Congregational responses are indicated in bold typeface

Musical meditation  

O Sacred, Wondrous Love     
arr. Heather Sorenson  
Alleluia Choir 

Opening Prayer

Merciful God, your Son was lifted up on the cross to draw all people to himself. Grant that we who have been born out of his wounded side may at all times find mercy in him, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Procession of the Cross

Behold the life-giving cross on which was hung the Savior of the whole world.

Oh, come, let us worship him.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.

By your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading Isaiah 53:1-5

Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we
should desire him. He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account.

Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.

Offering

La Via Dolorosa Celene Nucette Wilter Rosales, piano           

Reading Isaiah 53:6-9

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By a perversion of justice he was taken away. Who could have imagined his future? For he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people. They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

Silence for Meditation and first candle is extinguished

O my people, O my church, what more could I have done for you? Answer me. I led you on your way in a pillar of cloud and fire but you led me to the judgment hall of Pilate; I guided you by the light of the Holy Spirit, but you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on me.

HYMN  

ELW 349 (vs. 1 & 2) Ah, Holy Jesus

The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ According to the Gospel of Mark

Reading Mark 15:16-20

Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort. And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. And they began saluting him, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. 

Silence for Meditation and second candle is extinguished.

O my people, O my church, what more could I have done for you? Answer me. I gave you a royal scepter, but you gave me a crown of thorns; I gave you the kingdom and crowned you with eternal life, but you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on me.

HYMN  

ELW 349 (vs. 3 & 4) Ah, Holy Jesus

Reading           Mark 15:21-24

They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.

Silence for Meditation and third candle is extinguished.

O my people, O my church, what more could I have done for you? Answer me. I lifted you up to the heights, but you lifted me high on a cross; I raised you from death and prepared for you the tree of life, but you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on me.

HYMN 

ELW 351(vs. 1,2)  O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

Reading           Mark 15:25-32

It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, ‘The King of the Jews.’ And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!’ In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, ‘He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.’ Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.

Silence for Meditation and fourth candle is extinguished.

O my people, O my church, what more could I have done for you? Answer me. I grafted you into my people Israel, but you made them scapegoats for your own guilt, and you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on me.

HYMN

ELW 351(vs. 3,4) O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

Reading Mark 15:33-38

When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, ‘Listen, he is calling for Elijah.’ And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.’ Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

Silence for Meditation and fifth candle is extinguished.

O my people, O my church, what more could I have done for you? Answer me. I poured out saving water from the rock, but you gave me sour wine to drink; I poured out my life and gave you the new covenant in my blood, but you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on me.

HYMN 

ELW 353 (vs. 1, 2 & 3) Were You There

Reading Mark 15:39-41

Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was God’s Son!’ There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

Silence for Meditation and sixth candle is extinguished.

O my people, O my church, what more could I have done for you? Answer me. I opened the waters to lead you to the promised land, but you opened my side with a spear; I washed your feet as a sign of my love, but you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on me.

HYMN

ELW 353, (vs. 4 & 5) Were You There

JOURNEY TO THE CROSS

Meditate on the Cross

During the musical interlude, take time to pray about those things that separate you from living in God’s love for you. You are invited to write down these things, place your slip of paper on a nail on the cross, and return to your seat. 

MUSICAL Meditation   

Eric Miller, bassoon
Elizabeth Marks, piano

PRAYERS

Reading Mark 15:42-47

When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.

Silence for Meditation and seventh candle is extinguished.

O my people, O my church, what more could I have done for you? Answer me. I struck down your enemies, but you struck my head with a reed; I gave you peace, but you draw the sword in my name, and you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on me.

Closing of the Tomb

The sanctuary will be in darkness. The Christ Candle will be carried out. After a short time, a loud noise, the strepitus, will sound. After another short silence, dim light will come on. You may depart in silence or remain in the sanctuary to pray.