April 2 online worship

Preparations for Worship:

• Do your best to eliminate distractions like the phone, TV, etc.
• Worship actively! Whether you are by yourself or with others, try reading the parts of the service aloud (responses, lessons, and prayers).
• This service is for children too. Help them participate. Ask those who have that ability to read a prayer or lesson aloud. Take a moment to describe what’s happening. Ask questions. Encourage little ones to draw what they are hearing while you all listen. Unlike our more typical Sunday worship at church, you can pause at any time for questions and discussion.
• Before you begin, load each of the videos below. (You might first have to get past a distracting ad.)
• Pause for a moment of quiet meditation. Then pray:
  “Heavenly Father, I have come to worship you. Draw near to me in your gracious Word, and assure me of your loving kindness. Curb my wandering thoughts, that with undivided attention I may hear your voice and speak your praise. Through Jesus Christ. Amen.”

GOOD FRIDAY LITANY

Behold the cross, on which hung the Savior of the world. Come let us worship.

The Lord says, “My people, what wrong have I done to you?  How have I offended you? Answer me!  Through baptism, I led you from slavery to freedom, but you lead your Savior to the cross.” Holy God, holy and merciful, holy and just, have mercy upon us.

“I planted you as my fairest vineyard, I grafted you into the one true vine, I gave you the water of salvation, but you give me gall and vinegar to drink, and leave me thirsting upon a cross.” Holy God, holy and merciful, holy and just, have mercy upon us.

“I gave you a royal scepter, but you give me a crown of thorns. I raised you up to newness of life, but you raise me high upon a cross.” Holy God, holy and merciful, holy and just, have mercy upon us.

“I give you heaven, and yet you complain about that which you think you lack. I give you eternity, and yet you worry about this life.  You suffer, and you then blame me, though I have proven my love!  Should not I take everything from you?” Holy God, holy and merciful, holy and just, have mercy upon us.

“What more could I have done for you?  I gave you my peace and my truth, but you fight with each other, you cause pain to those I love, you dismiss those I chose to lead you.  Should not my anger burn?  Should not I destroy you?” Holy God, holy and merciful, holy and just, have mercy upon us.

“I come as your brother and sister, hungry, yet you give me no food, thirsty, yet you give me no drink, a stranger, and you do not welcome me, naked, and you do not clothe me, sick and in prison, and you do not visit me.” Holy God, holy and merciful, holy and just, have mercy upon us.

Silence for personal confession

The Lord also says, “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel.  I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.  I will be their God, and they will be my people. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Amen

Behold the cross, on which hung the Savior of the world. Come let us worship.

Let us pray. God Most Holy, look with mercy on this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, be given over into the hands of the wicked, and suffer death upon the cross. Keep us always faithful to him, our only Savior, who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

LESSON – LEVITICUS 16:11-19

¹¹After Aaron has presented the bull for his sin offering to make atonement for himself and for his household, he shall slaughter the bull for his sin offering. ¹²Then he is to take a full pan of glowing coals from the top of the altar, which is before the Lord, and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense and bring them inside the veil. ¹³He is to put the incense on the fire before the Lord so that the cloud from the incense covers the atonement seat that is over the Testimony, so he will not die. ¹⁴He is to take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger upon the surface of the atonement seat on its east side. He is also to sprinkle some of the blood seven times with his finger in front of the atonement seat.

¹⁵He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering of the people. He is to bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he had done with the blood of the bull. He is to sprinkle it on the atonement seat and in front of the atonement seat. ¹⁶He shall make atonement for the sanctuary to cleanse it from the uncleanness of the Israelites and from their rebellions and all their sins. This is what he shall do for the Tent of Meeting, which dwells in the midst of Israel’s uncleanness. ¹⁷When he enters to make atonement in the sanctuary, no other person may be in the Tent of Meeting until he has come out. In this way he shall make atonement for himself and his household, as well as for the entire assembly of Israel. ¹⁸He shall then come out to the altar that is before the Lord and make atonement for it. He is to take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat and smear it all around the horns of the altar. ¹⁹With his finger he is to sprinkle some of the blood upon it seven times. In this way he is to purify it and set it apart from the uncleanness of the Israelites.

LESSON – HEBREWS 7:26-28

²⁶This is certainly the kind of high priest we needed: one who is holy, innocent, pure, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. ²⁷Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices on a daily basis, first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people. In fact, he sacrificed for sins once and for all when he offered himself. ²⁸For the law appoints as high priests men who have weaknesses. But the word of the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been brought to his goal forever.

DEVOTION – LUKE 23:32-34

BIDDING PRAYER

Let us pray for the whole Church, that our gracious Father would defend her from the devil and keep her faithful to her Lord.
Silent prayer
Almighty and everlasting God, you have revealed your saving name to the world through Jesus Christ our Lord. Protect us from the assaults of the evil one, and help us remain faithful to your Word so that in every adversity, we may stand firm in our faith and give ourselves fully to our Savior’s work, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us pray for those who serve in the public ministry and for all people of God.
Silent prayer
Almighty and everlasting God, you rule over all things for the good of your people. Preserve us from divisive spirits and false teachers. Give your servants the grace to proclaim Christ joyfully in word and deed so that all who hear them may come to know their Savior better and be strengthened for their lives of service, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us pray for those who are being instructed in the Word, that they remain firm in the simple faith of Baptism.
Silent prayer
Almighty and everlasting God, you make us your own dear children by the washing of rebirth and renewal in the Holy Spirit. Give strength to all who are buried with Christ in Baptism, that each day they may die to sin and rise again to live new and holy lives, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us pray for our earthly government, our rulers, and all who are in authority.
Silent prayer
Almighty and everlasting God, you have established earthly government to keep a measure of order in this dying world and to protect us from the disorder of sin. Give to all rulers the wisdom to govern well and to all citizens the desire to obey them, so that we may live peaceful lives in all godliness and holiness, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us pray that our gracious Father would protect us and our communities from the many earthly calamities that threaten us.
Silent prayer
Almighty and everlasting God, on all sides we are surrounded by danger from wars and famine, from disease and pestilence, with the devil begrudging us every minute of our lives. Protect us from all these miseries so that your name may still be glorified in them and so that we may safely pass through them to your heavenly kingdom, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us pray for those who are outside the Church, that they may come to know the one, true God and Jesus Christ, whom he has sent.
Silent prayer
Almighty and everlasting God, your Son was lifted up on the cross so that he might draw all people to himself. Through the proclamation of your Word, mercifully gather from the nations a people that are your very own, that we may join together around your throne in glory to praise and thank you forever, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us pray for our enemies and for all those who hate us.
Silent prayer
Almighty and everlasting God, no one can harm us without grieving you, whose name we bear. We ask that you would change the hearts of those who work against us and who hate us without reason. Give them repentance and faith so that they may be glad with us and find joy in your love, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us pray for all who suffer under cross and trial.
Silent prayer

Almighty and everlasting God, you sent your Son into the world to bear our grief and to carry our sorrows. Help those who are suffering for your name’s sake and who are struggling against temptation, that they may not be overwhelmed with sadness but find relief in your grace, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Finally, let us pray for all those things for which our Lord would have us ask in the words he himself has taught us:

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 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.

What follows are The Reproaches, are an ancient Good Friday custom. They combine various Old Testament prophecies of condemnation with words of rebuke as if spoken by the Savior. They express how serious God is about sin. Yet ultimately, God shows mercy by sending the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world.

FIRST REPROACH

Thus says the LORD: What have I done to you, O my people, and wherein have I offended you? Answer me. For I have raised you up out of the prison house of sin and death, and you have delivered up your Redeemer to be scourged. For I have redeemed you from the house of bondage, and you have nailed your Savior to the cross. O my people!
Holy LORD God, holy and mighty God, holy and most merciful Redeemer, God eternal, leave us not to bitter death. O LORD, have mercy.

SECOND REPROACH

Thus says the LORD: What have I done to you, O my people, and wherein have I offended you? Answer me. For I have conquered all your foes, and you have given me over and delivered me to those who persecute me. For I have fed you with my Word and refreshed you with living water, and you have given me gall and vinegar to drink. O my people!

Holy LORD God, holy and mighty God, holy and most merciful Redeemer, God eternal, allow us not to lose hope in the face of death and hell. O LORD, have mercy.

THIRD REPROACH

Thus says the LORD: What have I done to you, O my people, and wherein have I offended you? Answer me. What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? My people, is this how you thank your God? O my people!

Holy LORD God, holy and mighty God, holy and most merciful Redeemer, God eternal, keep us steadfast in the true faith. O LORD, have mercy.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you. By your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

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