CUCC Maundy Thursday Service of Tenebrae (The Darkness)
Prelude: Wonderous Love – Jean Herrera
Welcome – Adam
Welcome Everyone! Tonight we commemorate Maundy Thursday (Brief explanation of Maundy Thursday…) You may follow along with worship in the liturgy below.
Lighting of the Christ Candle of Peace – Abbie and Gavin
All: We pray for peace
in our hearts,
in our homes,
in our communities,
in our nations,
and in our worlds.
Call to worship – Raleen, Jean, Judy, and Jeff
Raleen: Tonight we gather to remember:
The final meal Jesus shared with his friends
His prayer in the garden
His betrayal by his friends
His arrest and interrogation
Jean: We gather to do in remembrance those things Jesus asked us to do:
To break the bread, to share the cup,
To tell the stories.
Judy: We gather to keep faith and hope as the shadows lengthen and the light dims.
Jeff: We keep faith and hope with all who sit in darkness, suffering, alone, or afraid.
Jeff: Together by our witness here, we gather to remember that the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.
Song: What Wondrous Love Is This? – Rhonda, Dave, and Jeff
Prayer of Confession, ending with the Lord’s Prayer – Raleen, Jean, Judy, and Jeff
…Our God,
Who art in Heaven,
Hallowed by 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 debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
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.
Service of Holy Communion – Adam and Charlie
Song: Were You There?
Readings of Tenebrae (The Darkness)
Jean: Our first reading is from – Matthew chapter 26 verses 20 through 25
When it was evening, Jesus took his place with the twelve; and while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” And they became greatly distressed and began to say to him one after another, “Surely not I, Lord?” Jesus answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.” Judas, who betrayed him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” Jesus replied, “You have said so.”
Raleen: Our second reading is from Matthew chapter 26 verses 30 through 35
30When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
31Then Jesus said to them, “You will all become deserters because of me this night.’ 32But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 33Peter said to him, “Though all become deserters because of you, I will never desert you.” 34Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” 35Peter said to him, “Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And so said all the disciples.
Judy: The third reading is from Luke chapter 22 verses 39 through 46
Jesus came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. When he reached the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.’ Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.’ [[ Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.]] When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, and he said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.’
Jeff: Our fourth reading is from the Gospel of Mark chapter 14 verses 43 through 65 (We cut out a few verses that were repetitive to shorten this section)
43Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; and with him there was a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. 44Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” 45So when Judas came, he went up to Jesus at once and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. 46Then they laid hands on him and arrested him. 47But one of those who stood near drew his sword and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. 48Then Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? 49Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But let the scriptures be fulfilled.” 50All of them deserted him and fled.
Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death; but they found none. 56For many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony did not agree. 60Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?” 61But Jesus was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” 62Jesus said, “I am; and ‘you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power,’ and ‘coming with the clouds of heaven.’”
63Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? 64You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?” All of them condemned him as deserving death. 65Some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” The guards also took him over and beat him.
Adam: Our fifth reading is from Matthew chapter 27 verses 27 through 38
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters,* and they gathered the whole cohort around him. 28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ 30They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
32 As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross. 33And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots;* 36then they sat down there and kept watch over him. 37Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, ‘This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.’
38 Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.
Gavin: Our sixth reading is from Luke chapter 23 verses 44 through 49
It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last. When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, ‘Certainly this man was innocent.’ And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
Abbie: Our seventh reading is from – John chapter 19 verses 38 through 42
38
After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the religious authorities, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. 39Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. 40They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. 41Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. 42And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
(After the final reading, most of the candles will be extinguished, except for the Christ Candle of Peace. The candle of Christ shines in the darkness. You are free to be with this candle for the next ten minutes, or with your own candle for as long as you wish. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it.)