increase our faith that we may boldly engage in being Your servants in action and praise; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. C: Amen.

L: Luke 23:32-34 (Guilty criminals are crucified with the innocent Christ.)

[The third candle is extinguished]

HYMN “O Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken” LSB 439 st. 3

JESUS IS MOCKED

L: Help us, O God of our salvation, to proclaim the glory of Your name. C: Deliver us and purge away our sins for Your name’s sake.

L: O Lord, though we deserve Your wrath and punishment, spare us by Your grace that we may be turned away from evils that destroy us and be guided into Your ways of eternal truth and life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen.

L: Luke 23:35-38 (Spectators and soldiers mock the Christ.)

[The fourth candle is extinguished]

HYMN “O Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken” LSB 439 st. 4

4 JESUS SPEAKS FROM THE CROSS

L: Call on Me in the day of trouble. C: I will deliver you, and you will glorify Me.

L: Almighty God, our heavenly Father, because You desire life for sinners, deliver us from those things that would seek to destroy us and deprive us of the righteousness that is ours through Christ Jesus, our Lord. C: Amen.

L: Luke 23:39-43 (The criminals ridicule the authority of Christ.)

[The fifth candle is extinguished]

HYMN “O Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken” LSB 439 st. 5

THE DEATH OF JESUS

L: O Lord, enter not into judgment with your servants. C: For in Your sight shall no person living be justified.

L: Almighty God, since You know that we are set in the midst of many and great dangers, and that by reason of our own frailty, we cannot withstand every evil assault, grant us such strength and protection to defend us in the face of dangers, relief from the burden of temptation, and faith to comprehend Your grace when we fail; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. C: Amen.

L: Luke 23:44-49 (Darkness engulfs the land as Christ breathes His last.)

[The sixth candle is extinguished]

5 HYMN “O Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken” LSB 439 st. 6

There was no spot in me by sin un - t a i n t - ed ;

Sick with sin ’ s p o i s - on, all my h ea r t h ad fa i n t - ed ;

My heav -y guilt to hell had well - n i g h

brought me Such woe it wrought me.

THE

L: You will not abandon Me to the grave, C: Nor will You let Your Holy one see decay.

L: Abide with us, Lord, for it is evening, and the day is far spent. Continually abide with us and with Your whole Church on earth, that by Word and sacraments we may be sustained until we reach our heavenly home. And when death nears, keep us from fear and despair, grounding us securely in the comfort and solace of Your Holy Spirit; through Christ our Lord. C: Amen.

L: Luke 23:50-55 (A man named Joseph tends to Jesus’ burial.)

[The seventh candle is extinguished]

L: Let us pray together. C: Merciful and everlasting God, who spared not Your only Son, but delivered Him up for us all, that He might bear our sins upon the cross, grant that our hearts may be fixed upon Him that we may not fear the power of any adversary; through the same, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

HYMN “O Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken” LSB 439 st. 7

O wond - rous love, whose depth no heart hath sound - ed,

That brought Thee here, by foes and thieves sur - round - ed!

All world - ly plea - sures, heed - less, I was

try - ing While Thou wert dy - ing.

6 GATHERING OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS

THE LORD’S PRAYER

L: Lord Remember us in Your Kingdom and teach us to pray… C: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

OBSERVANCE OF CHRIST’S DEATH (The service concludes in darkness signifying the darkness over the land at the time of Christ’s death)

The READING from ISAIAH 53 (The significance of the crucifixion prophesied by Isaiah. The slamming of the book after the reading, symbolizes the completion of Christ’s work of redemption)

1 Who has believed what they heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death

7 The REMOVAL of the LIGHT (The final candle is removed signifying the moment of Christ's death)

CHORAL ANTHEM “Tis Finished” -Robert Shaw Performed by Robert Shaw Chorale

Tis finished So the Savior cried And meekly bowed His head and died

Tis finished Yes the race is run The battle fought the vict'rys won

Tis finished So the Savior cried And meekly bowed His head and died

The RETURN of the LIGHT (The is returned signifying our eager expectation of Christ’s Resurrection)

CHORAL ANTHEM “Christ To Thee Be Glory” -Heinrich Schuetz Performed by Vocalitas Nova- Dresden/Leipzig Germany

Translation:

Christ to Thee be Glory Who didst bear the pain Who by crucifixion didst man's redemption gain

And reignest with the Father in eternity Help us weary sinners into heaven with Thee Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison.

The STATEMENT of REDEMPTION

L: It is finished! You are redeemed. Now go and live in the hope of the resurrection.

Serving Us Today In God’s House Officiating Gregory Paul, James Schultz Music Gregory Paul Cello Thomas Paul Tech Assistant Steven Carpenter

Acknowledgments Hymns: Concordia Publishing House, Used by permission, license #10002715 Our Hymnal: Lutheran Service Book

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