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The service of Tenebrae, meaning “darkness” or “shadows,” has been practiced by the church since medieval times. We join Chris-tians of many generations throughout the world in using the liturgy of Tenebrae. During the Tenebrae service, candles are extinguished and the sanctuary is progressively darkened as we ponder the depth of Christ’s suffering and death. In the shadows of Christ’s passion, we anticipate the joy of Christ’s ultimate victory over sin and death that will overcome this world’s darkness.
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION
OPENING PRAYER
Almighty God, let all the darkness and fear we experience, hold us for a time. Fill us with holy love, and open to us the treas-ures of Your wisdom. Bring us peace through our Lord Jesus Christ who was willing to be betrayed, and to be given over to the hands of sinners, and to suffer death on the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for-ever and ever. Amen.
FIRST READING … Isaiah 52:13-53:12
13 See, my servant shall prosper; he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. 14 Just as there were many who were astonished at him—so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance, and his form be-yond that of mortals— 15 so he shall startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths be-cause of him; for that which had not been told them they shall see, and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate.
53:1Who has believed what we have heard? 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, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account.
4 Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8 By a perversion of justice he was taken away. Who could have imagined his future? For he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people. 9 They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich, 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 with pain. When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days; through him the will of the LORD shall prosper. 11Out of his anguish he shall see light, he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge. The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out himself to death, and was num-bered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
GREETING
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen Blessed be the name of the Lord our God, who redeems us from sin and death.
For us and for our salvation, Christ became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Look to Jesus, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame,
and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
THE SHADOW OF BETRAYAL
Reading Matthew 26:20-25
20 When it was evening, he took his place with the twelve; 21 and while they were eating, he said, ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will be-tray me.’ 22 And they became greatly distressed and began to say to him one after another, ‘Surely not I, Lord?’ 23 He answered, ‘The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been bet-ter for that one not to have been born.’ 25 Judas, who betrayed him, said, ‘Surely not I, Rabbi?’ He replied, ‘You have said so.’
Response “Ah, Holy Jesus” (Noon) Choir Anthem
7 PM Hymn # 349
THE SHADOW OF AGONY OF SPIRIT AND ARREST
Reading Luke 22:31-34, 39-54a
31 ‘Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.’ 33 And he said to him, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!’ 34 Jesus said, ‘I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you have denied three times that you know me.’
39 He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. 40 When he reached the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.’ 41 Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, 42 ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.’43 Then an angel from heaven ap-peared to him and gave him strength. 44 In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood fal-ling down on the ground.45 When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, 46 and he said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.’ 47 While he was still speaking, sud-denly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him; 48 but Jesus said to him, ‘Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?’ 49 When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked, ‘Lord, should we strike with the sword?’ 50 Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus said, ‘No more of this!’ And he touched his ear and healed him. 52 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? 53 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!’ 54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house.
Response “Stay With Me” (3 times) Hymn # 348
THE SHADOW OF DENIAL
Reading Luke 22:54b-62
But Peter was following at a distance. 55 When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. 56 Then a servant-girl, seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said, ‘This man also was with him.’ 57 But he denied it, saying, ‘Woman, I do not know him.’ 58 A little later someone else, on seeing him, said, ‘You also are one of them.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I am not!’ 59 Then about an hour later yet another kept insisting, ‘Surely this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean.’ 60 But Peter said, ‘Man, I do not know what you are talking about!’ At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked at Peter. 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.’ 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.
Response “Go to Dark Gethsemane” vs. 1 Hymn #347
THE SHADOW OF ACCUSATION
.Reading Mark 15:1-15
As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a con-sultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. 2 Pilate asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ He answered him, ‘You say so.’ 3 Then the chief priests accused him of many things. 4 Pilate asked him again, ‘Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.’ 5 But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.6 Now at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked. 7 Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the insur-rection. 8 So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom. 9 Then he answered them, ‘Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?’ 10 For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. 12 Pilate spoke to them again, ‘Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?’ 13 They shouted back, ‘Crucify him!’ 14 Pilate asked them, ‘Why, what evil has he done?’ But they shouted all the more, ‘Crucify him!’ 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified
Response “Go to Dark Gethsemane” vs. 2 Hymn #347
THE SHADOW OF CRUCIFIXION AND HUMILIATION
Reading Mark 15:16-32
16 Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters); and they called together the whole co-hort. 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. 18 And they began sa-luting him, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ 19 They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. 20 After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. 21 They com-pelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. 22 Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). 23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take. 25 It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him.
26 The inscription of the charge against him read, ‘The King of the Jews.’ 27 And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. 29 Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!’ 31 In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, ‘He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.’ Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.
Response Monologue: Alexander – Son of Simon of Cyrene
THE SHADOW OF DEATH
Reading Mark 15:33-39
33 When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ 35 When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, ‘Listen, he is calling for Elijah.’ 36 And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.’ 37 Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the cur-tain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was God’s Son!’
Devotional Reflection
Response “Jesus Paid It All” Insert
THE SHADOW OF BURIAL
Reading John 19:31-42
31 Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the Sabbath, especially because that Sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies removed.
32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. 35 (He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth.) 36 These things occurred so that the scripture might be fulfilled, ‘None of his bones shall be broken.’ 37 And again another passage of scripture says, ‘They will look on the one whom they have pierced.’ 38 After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. 39 Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. 40 They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. 42 And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
Strepitus—A loud noise made by the slamming of a book representing the closing of the tomb and the earthquake that occurred at
Jesus’ death, as relayed in the gospel of Matthew.
Response “Were You There” Hymn #353
Silence for meditation
Let us pray for those things which our Lord would have us ask.
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.
ADORATION AT THE CROSS
Behold the life-giving cross, on which was hung the Savior of the whole world.
Oh, come, let us worship him.
Behold the life-giving cross, on which was hung the Savior of the whole world.
Oh, come, let us worship him.
Behold the life-giving cross, on which was hung the Savior of the whole world.
Oh, come, let us worship him.
Brief silence.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
By your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Worshipers may go to the altar to pray and reverence the cross.
As we depart in silence, the congregation is invited to solemn reflection on the love of God shown in Jesus Christ, who as God in the flesh, humbled himself to death for our sake.
The story of God’s love continues as we gather for Easter worship on Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. You are also invited to breakfast on Sunday from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m.