Worship Service: March 29, 2023

Lenten Evening Worship: Stations of the Cross

Opening Devotions

Please stand as the leaders enter.

Greeting

L:  In the name of the Father, and of the ☩ Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

C:  Amen.

Opening Hymn #103 (green hymnal)

“O Christ, Thou Lamb of God”

  O Christ, thou Lamb of God
that takest away the sin of the world,
have mercy upon us!
O Christ, thou Lamb of God
that takest away the sin of the world,
have mercy upon us!
O Christ, thou Lamb of God
that takest away the sin of the world,
grant us thy peace! Amen

L:  Worthy is the Lamb that was slain

C:  to receive honor and glory and blessing. (Revelation 5:12)

Prayer

L:  God of our salvation, You are the rock in whom we take refuge. We journey with you to the foot of the cross. Stay with us when difficulty comes and have mercy on us according to your steadfast love. Support us with your love shown to us through the cross of Christ. Build our foundation on the cornerstone of Christ, and teach us to take up our cross and follow you. In Jesus’ name we pray.

C:  Amen.

Please be seated.

The Way of the Cross

Station I ☩ Jesus is condemned to death ☩

Mark 15:1-15

Silence for meditation on icon.

L:  For this I was born, and for this I came into the world,

C:  to testify to the truth. (John 18:37)

Hymn #123 (green hymnal)

“Ah, Holy Jesus” vv. 1-2

1  Ah, holy Jesus, how hast thou offended
that man to judge thee hath in hate pretended?
By foes derided, by thine own rejected,
O most afflicted.

2  Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon thee?
Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone thee.
’Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied thee;
I crucified thee.

Station II ☩ Jesus takes up his cross ☩

John 19:16-17

Silence for meditation on icon.

L:  The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance:

C:  Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. (1 Timothy 1:15)

Hymn

“Take Up Your Cross” vv. 1-2

1  Take up your cross, the Savior said,
If you would my disciple be;
Take up your cross with willing heart,
And humbly follow after me.

2  Take up your cross, let not its weight
Fill your weak spirit with alarm;
My strength shall bear your spirit up,
And brace your heart, and nerve your arm.

Station III ☩ The cross is laid on Simon of Cyrene ☩

Luke 23:26-28

Silence for meditation on icon.

L:  Whoever serves me must follow me,

C:  and where I am, there will my servant be also. (John 12:26)

Hymn #109 (green hymnal)

“Go to Dark Gethsemane” vv. 1-2

1  Go to dark Gethsemane,
all who feel the tempter’s pow’r;
your Redeemer’s conflict see.
Watch with him one bitter hour;
turn not from his griefs away;
learn from Jesus Christ to pray.

2  Follow to the judgment hall,
view the Lord of life arraigned;
oh, the wormwood and the gall!
Oh, the pangs his soul sustained!
Shun not suff’ring, shame, or loss;
learn from him to bear the cross.

Station IV ☩ Jesus is stripped of his garments ☩

Matthew 27:34-36

Silence for meditation on icon.

L:  Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts,

C:  no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff. (Mt. 10:9-10)

Hymn #117 (green hymnal)

“O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” v. 1

1  O sacred head, now wounded,
with grief and shame weighed down,
now scornfully surrounded
with thorns, thine only crown;
O sacred head, what glory,
what bliss till now was thine!
Yet, though despised and gory,
I joy to call thee mine.

Station V ☩ Jesus is nailed to the cross ☩

Luke 23:33-43

Silence for meditation on icon.

L:  I am the way, and the truth, and the life.

C:  No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

Hymn #112 (green hymnal)

“Jesus, in Thy Dying Woes” vv. 2 & 4

2  Savior, for our pardon sue
when our sins thy pangs renew,
for we know not what we do:
hear us, holy Jesus.

4  Jesus, pitying the sighs
of the thief, who near thee dies,
promising him paradise:
hear us, holy Jesus.

Station VI ☩ Jesus dies on the cross ☩

Matthew 27:45-46; Luke 23:46; Matthew 27:51-52

Silence for meditation on icon.

L:  I tell you the truth, unless a grain of wheat dies, it remains just a single grain;

C:  but if it dies, it bears much fruit. (John 12:24)

Silence for meditation.

Station VII ☩ Jesus is laid in the tomb ☩

Luke 23:50-53; Matthew 27:60b

Silence for meditation on icon.

L:  Blessed are the pure in heart,

C:  for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8)

Please stand as you are able.

Hymn #92 (green hymnal)

“Were You There” vv. 1, 3

1  Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

3  Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

Please kneel as you are able.

Concluding Prayers

L:  Let us pray.
Holy and Triune God, on the cross you have reconciled the world to yourself:

C:  Make in us your new creation, that we may bear your love as Christ. (2 Corinthians 5)

L: Beneath the cross of Jesus, we lift up our joys and our sorrows to you, O Lord.

A brief silence.

L:  O Lord, amid the shifting sands of this world,

C:  be our rock and our foundation.

L:  In the fears and uncertainties of our lives,

C:  be our home and our resting place.

L:  When we lay our sins before you,

C:  be our comfort and our guide.

L:  As we gaze upon the cross of Christ,

C:  be our hope and our salvation. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

L:  Lord, remember us in your kingdom, and teach us to pray:

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.

L:  To Christ our Lord who loves us, and stretched out his arms on the cross in order to embrace the world, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever.

C:  Amen.

The liturgy concludes in silence.


Worship Leaders

The Rev. Emily Beckering, Pastor
Kris Keith, Music Director  **away
Kate Wollenburg, Organist  **away
Nancy Erbeck, Leader
Carolyn Koehl, Guest Organist

Stations of the Cross – Readers
Narrator: Cindy Mayhugh
Jesus: John Cathcart
Pilate: Patrick Cathcart
Council Member: Nelson Langefeld
Soldier: Donny Cathcart
Criminal 1: Donald Harris
Criminal 2: Carroll Mayhugh

Upcoming Events

Wednesday, March 29

6 pm Lenten Soup/Salad Potluck
7 pm Lenten Evening Worship: Stations of the Cross

Thursday, March 30

10:30 am Bible study (in-person / Zoom)

Sunday, April 2: Palm Sunday

9 am Sunday School / Adult Forum
10:30 am Worship (in-person / livestreamed)
After worship: Evangelism Committee
2 pm The Chosen Bible study

Thursday, April 6: Maundy Thursday

10:30 am Bible study (in-person / Zoom)
7 pm Maundy Thursday Worship Service

Friday, April 7: Good Friday

7 pm Good Friday Worship Service

Sunday, April 9: Easter Day

9 am Easter Breakfast
10:30 am Worship (in-person / livestreamed)
After worship: Easter Egg Hunt

Copyright Notices

O Christ, Thou Lamb of God: Arr. © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship, admin. Augsburg Fortress.

Were You There: Arr. by C. Winfred Douglas © 1961 Church Publishing, Inc.

Hymns/anthems: Music reprinted and streamed by permission under ONE LICENSE #A‐726103 and CCLI Licenses #21045423 and #21045416. All rights reserved.

Liturgical texts and service music: From SundaysandSeasons.com. Copyright © 2023 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #SAS010308.