Behold! The Lamb of God Pre-Service Prayer for Communicants - Lord, we come into your presence with penitent hearts, for we daily sin and deserve your punishment. Yet, Lord, you encourage us to come to your Table and remember what you have accomplished for us on your cross. May your body and blood, given and poured out for us, comfort our guilt-ridden hearts with the assurance of forgiveness. Give us strength to remain faithful in the midst of life s challenges. For your sake. Amen. Psalm Meditation: Psalm 28; hymnal pg. 129 Opening Prayer Opening Hymn: 172:1-5 O Sacred Head, Now Wounded Our Order of Worship: ( from: The Order of the Confessional Service TLH pg 46 ) Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Congregation : (sung) Amen P: Make haste, O God, to deliver me. C: + Make haste to help me, O Lord. P: The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. C: + A broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: for-ever-more. A-men. who takes away the sin of the world! Good Friday Communion Service March 29, 2013 Trinity Lutheran Church, CLC Spokane, WA 327-4203 www.spokanelutheran.com Serving Us Tonight: Nathan Pfeiffer, Pastor Kathy Conway, Organist Responsive Reading: (Psalm 22:1-11 - David prophecies the thoughts of Christ on the cross) P: My God, My God, C: Why have You forsaken Me? P: Why are You so far from helping Me, C: And from the words of My groaning? P: O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; C: And in the night season, and am not silent. P: But You are holy, C: Enthroned in the praises of Israel. P: Our fathers trusted in You; C: They trusted, and You delivered them. -1-
P: They cried to You, and were delivered; C: They trusted in You, and were not ashamed. P: But I am a worm, and no man; C: A reproach of men, and despised by the people. P: All those who see Me ridicule Me; C: They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, P: "He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; C: Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!" P: But You are He who took Me out of the womb; C: You made Me trust while on My mother's breasts. P: I was cast upon You from birth. C: From My mother's womb You have been My God. P: Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; C: For there is none to help. P: Let us pray - Lord God, you love us so much that you sent your Son into the world. The sun refused to shine during the death of your one and only Son. On a cross, he willingly endured pain, anguish, and death once for all. He proclaimed, It is finished. We rejoice that the darkness of sin that oppressed our hearts has given way to full and complete forgiveness. We are declared righteous because he who had no sin assumed our sin and paid the ransom for us. Hold his cross before us always, so that we may not be overcome by the darkness. ALL: + "A- - - men" ADULT CHOIR: Deep, Deep Love Words by H. Fromback; Music by L. Dengler Old Testament Reading ~ Isaiah 52:13-53:12 The LORD s Suffering Servant - Jesus Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. 14 Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men; 15 So shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; For what had not been told them they shall see, And what they had not heard they shall consider. 1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. 3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 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 bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by 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; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. 9 And they made His grave with the wicked -- But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. 11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors. Hymn: 150 Lord Jesus, Thou art Going Forth (ODD verses: Congregation / EVEN verses: Mens Trio) Gospel Reading ~ John 19:17-30 Behold, how the LORD s Servant suffered! And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, 18 where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. 19 Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. 21 Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but, 'He said, "I am the King of the Jews." ' " 22 Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written." 23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. 24 They said therefore among themselves, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be," that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: "They divided My garments -2- -3-
among them, And for My clothing they cast lots." Therefore the soldiers did these things. 25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" 27 Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. P: Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29) Hymn: 175 When I Survey the Wondrous Cross The Sermon: Revelation 5:6-10 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. (7) And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. (8) And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. (9) And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, (10) and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth." (11) Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, (12) saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" (13) And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" (14) And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped. NAMES OF WONDROUS LOVE: THE LAMB i) SLAIN for us ii) SERVED by us CONFESSION OF FAITH Luther s Explanation to the 2 nd Article I believe that Jesus Christ, true God begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord; Who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent sufferings and death; That I should be His own, live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence and blessedness; even as He is risen from death, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true. Offertory: P: Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Heb 13:20-21) + Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me, Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit. Amen. (Ps 51:10-12) -4- -5-
HYMN OF THE DAY: The Lamb - Verse 1: Choir A SPECIAL NOTE TO OUR VISITORS ABOUT OUR COMMUNION PRACTICE: Trinity is a Christian congregation that practices Close Communion. We want you to know first and foremost our practice is in no way a judgment of your faith. We eagerly desire to share this sacred meal with you! However, our priority as followers of Jesus is to hear what He has to say in Scripture about Holy Communion. Our Lord declares in Scripture that the communicant must be able to examine himself in order to receive its blessing and not bring judgment upon him/herself (I Cor. 11:27 ff.). That is why even our youngsters, though they have grown up in our church, do not participate until after they have been instructed about Lord s Supper and are able to examine themselves. Another reason is that in the Lord s Supper, we are not only receiving blessings from on high (Jesus very body and blood), but we are also expressing to one another and to the world that we all share the same faith and confession (1 Cor. 10:17) Therefore, out of loving concern for souls and as a testimony of the closeness of our own faith and confession, that we limit participation in Lord s Supper to those who are communicant members of Trinity or of our sister congregations in the Church of the Lutheran Confession (CLC). We hope you understand and respect our teaching and practice, that by it we do not mean to judge anyone s faith, but to make a confession of our own before God and before the world. If you are looking for an altar at which to commune, please speak with our Pastor! ~ The Communion Liturgy ~ (Sung responsively to TLH melody #172: O Sacred Head Now Wounded ) Offering of Thankful Hearts and Prayers Hymn #547; Lutheran Service Book; CPH 2006 Reprinted under OneLicense.net A-720810 The Preface: P: + May God the Lord be with you. C: + God also be with you. P: + Lift up your hearts rejoicing! C: + We lift them up anew! P: + Give unto God all glory, all honor and all praise. C: + To God is due thanksgiving and worship all our days. The Thanksgiving and Sanctus: P: + It s right and salutary to give You thanks, O God, At all times, in all places, through Jesus Christ our Lord. The saints and angel chorus rejoice in boundless mirth; We join, to sing Your praises, the Church in heav n and earth: -6- -7-
C: + O holy, holy, holy Lord God of pow r and might, Your glory fills the heavens, and earth shines in Your light. Hosanna in the highest! Blest ever is the One Who comes the Lord s name bearing. Hail, God s beloved Son! ~ The Exhortation to Communicants ~ (Spoken by the Pastor) + Lamb of God, pure and holy, Who on the cross didst suffer, Ever patient and lowly, Thyself to scorn didst offer. All sins Thou borest for us, Else had despair reigned o'er us: Have mercy on us, O Jesus! (TLH 146:1) The Confession of Sins: P: And now I ask you before God, who searches the heart: Do you confess that you have sinned against God and deserved His wrath and punishment? C: I DO CONFESS. P: Do you repent of all your sins committed in thought, word, and deed? C: I DO REPENT. P: Do you believe that God, by grace, for Jesus' sake, will forgive you all your sins? C: I DO BELIEVE. ~ The Words of Institution ~ (Spoken by the Pastor) P: + Amen! Then come, Lord Jesus; be present at Your feast. Amen! O Holy Spirit, unite us in Your peace. C: + Amen! Almighty Father, give strength to do Your will. O Trinity most holy, feed us and love us still. ~ The Lord s Prayer ~ The Agnus Dei: (TLH #146:3) + Lamb of God, pure and holy, Who on the cross didst suffer, Ever patient and lowly, Thyself to scorn didst offer. All sins Thou borest for us, Else had despair reigned o'er us: Thy peace be with us, O Jesus! AMEN. - DISTRIBUTION OF THE LORD'S SUPPER - Prayers available on hymnal pp. 118-119 Distribution Hymn: 163 The Death of Jesus Christ, Our Lord P: Do you promise that with the aid of the Holy Ghost you will henceforth amend your sinful life? C: I DO SO PROMISE WITH THE HELP OF GOD. P: Finally, do you believe that through me, a called servant of God, you will receive the forgiveness of all your sins? C: I DO BELIEVE. P: As you believe, even so may it be unto you. Upon this, your confession, I as a called servant of the Word, announce the grace of God to you all. And in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. -8- -9-
The Nunc Dimittis + O Lord, now let Your servant Depart in heav nly peace, For I have seen the glory Of Your redeeming grace: A light to lead the Gentiles Unto Your holy hill, The glory of Your people, Your chosen Israel. ~ The Prayer of Thanksgiving ~ (Spoken by the Pastor) + All glory to the Father, All glory to the Son, All glory to the Spirit, Forever Three-in-One; For as in the beginning, Is now, shall ever be, God s triune name resounding Through all eternity. AMEN. The Benediction: P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. C: + A-men (TLH pg 52 or of your choice) - Announcements - Closing Hymn: 172:8-10 O Sacred Head, Now Wounded Silently, Meditatively Departing: Upon the conclusion the final verse of the hymn, the organist will continue to play through the melody while the lights in the sanctuary are extinguished. Please quietly (UN-ushered) depart the sanctuary, meditating on the death of the Lamb of God and the darkness of His sealed tomb. DEATH DID NOT HAVE THE FINAL WORD! Though Jesus appeared defeated on Good Friday - crucified, dead, and buried - death did not have the upper hand on Jesus. His sacred body did not see corruption. On Sunday morning we shout our Hallelujahs! (Hebrew for Praise ye the LORD! ) because Jesus lives! He has overcome death and shares HIS victory with US! Please join us Sunday morning at 10:30 as we sing our praises to the Lamb who WAS slain but now STANDS victoriously in heaven! Our service will be preceded by a potluck Easter breakfast at 9:00 a.m. Your Good Friday Sermon Maybe you ve heard the joke that pastors have the greatest job because they only work one day a week - Sunday. Though we may joke about it, we realize that clergymen who desire to be faithful to their Lord and faithful to the congregations they have been called to serve, work more than just one day a week. Take for instance some of the things a faithful pastor may do just in preparation for the sermon. Hours are spent studying the original language of the sermon text (Hebrew in the Old Testament, Greek in the New Testament) to learn more about the words which the Holy Spirit led that holy writer to use. He looks for the Law and the Gospel in the verses. He looks for the general theme of those verses to use a sermon theme. Above all else, he prays that the Lord would help him to faithfully preach His holy Word. A faithful pastor wants to feed his flock with the nourishing Word of God, not cause spiritual harm through false teaching. Many of you have probably never had to prepare to deliver a sermon on a given Sunday - or have you? Consider what the Apostle Paul writes about the Lord s Supper or Holy Communion: As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. (1 Cor 11:26) Every time you come to the Lord s Table you are, in effect, preaching a sermon. Paul says that when you eat the bread and drink the wine in Lord s Supper you are preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified for your sins. You are preaching a Good Friday sermon. You are proclaiming that you are a sinner who needed a Savior and that Jesus is that Savior from sin. Just as you expect that your pastor will be fully prepared when he steps into the pulpit on Sunday, so too the Apostle Paul says we are to prepare ourselves before proclaiming our Lord s Supper Sermon. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. (1 Cor 11:27-29) If a pastor preaches false doctrine, he is doing something spiritually harmful to his listeners. If individuals partake of Lord s Supper in an unworthy manner, they are likewise doing something spiritually harmful to themselves. Rather than reaping the spiritual benefits which Christ gives in this sacred meal (forgiveness, life, and salvation), such people eat and drink judgement to themselves because they do not recognize (discern) what is taking place. They fail to see why Christ s body and blood was given and shed. Even as a pastor prepares for his sermon, the Apostle Paul exhorts communicants to prepare themselves before preaching our Lord s Supper Sermon. He calls this preparation examining ourselves. Our Catechisms do a superb job of assisting in this preparation. With sections such as Christian Questions we examine ourselves asking such questions as: Am I a sinner in need of forgiveness? Where, alone, can this forgiveness be found? What am I receiving in this sacred meal? May God grant that we faithfully continue to proclaim our Good Friday Sermon through preparation and participation in Holy Communion until the trumpet sounds on that last, great day when Christ Himself will return to take us and all believers to be with Him in Paradise eternally! ( The Lutheran Spokesman, Sept 2008, Vol 51, No. 3)