SALEM LUTHERAN
CHURCH
10 McClellan Circle – Buffalo New York 14220
Phone: 824-2787
e-mail: salemoncircle@yahoo.com
website: www.salembuffalo.com
Rev.
David F. C. Wurster, Ph.D. – Pastor – 825-3253
Lynn I. Scarpine, DCG Lois L. Jones, Director of Music Ernelle L. Ponivas, Secretary Stephen Jarmusz Sr., Custodian
Rev.
Richard E. Blemaster, Pastor Emeritus
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April
6, 2007
7:30 p.m.
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(pages
refer to Lutheran Worship Blue Book)
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, as we meditate in this service on Your
death for us,
let those final sentences which You spoke from the cross impart a
personal blessing, that we may worship in spirit and truth and be moved
to sacrifice our whole life as an offering to You. Amen.
The
Prelude: (lighting of the candles)
The
Confession of Sins:
(Pastor and Congregation)
Merciful
Father, we have erred and strayed from Your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the desires of our own hearts.
We have offended against Your laws.
We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; we have
done those things which we ought not to have done; and there is no health in us.
O Lord, have mercy on us. Spare
them, O God, who confess their faults. Restore
those who are penitent, according to Your promises declared to mankind in Christ
Jesus, our Lord. And grant, for His
sake, that we may live a godly righteous, and sober life, to the glory of Your
holy name.
The Absolution: (Pastor)
The almighty and merciful God grant
unto you for Jesus sake pardon and remission of all your sins, time for
amendment of life, and the grace and comfort of His holy spirit.
Amen.
The Psalmody:
Psalm
130 -
read responsively by verses .
. . .
. .
. . .
. .
. . page 358
The Gloria
Patri:
Pastor:
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
People:
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, age
without end.
The Agnus
Dei:
Pastor:
O Christ the Lamb of God that takest away the sin of the world.
People:
Have mercy upon us.
Pastor:
O Christ the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.
People:
Have mercy upon us.
Pastor:
O Christ the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.
People:
Grant us thy peace. Amen.
The Hymn - “In the
Cross of Christ I Glory” . . .
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LW 101
THE
MEDITATIONS: “THE
SEVEN LAST
WORDS”
The First
Sentence: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
(Luke 23:34)
Pastor: He
himself bore our sins in His body upon the tree.
People: Lord have mercy
for we snatch at rules and traditions and
neglect the weightier matters of the law; justice and mercy
and faith. We strain at
gnats and swallow camels.
Hymn
(1st candle extinguished)
. .
. . . .
. .
. . .
. LW 112 – I
The Second
Sentence: “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in
paradise.”
(Luke 23:43)
Pastor: He
himself bore our sins in His body upon the tree.
People:
Lord, have mercy for we too often fail to tell our fellow his
fault between us alone, but hurt his honor with a sharp tongue
and deceitful heart.
Hymn
(2nd candle extinguished)
. .
. . . .
. .
. . LW 112 – II
The Third
Sentence: “Woman, behold your son;
Son, behold Your mother.”
(John 19:26 & 27)
Pastor: He
himself bore our sins in His body upon the tree.
People:
Lord have mercy upon us for we often dishonor and disrespect
our parents and those in authority, and provoke our children
to anger in petty ways and neglect their Christian instruction.
Hymn
(3rd candle extinguished)
. .
. . . .
. .
. . LW 112
– III
The Fourth
Sentence: “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”
(Matthew 27:45)
Pastor: He
himself bore our sins in His body upon the tree.
People:
Lord, have mercy upon us for we deny and forsake You and
others by our words and actions as Peter did.
Hymn
4th candle extinguished)
. .
. . . .
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. . .
. LW 112 – IV
The Fifth Sentence: “I thirst.”
(John 19:28)
Pastor: He
himself bore our sins in His body upon the tree.
People:
Lord, have mercy upon us for we often close our eyes and ears
when You are helpless, old, hungry, thirsty, naked, alone and
fearful.
Hymn
(5th candle extinguished)
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. . . .
. .
. . .
. LW 112 – V
The Sixth
Sentence: “It
is finished.”
(John 29:30)
Pastor: He
himself bore our sins in His body upon the tree.
People:
Lord, have mercy upon us for we often forget Your words that
You have finished Your work of redemption for us, and that
You now ask us to take up our cross and follow You in our
lives in this world.
Hymn
(6th candle extinguished)
. .
. . . .
. .
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. . LW 112 – VI
The Seventh
Sentence: “Father, into Thy hands I commit My Spirit.”
(Luke 23:46)
Pastor: He
himself bore our sins in His body upon the tree.
People:
Lord, have mercy upon us for we often desire to commit our
lives into the hands of masters of our own making, such as our
homes, cars, skills, education, family or friends, and find
ourselves despising You and Your Word.
Hymn
(7th candle extinguished)
. .
. . .
. .
. . .
. LW 112 – VII
The Closing
of the
Book
The Silent
Prayer
Leave in
Silence
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EASTER WORSHIP SERVICES
Sunrise
Communion .
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. 7:00 a.m.
Breakfast
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8:15 a.m.
Sunday
School and Bible Classes .
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. 9:00 a.m.
Communion
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. 10:30 a.m.
Explanation of the Service
The service is patterned after the ancient office of Tenebrae. The word “Tenebrae” means darkness. The purpose of the service is to impress upon us the terrible reality of sin, which caused our Savior to die for us.
A total of eight candles are used in this worship service.
Seven of these candles represent the last sentences which our Savior
spoke from the cross, and the eighth candle is the Christ Candle.
As the seven candles are extinguished, one by
one, causing the chancel to become increasingly darkened, we are reminded of the
darkness that covered the earth at the time our Lord spoke these words at His
crucifixion. It also serves as a
reminder of the spiritual darkness that would exist had the Light of the World
not come.
The exit of the Christ Candle near the close
of the service signifies Christ’s death and burial. When the book is lifted a few inches and slammed back down to
create a closing sound, we acknowledge that with the sealed tomb the meaning of
the cross is fulfilled, the sacrifice completed. The Christ Candle is not extinguished at any time during the
service. It is symbolic of the
eternal light of God’s love.
Though evil had its hour, the light of God’s love continues to burn to
all eternity.