St. Mark's Lutheran Church and School (WELS, Citrus Heights, CA)

Christian Education

This morning Pastor Schroeder will be leading the Bible class on Christian Education.

If there is any way our church and school can serve your spiritual needs, please contact one of our pastors or our school principal;
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church and School
7869 Kingswood Drive
Citrus Heights, California 95610
Phone: (916) 961-7891  
Website: www.StMarksLutheran.com
Audio-Video Questions? please email to av-crew@outlook.com

Graduation Ceremony

Presentation of Kindergarten and Eighth Grade Diplomas

If there is any way our church and school can serve your spiritual needs, please contact one of our pastors or our school principal;
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church and School
7869 Kingswood Drive
Citrus Heights, California 95610
Phone: (916) 961-7891  
Website: www.StMarksLutheran.com
Audio-Video Questions? please email to av-crew@outlook.com

Ascension

The Ascension of Our Lord

Thursday, May 25, 2017

Focus of This Evenings Service
Forty days after Jesus rose from the dead, he ascended into heaven in glory. His ascension proclaims that his work to secure our salvation is complete, reminds us of our mission to proclaim the gospel to all creation, and assures us that Christ will return at the end of the time to bring his believers home to himself in heaven.
SERVING AT WORSHIP

Presiding Minister ............. Pastor Jason Schmidt
Accompanist..................... Adrienne Bengel
Choir Director ................. Rosemarie Boushek

 

If there is any way our church and school can serve your spiritual needs, please contact one of our pastors or our school principal;
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church and School
7869 Kingswood Drive
Citrus Heights, California 95610
Phone: (916) 961-7891  
Website: www.StMarksLutheran.com
Audio-Video Questions? please email to av-crew@outlook.com

Confirmation

Confirmation - Fourth Sunday of Easter

Examination

Examination is the necessary step before confirmation of our new graduating members.

Good Friday 7:00 PM

Good Friday Service of Darkness

On Good Friday, the Christian Church remembers the crucifixion of our Lord. Although our remembrance is solemn, our message on this night is not one of gloom, but of adoration of Jesus, the Lamb of God, as he offers up his life as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. Good Friday is part of the larger celebration of salvation begun yesterday, Maundy Thursday, and culminating in the Festival of the Resurrection of our Lord on Easter Day.

The Service of Darkness—often called Tenebrae (Latin for “darkness”)—is a dramatic service, but it is not a drama. We have not gathered to reenact Good Friday’s events, but to ponder our salvation during an austere time of reflection, intercession, adoration of the Lamb of God, and quiet meditation. We gather to celebrate the sacrifice of the cross.

Many variations of the Good Friday Service of Darkness exist. Some versions of the service, including tonight’s service, are built around the seven words or statements that Jesus made from the cross. Other versions are modern adaptations of medieval versions of the service. A common thread in all versions of the Service of Darkness is the gradual extinction of candles and the loud, symbolic sound at the end of the service.

In the chancel burns a seven-fold candelabrum in the shape of a crown of thorns. The candles will be extinguished as the service progresses, one after each of Jesus’ seven last words is read. At the end of the service, the final candle is removed from the chancel, leaving the sanctuary in tenebrae for silent prayer. The service is closed by a loud sound, called the strepitus (Latin for “crash” or “loud noise”). The strepitus has been interpreted by worshippers in a number of ways. Some see the it as a symbol to remind us of the stone that was rolled in front of Jesus’ tomb to shut it; others see it as a statement of the cataclysmic nature of Christ’s sacrifice; still others view it as foreshadowing the rending of Christ’s tomb at his resurrection on Easter morning. The final candle, which is still burning, is returned to its place at the end of the service before the congregation departs the church, leaving a symbolic glimmer of gospel hope amidst the gloom of Good Friday.

The mood of the service is most solemn, encouraging worshipers to reflect deeply upon their own lives in the light of the Passion of our Lord. No closing blessing is pronounced and the congregation disperses into the night, leaving the darkened church in silence, yet remembering the Light which lingers and casts hope through the gloom of Good Friday.

 

A Good Friday Service of Darkness

on Jesus’ Seven Words from the Cross

Presiding Minister:  Pastor Jason Schmidt Accompanist:  Shannon Schmidt

Organist & Choir Director:  Rosemarie Boushek Oboe:  Fred Beiderbecke

Good Friday 1:00 PM

A Good Friday Service of

Meditation on the Cross of Christ

On Good Friday, the Christian Church remembers the crucifixion of our Lord. Although our remembrance is solemn, it is not a message of gloom, but a time of adoration of Jesus, the Lamb of God, as he offers up his life as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. Good Friday is part of the larger celebration of salvation begun yesterday, Maundy Thursday, and culminating in the Festival of the Resurrection of our Lord on Easter Day.

 

The Service of Meditation on the Cross of Christ is dramatic, but it is not a drama. We do not gather to reenact the crucifixion of Jesus, but to reflect on his sufferings for us which took place on this very day and at this very hour. Our Good Friday service is an austere time of reflection, intercession, adoration of the Lamb, and quiet meditation. We gather to celebrate the sacrifice of the cross. The service presents a series of Scripture readings and liturgical texts on our Lord’s crucifixion and repentance over our sin that caused it. Through Scripture and through the texts and ceremonies developed by our Christian ancestors, Good Friday’s message of our sin and God’s grace is communicated powerfully to both head and heart.

 

Good Friday is unique among Christian holidays because it is the only day when the main service of congregations has historically been held in the afternoon. Christians gather during the hours of the crucifixion when darkness hung over the earth (Matthew 27:45) and our Savior was forsaken by his Father in heaven.

 

Good Friday is prepared for by the solemn stripping of the altar at the close of the Maundy Thursday service. The altar is among the most prominent symbols of Christ in the church, and stripping the altar powerfully recalls Christ’s abandonment before his passion. The congregation gathers on Good Friday before the bare altar, which continues to symbolize the stark abandonment of our Lord—not just by his disciples (Matthew 26:56), but also by God the Father (Matthew 27:46).

 

The congregation gathers and departs in silence. As on Maundy Thursday, there is no concluding blessing in the service. This underscores the connected nature of the services of Holy Week. When the service concludes, please exit the church in silence. Worshippers may remain after the service for private meditation if they desire. May the Lord bless your meditation.

 

Presiding Minister ........................................................................................................................... Pastor Jason Schmidt

Musical Accompanist.............................................................................................................................. Adrienne Bengel

Soloist .................................................................................................................................................... Isabella Peperkorn

Maundy-Thursday

Tonight’s Worship

Just as Ash Wednesday begins the Lenten time of preparation, so Maundy Thursday marks the end of Lenten preparation and the beginning of the three holy days that conclude Lent, called the Triduum, a Latin term meaning “three days” and customarily referring to the services of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.

To underscore the end of the Lenten time of preparation, and to recall Jesus’ discourse with his disciples at the beginning of the original Maundy Thursday Passover celebration (John 13-14), the service begins with an address that reflects much of the content of Jesus’ discourse. The service and sermon progress, emphasizing the events of Maundy Thursday and especially the institution of Holy Communion. The post-communion portion of the service takes us to the Garden of Gethsemane in preparation for Good Friday. The altar, which is one of the most prominent symbols of Christ in the church, is solemnly stripped of its vestments in memory of the abandonment of Jesus in Gethsemane. Psalm 88 is sung as the altar furnishings are removed.

The service ends in silence. The congregation hears no closing blessing. Rather, the conclusion of the Maundy Thursday service naturally flows into the Good Friday service and previews the tone of that service. The congregation disperses silently and reassembles again on Good Friday evening.

Praise and Proclaim Ministries

Today we have a special outreach Bible Study led by Mr. Dave Malnes of Praise and
Proclaim Ministries.

Voters Call Meeting

The votes call a pastor.