THE FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST IN HARTFORD An Open and Affirming Congregation of The United Church of Christ MAUNDY THURSDAY HOLY COMMUNION and TENEBRAE SERVICE March 28, 2013 Welcome ~ Bienvenidos 7:30 PM WELCOME TO WORSHIP AT CENTER CHURCH. We are glad you have joined us for this service of worship and the fellowship of this congregation. We hope that you will be both comforted and challenged by the Word of God for us today. If you are new to our community, we hope you will consider making this your church home. Any of our worship leaders or ushers will be able to help with your questions. If you are already a member, be sure to extend a friendly greeting to those around you, starting with someone you don t know yet. Please silence all electronic devices before Worship begins. Childcare is provided in the Church House for infants and toddlers up to three years old. Parents may also want to know there is a nursery in the basement of the Meeting House, where there is a speaker system through which you may listen to the service.
PREPARING FOR WORSHIP We Are All Betrayers because we are all betrayers, taking silver and eating body and blood and asking (guilty) is it I and hearing him say yes it would be simple for us all to rush out and hang ourselves but if we find grace to cry and wait after the voice of morning has crowed in our ears clearly enough to break our hearts he will be there to ask each again do you love me? ~ written by Luci Shaw in A Widening Light: Poems of the Incarnation COMING BEFORE GOD PRELUDE for Organ O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß [BWV 623] Johann Sebastian Bach, c. 1715 This tune was set to a text by Seybald Heyden, written in 1525, which served as a Passion narrative and interpretation for the Lutheran Good Friday liturgy. The treatment of the chorale melody in this setting suggests Bach had the first of twenty-three stanzas in mind. O man, lament your great sin, for the sake of which Christ left God s bosom and came to earth. Of a pure, gentle virgin, Jesus was born for us to be the mediator. He gave life to the dead and put aside all sickness, until the time arrived that he should be sacrificed for us. He bore the heavy burden of our sins stretched out on the cross.
*INVITATION TO WORSHIP Leader: People: Leader: People: Leader: People: God is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? God is the strength of my life: whom shall I dread? I am seeking your presence, O God. Do not abandon me to my foes. There are people who hate me; there are things that control me; there are places that frighten me. Trust in God. Stand fast and have courage. Help us this night not to fall away. Strengthen our faith, increase our love for one another, and give us the courage to withstand. *HYMN of Thanksgiving for God s Love No. 223 What Wondrous Love Is This WONDROUS LOVE PRAYER FOR THE LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES ON THE TABLE One: All: One: O Gracious Light, pure brightness of the eternal Creator in heaven, O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed! Now as we come to the setting of the sun, and our eyes behold your vesper light, we sing your praises, Holy God, One in Trinity. You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices, O Christ of God, O Giver of Life, and to be glorified through all the worlds. THE LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES ON THE TABLE Chant (sung by the choir) Stay with Us music: Taizé Community text: based on Luke 24:29 Stay with us, O Lord Jesus Christ, night will soon fall. O stay with us, O Lord Jesus Christ, light in our darkness. *Those who are able are invited to stand.
CALL TO CONFESSION AND RECONCILIATION Minister: Brothers and sisters, we are called to be children of the day and not children of the night. People: Let us approach the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy. Minster: Trusting in Christ s love for us, let us confess our sins. UNISON PRAYER OF ROGATION AND CONFESSION O God, our God, how often we fail you. With Judas, we chafe at your teachings and betray you. With Peter, we stand at a distance and deny you. With the religious authorities, we doubt and oppose you. With Pilate, we give up and wash our hands of your blood. With the soldiers, we wound you. And with all who quietly watched your crucifixion, we remain silent in the face of your suffering. Forgive us, Lord, and help us to love you with all our strength, mind, body, and soul. Amen. SILENCE for Personal Reflection Choral Response Kyrie from Missa Brevis Via Aurum (Brief Mass Gold Street ) music: Benjamin Rauch, 2012 text: Greek, 6 th century Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison. Kyrie eleison. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. WORD OF ASSURANCE Leader: All: Brothers and sisters, fear not, but remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, who said: I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. In Jesus Christ, we are loved and forgiven; upon him was the punishment made whole.
THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION ANTHEM for Choir The Invited music: Hubert Bird, 1995 text: unknown O Thou who clotheth the lilies and feedeth the birds of the sky, Who leadest the lambs to the pasture and the hart to the waterside, Who multiplied the loaves and fishes and converted the water to wine, O do Thou, come to our table as Guest, and Giver, to dine. SCRIPTURE READING 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26 The Reverend Joseph W. Bradley INVITATION TO THE TABLE Minister: Friends, on the night of his arrest, Christ gathered with his disciples in the upper room to share this meal of love and hope with all people of faith. People: This evening we come in faith to take our place around the Lord s Table. Minister: Jesus says: "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away." *HYMN of Invitation No. 332 As We Gather at Your Table THE GREAT PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING BEACH SPRING stanza 3 organ harmonization: A. Royce Eckhardt, 1972 Minister: The Lord be with you. People: The Spirit of the Living God is here, among us. Minister: Beloved of God, lift up your hearts. People: We lift them to the Lord. Minister: Beloved of God, let us give thanks to the Lord our God. People: It is right to offer thanks and praise.
Minister: God of wisdom and truth, we lift our hearts to you in gratitude for all your gifts to us. In your great love you delivered your people of old from slavery, and you have delivered us from the power of sin and death through the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we join our voices with all your faithful servants who, on this Holy Thursday, sing together: Sanctus et Benedictus from Missa Brevis Via Aurum (sung by the choir) music: Benjamin Rauch, 2012 text: Isaiah 6:3a and Matthew 21:9b Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus Dominus, Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. Hosanna in excelsis. Benedictus qui venit in Nomine Domini. Hosanna in excelsis. Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Minister: We praise and honor you, holy God; Heaven and earth are surely full of your glory. Blessed is He whose supper we share this night, and blessed are those who are renewed by his life. As we gather this evening to remember our Lord s suffering and death on the cross, we pray for courage and determination to live as Jesus lived. We did not choose to be born in an age of violence, social inequality, intolerance and war, but help us not to be afraid to confront the challenges of our time. May injustice anger us; may the gospel inspire us; may Christ s faith guide us as we take up our cross daily and offer our lives as instruments of peace and reconciliation in this nation and in the world. People: We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you. By your holy cross you have redeemed us and, by your wounds, we were made well. Minister: Holy God, before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come, and, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. May we, too, be faithful to you to the end. Be present with us, Lord Jesus, by your Holy Spirit as you were in that upper room with your disciples when you shared this last supper with them; make yourself known to us as we share this bread and this
cup. May your Spirit live in us and empower your church to be a healing presence in the world. THE LORD S PRAYER 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (* = traditional wording but you may use alternative wording, such as God, Creator, or Mother, as seems fitting.) WORDS OF INSTITUTION Choral Response Lamb of God music: German Chorale, c. 1540; arr. F. Melius Christiansen, 1933 text: Nicolaus Decius, 1531; transl., based on Agnus Dei Lamb of God most holy, who on the cross didst suffer, patient still and lowly, thyself to scorn didst offer; Our sins by thee were taken, or hope had us forsaken: Have mercy on us, O Jesu. SHARING OF THE BREAD AND CUP [Communion will be received by intinction. Please come forward by the center aisle, take a piece of bread, dip it into the cup and partake of the elements immediately. Return to your seat by way of the side aisles.] Music for Organ Herzliebster Jesu [op. 122, no. 2] Johannes Brahms, 1897 (If you need to move as the lights are dimmed during the next part of the service, please feel free to request the assistance of a deacon.)
TENEBRAE THE SERVICE OF SHADOWS THE SHADOW OF BETRAYAL Scripture Reading Mark 14: 12-20 Janice Lombardi Hymn No. 219 Journey to Gethsemane REDHEAD NO. 76 stanza 1 only THE SHADOW OF AGONY OF SPIRIT Scripture Reading Matthew 26: 36-45 Rebecca Richards Hymn When My Love to God Grows Weak SONG 13 THE SHADOW OF ACCUSATION Scripture Reading Mark 14: 53-65 Luciano Valles, Jr. Hymn No. 222 My Song Is Love Unknown RHOSYMEDRE stanzas 1, 2, and 3 THE SHADOW OF DENIAL Scripture Reading Luke 22: 54-62 Carolyn Arvidson Hymn No. 218 Ah! Holy Jesus HERZLIEBSTER JESU THE SHADOW OF MOCKERY Scripture Reading John 19: 1-16 Andre Keitt
Hymn No. 226 O Sacred Head, Now Wounded PASSION CHORALE stanzas 1 and 2 THE SHADOW OF CRUCIFIXION Scripture Reading Luke 23: 33-43 Ileia Belton Musical Petition Jesus, Remember Me Jacques Berthier, 1981 Please sing this petition three times. THE SHADOW OF DEATH Scripture Reading John 19: 28-30 Nilsa Soto Anthem for Treble Voices, Solo Voice, and Organ Corpus Christi Carol music: Paul Drayton, 1973 text: anonymous medieval ballad, c. 1400 Lisa Williamson, soprano Lully, lulley, the fawcon [falcon] hath borne my make [mate] away. He bare him up, he bare him down, he bare him into an orchard brown. In that orchard there was an hall that was hangéd with purpill [purple] and pall. And in that hall there was a bed, it was hangéd with gold so red. And in that bed there lythe [lieth] a knight, his woundes [wounds] bleeding both day and night. By that bedes side [bedside] there kneeleth a may [maiden], and she weepeth both night and day. And by that bedes side [bedside] there stondeth [standeth] a stone, Corpus Christi [Body of Christ] written thereon. Scholars interpret this text as an allegory of the Crucifixion in which the wounded Christ -- represented here and in other medieval allegory as a knight -- bleeds eternally for the sins of humankind while Mary (a may ) weeps night and day. The stone inscribed with Corpus Christi represents that stone that closed Jesus tomb. Sarah Hager Johnston {excerpted from Liner Notes from the Canticles for Choirs concert and compact disc recording presented by Center Church Choir and the Chancel Choir of South Church, New Britain}
THE SHADOW OF BURIAL Scripture Reading Matthew 27: 57-60 The Reverend Damaris D. Whittaker SILENT MEDITATION EPILOGUE for a Quartet of Voices Were You There? traditional Spiritual, arr. Charles Winfred Douglas (1867-1944) Lisa Williamson, soprano; Benjamin Rauch, counter-tenor; Jordan Strybos, tenor; Andrew Klein, bass Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble! Were you there when they laid him in the tomb? Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble! Please exit the Meeting House silently, as Worship is incomplete. Worship resumes tomorrow, Good Friday, at 12:10pm. Our thanks to all who participated in this evening s service. THE FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST IN HARTFORD A member of the United Church of Christ (UCC) CENTER CHURCH, 60 Gold Street, Hartford, CT 06103 E-mail: info@centerchurchhartford.net Library Hours: Wednesdays, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Sunday 9:45-10:45 a.m. or by appointment Phone: (860) 249-5631 FAX: (860) 246-3915 www.centerchurchhartford.org The Reverend Damaris D. Whittaker, Senior Minister Jason Charneski, Director of Music and the Arts Rebecca Richards, Warburton Director of Outreach Ministries