Worship Notes Good Friday

Worship Notes

Good Friday

April 18, 2014

The Season

We are in the one week of the year that the Church calls “Holy,” beginning with the Sunday of the Passion/Palm Sunday this past Sunday. After hearing the Gospel account of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we joined the procession shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” The festive mood quickly changed, however, as we turned to “Passion,” with the account of Jesus’ arrest, trial, crucifixion, death, and burial. Our collective “Hosanna!” turned to “Crucify him!” Today marks the second of the ancient Three Days observance: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, each with a distinct liturgy. Last night, Maundy Thursday, we gathered for a meal that included elements of the traditional Jewish Seder, the Passover observance that was the context for Jesus’ Last Supper, the institution of the Lord’s Supper. Seven young people celebrated their First Communion. We concluded with the traditional Stripping of the Altar. Tomorrow night we form a procession with lighted candles into the darkened Sanctuary singing, “The Light of Christ! Thanks be to God!” Old Testament accounts of God’s deliverance are read and songs are sung, and we affirm our faith in the Trinitarian God of salvation history.

In Word

Good Friday has seen a wide variety of observances. Many churches gather around the so-called “Seven Last Words of Christ,” sometimes with three-hour liturgies, or with dramatic musical settings. The tradition of reading or singing the Passion account from the Gospel of John is ancient. Some churches have observed Tenebrae, concluding in darkness. The Veneration of the Cross is often the conclusion of Good Friday worship.

Tonight we focus on the Stations of the Cross. Traditions around the Stations vary. The Roman Catholic tradition usually includes 14 Stations, eight from Scripture and the others from tradition. Whatever the tradition, each Station depicts an event along the way of Jesus’ Via Dolorosa, or Way of Sorrows, from his conviction to his death. This very day thousands of religious pilgrims have walked, prayed, and sung along the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem.

Our worship tonight is saturated in Scripture, prayer, and song, centering around eight Stations, created in 2013 by local artisan Dale Burton, as a result of a commission from Concordia. Each Station depicts a scene from Scripture (Station No. VII combines two scenes—Jesus and his mother and the beloved disciple, as well as Jesus’ death). We conclude with the Veneration of the Cross and depart in silence.

In Song

The musical “centerpieces” for our worship tonight consist of two compositions by Pastor David: an eight-movement setting for choir and French horn, based on the words of the Stations, and an eight-stanza hymn, each stanza a reflection on a particular Station (the hymn was written in 2013 for the commemoration of our new Stations). All of this is framed by two beloved Lenten hymns from the Lutheran tradition, each dating back centuries, “Ah, Holy Jesus” and “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded.” As we have heard throughout this season of Lent, the soulful flute is prominent in our worship tonight.