Good Friday March 30, 2018

Transcription

1 Good Friday March 30, 2018 Saint James Evangelical Lutheran Church 460 West Annapolis Street - West Saint Paul, MN Church Office: (651) Fax: (651) stjlc@saintjameslutheran.com facebook.com/stjwsp Pastor Michael Albrecht malbrecht@saintjameslutheran.com Pastor Richard Stadler rstadler@saintjameslutheran.com Tom Rowland Organist & Choir Director Pastor Dale Critchley dcritchley@saintjameslutheran.com Terese Thune Youth Director tthune@saintjameslutheran.com Shirley Hess Parish Nurse shrlhess@gmail.com

2 WELCOME TO WORSHIP! March 30, 2018 Welcome to this commemoration of the Crucifixion of Our Lord. As we contemplate what our sins have done to Jesus, our hearts are filled with grief and shame. But then we hear Jesus praying, Father, forgive them. That is why we call this day Good Friday. This is how God demonstrated His love for us: He sacrificed His only begotten Son to conquer evil for us. Jesus killed death. Now we take to heart the Apostle Paul s declaration, Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord s death until He comes. (1 Corinthians 11:26) GUESTS AND VISITORS, we are delighted that you are worshiping with us today! Please take a moment to fill out a Welcome, Guest card which is available in the pew racks and place it in the offering. For every guest who completes this form, Saint James will donate $5 to the Neighbor s Food Shelf. Also, stop by the Visitor Welcome Center as you leave and pick up a small gift. Thank you for coming, and please come back and visit again soon. You are always welcome here at Saint James. PREPARING FOR WORSHIP: You are invited to meditate on Paul Gerhardt s moving Lenten hymn, Christian Worship #100, A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth. THE ORDER OF SERVICE PRELUDE: (11:00) O Sacred Head D. Buxtehude (7:00) Cortege et Litanie M. Dupre OPENING SENTENCE: (7:00) Kyrie Eleison B.S. Mayo Saint James Choir Those able, please stand for stanza 4 GATHERING HYMN: Christian Worship #100 A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth PASTORAL GREETING AND INVOCATION: Pastor Albrecht 2

3 OPENING PRAYER: C: Let the incense of our repentant prayer ascend before You, O Lord, and let Your loving kindness descend upon us, that with purified minds and hearts, we may sing Your praises with the church on earth and the whole heavenly host, and may glorify You forever and ever. Amen. All pray together PSALM OF THE DAY: Psalm 22:1-5 P: My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? C: Why are You so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? P: O my God, I cry out by day, but You do not answer, C: By night, and am not silent. P: Yet, You are enthroned as the Holy One. C: You are the praise of Israel. P: In You our fathers put their trust; C: They trusted and You delivered them. P: They cried to you and were saved; C: In You they trusted and were not disappointed. COLLECT FOR THE WORD: P: Blessed Lord, You have caused all of the Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning. Grant, therefore, that we may hear them, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them, so that by patience and comfort of Your Holy Word we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which You have given us for the sake of Your suffering and death. C: (sing) Amen. Please be seated READING OF THE PASSION HISTORY: Part Seven, pages SAINT JAMES CHOIR: (7:00) When You Prayed Beneath the Trees Idle/Larson READING OF THE PASSION HISTORY: Part Eight, pages SERMON HYMN: Christian Worship #139 Jesus, in Your Dying Woes 3

4 SERMON: Theme: Love Conquers Evil Text: 1 John 4:1-10 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming; even now it is already in the world. You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world. Therefore, what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us; anyone who is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception. Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Those able, please stand RESPONSE TO THE SERMON: Christian Worship, page 20 Please be seated Give online at give.4gvn.us OFFERING: We respond to God s deep, deep love for us. OFFERTORY: (11:00) O Sacred Head J. Brahms (7:00) Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God C. F. Mueller Saint James Choir Those able, please stand HYMN OF REDEDICATION: Love Conquers All, stanzas 1, 9, 12 (Tune: O DU LIEBE MEINER LIEBE, Christian Worship #108) 1. From beginning to forever Only Love can conquer all. Doubts and fears and death can never Make God's children slip and fall. Jesus dwelt in flesh among us, Manifest to see and hear, From our sin salvation won us. Now His love to us draws near. 9. Word made flesh, who dwelt among us, Tune our ears to You alone. Lying prophets do not love us. Flesh for sinners must atone. Greater is the One who suffered Than the antichrist and death; On the cross His life He offered, Conquered with His final breath. 4

5 12. Now that we are sons and daughters, Born of God, by faith we see Surely by the blood and water We the kingdom now receive. Lord, with confidence we ask You, "Bless us as we heed Your call, Telling others what You can do By Your blood; Love conquers all! 2018 Strength and Song Publishing This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Used by permission. INTERCESSORY PRAYERS Please be seated LORD S PRAYER CONFESSION OF SINS: C: I confess to God Almighty, before the whole company of heaven, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned in thought, word, and deed by my fault, by my own fault, by my own most grievous fault. I have done what is evil, and I have failed to do what is good. O Lord God most holy, O Lord God most mighty, O holy and most merciful Savior, I beg You to have mercy upon me, to forgive me all my sins and to bring me to everlasting life. Amen. Those able, please kneel ABSOLUTION P: Our heavenly Father has been merciful to us; He has given His only begotten Son to die for us. The blood of Jesus washes away all your sins. Everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life. Therefore, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, I announce the grace of God to all of you, and by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. C: (sing) Amen. 5

6 Those able, please stand Non-alcoholic white wine is available in each tray for anyone who prefers it. Gluten-free wafers are also available. To indicate that you prefer gluten-free, please raise your index finger when the host is brought to you. LITURGY OF THE SACRAMENT: Christian Worship, pages The Sacrament of the Altar is a special blessing for God s people: our sins are forgiven, our faith is strengthened, and our resolve to live for the Lord is renewed. We believe the word of Jesus that under the bread and the wine we receive the Real Presence of our Savior, His Body and His Blood, for the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. All who are baptized and confirmed and confess this understanding of the Lord s Supper are welcome to receive the sacrament with us. We enjoy fellowship in a close communion with each other as we receive the Body and Blood of our Lord together. Visitors who wish to continue to commune with us on a regular basis, or those who have questions are encouraged to speak with one of the pastors. Parents are welcome to bring their non-confirmed children with them to the altar. The pastor will pronounce a blessing on them. Parents should instruct such unconfirmed children not to stand on the cushions and to keep their hands folded, so the pastor will know who should not receive the sacrament. Organ: Le Banquet Celeste Olivier Messiaen Please be seated DISTRIBUTION HYMNS: Christian Worship #138 Oh, Perfect Life of Love Christian Worship #121 Jesus, Grant that Balm and Healing THANKSGIVING FOR THE SACRAMENT: Christian Worship #316 O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee BENEDICTION: (11:00) Please return the Passion History booklets to an usher so we can use them again. ORGAN POSTLUDE: (11:00) Christ lag in Todesbanden REMAINING HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE... J. S. Bach Holy Saturday, March 31 7:00 p.m. Easter Vigil Service Easter Sunday, April 1 7:30 10:30 a.m. Easter Breakfast 8:00 a.m. Easter Festival Service with Holy Communion 9:30 a.m. Children s Easter Service 10:30 a.m. Easter Festival Service with Holy Communion Monday, April 2 6:30 p.m. Echoes of Easter Evening SonRise Worship 6

7 THE TENEBRAE SERVICE The Latin word Tenebrae means "shadows" or "darkness." The custom of having a "Tenebrae Service" on Good Friday derives from the fact that God the Father modestly provided three hours of supernatural darkness to cover the anguish of His only begotten Son while He hung on the cross. As the lights in the sanctuary gradually grow dimmer, the Scripture readings and choral music will intensify our meditation on Jesus' suffering and death. We are reminded that the hopes and loyalties of His followers faded on that awful afternoon. As we look into our own hearts this evening, we ponder the question: Am I crucifying my Savior anew? Then we behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. THE PASSION HISTORY: John 19:31-37, page 36 SAINT JAMES CHOIR: Psalm 130 Out of the Depths Paul O. Manz THE PASSION HISTORY: Mark 15:42-45, page 37 SAINT JAMES CHOIR: Psalm 130 If Thou, Lord Paul O. Manz THE PASSION HISTORY: John 19:38-42, page 37 SAINT JAMES CHOIR: Psalm 130 I Wait for the Lord Paul O. Manz THE PASSION HISTORY: Matthew 27:59-61, Luke 23:56, pages SAINT JAMES CHOIR: Psalm 130 Let Israel Hope in the Lord Paul O. Manz THE PASSION HISTORY: Matthew 27:62-66, page 38 SAINT JAMES CHOIR: Psalm 130 Gloria Patri Paul O. Manz Were You There? Raymond H. Haan Soloist: Sarah Rickertsen MOMENT OF SILENCE TOLLING OF THE BELLS SILENT DEPARTURE Our custom is to exit the sanctuary at the end of the service in total silence. Thank you for respecting this custom of contemplation as you refrain from speaking until you are outside the building. SERVING IN OUR WORSHIP Pastor Michael Albrecht (preaching) Pastor Dale Critchley Organist and Choir Director Tom Rowland Harrison Lawrence, Organ Intern Saint James Choir Audio Video Team: Hannah Critchley, Sharon Ferrara, Glenn & Wendy Gatzke, Jerry Hinz, Len & Diane Munson, Jerry Peterson, Becky Martinez, Lorna Redding, and Leif Thune Screen Slide Production: Ami Heesch 7

8 The rugged cross behind the lectern is made from the Christmas trees that adorned our chancel during the Advent and Christmas seasons. The connection between Jesus birth and His death reminds us that Jesus is the Firstborn from among the dead (Colossians 1:18). The cross stands between His birth and His resurrection and the same holds true for us. 8