Shenandoah District Connection
Holy Week Edition
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“...
It is finished...
” (John 19:30, NIV).
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Call to Worship and Prayer
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Leader: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
People: Amen.
Leader: Blessed be the name of the Lord our God,
People: who redeems us from sin and death.
Leader: For us and for our salvation, Christ became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.
People: Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Source:
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Were you there when
you crucified my Lord?
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Meditation on Good Friday
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Good Friday and the service of Tenebrae are not part of the Church of the Brethren practice of Holy Week in the same manner as Maundy Thursday. Yes, indeed, some congregations practice Tenebrae. However, it has not achieved the same status as other of our practices. As I seek an increased understanding of this service and its meaning, I have a deepening appreciation for what it could mean for us.
Merriam Webster defines Tenebrae as “a church service observed during the final part of Holy Week commemorating the sufferings and death of Christ.”*
The Tenebrae service invites us to remember the passion of Christ in all its soberness, suffering and pain. To enter fully into that moment of darkness and to understand more deeply the salvation that was wrought by Christ for us.
Suffering and death are not something that is part of our ordinary conversation. We avoid discussing and confronting our fears until we no longer have the choice. How many of us have said something like this regarding COVID-19, “I wonder when this will be over?” Or “are we there yet?” We long for Easter morning and the glories of Sunrise services and the promise of the resurrection.
Good Friday and the Tenebrae service is a reminder that we are not there yet. It is not over. We are called to “stay in place,” pondering our own brokenness and darkness in the midst, reflecting on the passion of Christ.
Folks, I believe it is vital for us to use this moment to embrace the darkness that is ours. This means self-examination considering the cross of Christ. It also means lamenting that which is broken and cannot be returned or fixed because of COVID-19.
The service of Tenebrae begins with the lighting of candles. As the account of Jesus' crucifixion is read, a single candle is extinguished in turn. The last candle to be extinguished is the Christ candle. People process from the service in darkness with the room remaining as is until the Easter vigil begins.
I invite you to “stay in place” and reflect with me, using the familiar hymn “Were You There” and reflecting on each stanza considering the last words of Jesus on the cross.
John Jantzi
Shenandoah District
Executive Minister
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Were you there
when they crucified my Lord?
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Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.
Luke 23:34
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At the moment of Jesus' greatest pain, when capital punishment was at its most excruciating, Jesus looked his enemies and said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. My oh my. Is this the time to lay down our enmities at the foot of the cross? To lay down our grudges, prejudices, and all other manners of non-forgiveness? Let it be so.
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Were you there
when they crucified my Lord?
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I tell you the truth today you will be with me in paradise. Luke 23:42
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Were you there? A man, executed beside Jesus, indicated he was receiving justice for his misdeeds. This man caught a glimpse of who Jesus was. Remember me, Jesus, when you come into your Kingdom.
Amid the agony of Christ, mercy was extended: "You will be with me in paradise."
That is our promise as well. Remember us Jesus... Our lives will continue with God throughout all the ages.
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Oh, sometimes it causes me
to tremble, tremble, tremble.
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Dear Woman here is your son! Here is your Mother. John 19:26-27
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During his suffering, Jesus cared for his mother. Turning to the disciple beside his mother, "Here is your mother." Turning to his mother, "here is your son." These words ensured the care and provision for the ongoing life and well-being of his mother.
Oh Lord, we cry out to you. Many of us have grandparents and parents in retirement facilities under lockdown with minimal interaction. We long to embrace them and return them fully to relationships we cherish. God of all Comfort, listen to the cries of our older saints. These are your children, your sons and daughters.
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Were you there
when they crucified my Lord?
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My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? Matthew 27:46
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These are haunting words. Jesus is the Son of God, and yet at his moment of deepest anguish, the candle of that relationship seemed extinguished. Forsaken and abandoned. No evident friends on earth and the heavenly connection under duress.
We were not there in that moment with Christ, but that sense of abandonment speaks deeply to my soul. I, too, have felt that abandonment, that sense of being alone. Let those words of Jesus speak to our soul, knowing Jesus has been there first.
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Were you there
when they nailed him to the tree?
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Scripture tells us this was to fulfill the words spoken in Psalm 69:21. It seems Jesus also knew his time was short. He sought the comfort of ordinary things. I am thirsty.
God of the desert, our mouths grow dry. Sometimes it seems our time is short. Provide us with your living water, which forever quenches the dryness of our spirits.
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Were you there
when they nailed him to the tree?
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It is Finished. John 19:30
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Three powerful words. We cannot know exactly what Jesus was thinking. However, it seems he knew his life’s work was complete. What he was sent to do was now accomplished. It is finished.
Lord, during this time of ambiguity of our roles, our being not sure of what you are asking of us, our sense of incompleteness, may we hear the solace in these words. We are accomplishing and have accomplished what you have sent us to do. Free us from the franticness of needing to be God. It is enough. It is finished.
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Oh, sometimes it causes me
to tremble, tremble, tremble.
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Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit. Luke 23:46
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The final act of surrender. Jesus looked death squarely in the face and knew his hope was in the merciful hands of his Father. Into your hands I commit my Spirit.
We hang on, with a fierce grasp, to things you are asking us to surrender: Our understandings of normalcy, our desire for guaranteed security, the future of our work and play, the well being of those we love. Oh, merciful God, into your hands, we commit our spirits.
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Go in peace. May Jesus Christ, who for our sake became obedient unto death, even death on a cross, keep you and strengthen you this night and forever.**
Amen.
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Churches with Alternative or Online Services
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Many Shenandoah District churches are streaming services online during this time of time of quarantine and social distancing. Some churches are posting on their church websites, some are broadcasting through
Facebook
and others are using meeting software such as
Zoom
. Be sure to download the application needed to view services in the format the specific church is utilizing prior to service times, where applicable.
Special Holy Week Services:
Tonight: Denominational Tenebrae service; also other Holy Week resources available at
www.brethren.org
.
Maundy Thursday:
Pleasant Hill
will post a link to view service on Facebook
7 p.m. Good Friday:
Antioch
will stream service on their YouTube channel
.
7:30 p.m. Good Friday:
White Hill
will have a service through Facebook live.
6:30 a.m. Easter morning: Pastor George Bowers will be streaming Sunrise service on
Facebook
.
7 a.m. Easter morning: Pastors
Larry Aikens
and
Jon Prater
will be streaming a joint Sunrise service. The service can be viewed live by following Larry or Jon on Facebook. It will also be posted on the YouTube channel for
Pastor Jon CoB
after recording.
8:30 a.m. Easter morning: Brethren & Mennonite Heritage Center will post an Easter Sunrise service with footage from the sunrise over the Shenandoah Valley as seen from the Heritage Center, as well as meditation from Paul Roth entitled "From Fear to Joy." The link will be posted
here
and at
www.brethrenmennoniteheritage.org
.
11:10 a.m. Easter Sunday Parking Lot Worship at Smith Creek.
The following congregations have online access to services:
Calvary
DVDs will be made available for members upon request.
Community Mission | 10 a.m. Sundays Drive-in Worship Service by PA system.
Linville Creek | Links to private YouTube broadcasts provided by email weekly. Contact Pastor
Nathan Hollenberg
to receive links.
Madison | 11 a.m. Sundays on Zoom. Contact
Pastor Ed Morris
for the Zoom meeting number to enter the worship service
Mountain Grove Fulks Run | 11 a.m. Sundays; remain in cars for the service and hear message via PA system.
Stone
| 10:45 a.m. Sundays
These are the congregations who have submitted information thus far. If your congregation wishes to be included, e-mail your info to John Jantzi at the District Office at
johnjantzi@shencob.org
.
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If you have questions about the Daily Connection, contact:
Director of Communications
Shenandoah District Church of the Brethren
P.O. Box 67
Weyers Cave, Va. 24486
(540) 234-8555
www.shencob.org
(Graphics courtesy of pixabay.com, unless otherwise stated)
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