April 19, 2019 - Good Friday - Tenebrae

The Scripture readings and music were done in stages tonight and a candle was extinguished after each of the seven readings from the Gospel of John.

When worship moves to the Holy Week, memories of past Holy Weeks and how they were commemorated loom large. Two years ago Pastor Michelle and Ron Houser worked on a unique Stations of the Cross display with contemporary pictures that were set up like traditional stations around the sanctuary.

In years before O Sacred Head Now Wounded was a traditional piece Creator would always sing. Two years ago Good Friday closed with those gathered singing repeatedly "My God, my God, O why have you abandoned me?" from Marty Haugen's My God, My God.

Tonight began with simple black cloth adorning the altar and a stand for the candles, the cross, and the seven lit candles. The liturgy was John's Passion narrative. There was time for silent prayer and meditation.

John narrative quotes and echoes scripture repeatedly and, to my ear, works like a script. Jesus knows all that is going to happen, and needs to happen to him in order to fulfill the scripture. During his arrest he asks “Who is it you want?” and when those who are arresting him reply “Jesus of Nazareth,” Jesus responds “I am he,”. Then they draw back and fall to the ground. As I posted yesterday the humanity of Jesus is not emphasized in this passion narrative but rather his God nature to my ear.

I was surprised after The Adoration of the Cross of Christ the selected music was In Christ Alone. The last verse went through my mind:

No guilt in life, no fear in death, This is the power of Christ in me From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny No power of hell, no scheme of man, Can ever pluck me from His hand Till He returns or calls me home Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

I wasn't sure that a Good Friday / Tenebrae service should close the service with these words but, to great effect, the song was cut off after the first line of the next to last verse "There in the ground His body lay" We sang those words, the piano stopped and Pastor Ray slammed the Bible shut in The Closing of the Book and exited dramatically.

In the silence and meditation that followed I had two trains of thought.. One was "in the ground his body lay" made me think of a seed and the new life that was ready to burst forth with such intensity at Easter..

The other was that the last verse of In Christ Alone and our faith in the power of Christ would not be stopped by the cross and tomb that we mediated on tonight..

Here in the power of Christ we are promised we will stand at the end of this Holy Week Triduum service with "No guilt in life, no fear in death"  The whole verse activated in my hearts yet this promise was silent within everyone there. The sharing is to be anticipated, not acted on tonight.

We left in silence.