Worship

Welcome! Thank you for joining us for worship today. In our services we gather before our almighty God to receive his gifts and to offer him our worship and praise. Through God’s powerful Word and Sacraments he renews our faith and strengthens us to serve in joy.

The church remembers the crucifixion of our Lord. Our remembrance, while somber, is not a message of gloom, but an awe-filled adoration of Jesus as he offers up his life as the Lamb of God. Worship on Good Friday is not a funeral service for Jesus, but a time of reflection and adoration of the Lamb of God. We gather to celebrate the sacrifice of the cross. The mood of the service is contemplative, encouraging worshipers to reflect deeply upon their own life in the light of the Passion of our Lord.

We worship using the custom of “Tenebrae,” which is Latin for “darkness.” Throughout the course of worship lights are dimmed and candles are extinguished. These all represent Christ’s life ebbing away. The service is closed by a loud noise called the strepitus, that calls to mind the earthquake at Jesus’ death and the closing of the tomb. The sound also foreshadows Christ rending his tomb in triumph at his resurrection. After meditation in darkness the Christ candle is lit once again before the congregation departs the church.