Good Friday Worship - Holy Cross Nazareth

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Worship Order ~ Good Friday Service of Tenebrae (Darkness)

April 7, 2023 ~ 12:00 & 7:00pm

Prelude Take Me to the Cross (Choir)

* Litany of Confession

P: Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins.
C: His mercy endures forever.

P: Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your Holy Name; through Christ our Lord.
C: Amen

P: And this is the judgment, that the light has come into this world, and we love darkness rather than light.
C: God is light, in whom there is no darkness at all.

P: For God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

Silence is kept to reflect upon our complicity in Christ’s death.

Trisagion Prayer (repeated three times to honor the Holy Trinity)

P: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal;
C: Have mercy on us.

P: Every one that does evil hates the light, and does not come into the light. But all who do what is true come to the light.
C: Come, let us worship in Spirit and truth.

Hymn (7:00pm) Go to Dark Gethsemane LBW 109, vs. 1-3

Prayer of the Day

P: Most gracious God, look with mercy upon your family gathered here for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was betrayed, given into sinful hands, and suffered death upon the cross. Strengthen our faith and forgive our betrayal as we enter the way of His passion; through Him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever.

C: Amen

We Gather at the Cross and Relive Its Shadows

The Tenebrae – The Seven Last Words of Christ

Luke 23:32–38 (ESV)

32 Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

Hymn (7:00pm) Jesus, in Thy Dying Woes (vs. 1-3) LBW 112

Luke 23:39–43 (ESV)

39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Sermon

Hymn (7:00pm) Jesus, in Thy Dying Woes (vs. 4-6) LBW 112

John 19:23–27 (ESV)

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.

Hymn (7:00pm) Jesus, in Thy Dying Woes (vs. 7-9) LBW 112

John 19:28–29 (ESV)

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.

Hymn (7:00pm) Jesus, in Thy Dying Woes (vs. 10-12) LBW 112

Mark 15:33–39 (ESV)

33 And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

Hymn (7:00pm) Jesus, in Thy Dying Woes (vs. 13-15) LBW 112

John 19:30 (ESV)

30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Hymn (7:00pm) Jesus, in Thy Dying Woes (vs. 16-18) LBW 112

Luke 23:44–49 (ESV)

44 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. 49 And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.

Hymn (7:00 pm) Jesus, in Thy Dying Woes (vs. 19-21) LBW 112

Supplications

P: Let us pray, brothers and sisters, for the holy Church of God throughout the world, that God the almighty Father guide us and gather us together, so that we may worship him in peace and tranquility.