April 3, 2026 - Good Friday
SERVICE OF THE WORD
GOOD FRIDAY—LOOK UP TO FIND THE SOURCE OF SALVATION
On Good Friday we remember the crucifixion and death of our Lord. The Son of Man was lifted up on the cross to the glory of God and for our salvation. While others see a wounded man, we see the source of eternal salvation. We pray to him with confidence, remembering what he has done for us.
OPENING HYMN 422 A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth
1 A Lamb goes uncomplaining forth,
our guilt and evil bearing
and, laden with the sins of earth,
none else the burden sharing,
goes patient on, grows weak and faint,
to slaughter led without complaint,
that spotless life to offer;
bears shame and stripes and wounds and death,
anguish and mockery and saith,
“Willing all this I suffer.”
2 This Lamb is Christ, the soul’s great friend,
the Lamb of God, our Savior;
him God the Father chose to send
to gain for us his favor.
“Go forth, my Son,” the Father said,
“and free my children from their dread
of guilt and condemnation.
The wrath and stripes are hard to bear,
but by your passion they will share
the fruit of your salvation.”
3 “Yes, Father, yes, most willingly
I’ll bear what you command me.
My will conforms to your decree;
I’ll do what you have asked me.”
O wondrous Love, what have you done!
The Father offers up his Son,
desiring our salvation.
O Love, how strong you are to save!
You make his bed within the grave
who built the earth’s foundation.
4 From morn till eve, in all I do,
I’ll praise you, Christ, my treasure.
To sacrifice myself for you
shall be my aim and pleasure.
My stream of life shall ever be
a current flowing ceaselessly,
your constant praise outpouring.
I’ll treasure in my memory,
O Lord, all you have done for me,
your gracious love adoring.
Text: Paul Gerhardt, 1607–1676, abr.; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: OneLicense no. 717826
Please Stand
INVOCATION
In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
CONFESSION OF SINS
Dear friends, let us approach God with a true heart and confess our sins, asking him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us.
Lord of life, I confess that I am by nature dead in sin.
For faithless worrying and selfish pride,
For sins of habit and sins of choice,
For the evil I have done and the good I have failed to do,
You should cast me away from your presence forever.
O Lord, I am sorry for my sins. Forgive me, for Jesus’ sake.
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. In his great mercy, God made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in our sins. Hear the word of Christ through his called servant: I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
THE WORD
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray.
God Most Holy, look with mercy on this, your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, be given over into the hands of the wicked, and suffer death upon the cross. Keep us always faithful to him, our only Savior, who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
Be Seated
FIRST READING Isaiah 52:13—53:12
As our substitute, Christ endured the punishment that our guilt deserved. We are now at peace with God.
13See, my servant will act wisely;
he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
14Just as there were many who were appalled at him—
his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being
and his form marred beyond human likeness—
15so he will sprinkle many nations,
and kings will shut their mouths because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
and what they have not heard, they will understand.
1Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
4Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.
9He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
11After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
HYMN HL794 E Manos cariñosas (translated) sts. 1–2
1 Caring hands,
hands of Jesus;
Hands that carried
the heavy cross.
Hands that knew
only to do good,
Glory to these hands!
Alleluia, amen!
2 White easter lilies,
lilies of love,
They were those hands
of my Redeemer.
Hands that to the blind
gave vision
With the real comfort
of his forgiveness.
Text: Alfredo Colom M.
Text: © 1954 Singspiration Music/ASCAP, admin. The Benson Co., Inc., Nashville, TN. Used by permission: Onelicense no. 717826
PSALM OF THE DAY Psalm 22
1My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?
2My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, but I find no rest.
3Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the one Israel praises.
4In you our ancestors put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
5To you they cried out and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
6But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
7All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
8“He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
“let the Lord rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him.”
9Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.
10From birth I was cast on you;
from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
11Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.
12Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
13Roaring lions that tear their prey
open their mouths wide against me.
14I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted within me.
15My mouth is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.
16Dogs surround me,
a pack of villains encircles me;
they pierce my hands and my feet.
17All my bones are on display;
people stare and gloat over me.
18They divide my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment.
19But you, Lord, do not be far from me.
You are my strength; come quickly to help me.
20Deliver me from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.
21Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.
22I will declare your name to my people;
in the assembly I will praise you.
23You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
24For he has not despised or scorned
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.
25From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.
26The poor will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the Lord will praise him—
may your hearts live forever!
27All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
28for dominion belongs to the Lord
and he rules over the nations.
29All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
31They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!
SECOND READING Hebrews 4:14–16; 5:7–9
We pray with confidence since Jesus is the source of eternal salvation.
14Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
7During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him
HYMN HL794 E Manos cariñosas (translated) sts. 3–4
3 Hands that knew
to calm pain,
Oh, the divine hands
of my Redeemer!
That multiplied
Fish and bread,
Miraculous hands
That give life.
4 Hands that suffered
the nail and the cross;
Redeeming hands
of my good Jesus.
In these beautiful
hands I trust,
They bring me all
the way to heaven.
Text: Alfredo Colom M.
Text: © 1954 Singspiration Music/ASCAP, admin. The Benson Co., Inc., Nashville, TN. Used by permission: Onelicense no. 717826
Please Stand
GOSPEL (in English and Karen) John 19:17–30
The crucifixion and death of Jesus.
17Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.
19Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. 20Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”
22Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
23When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
24“Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”
This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said,
“They divided my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment.”
So this is what the soldiers did.
25Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” 27and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
28Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise be to you, O Christ.
Be Seated
HYMN OF THE DAY 428 O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
1 O sacred head, now wounded,
with grief and shame weighed down,
now scornfully surrounded,
with thorns your only crown,
O sacred head, no glory
now from your face does shine;
yet, though despised and gory,
I joy to call you mine.
2 My burden in your passion,
Lord, you have borne for me,
for it was my transgression,
my shame, on Calvary.
I cast me down before you;
wrath is my rightful lot.
Have mercy, I implore you;
Redeemer, spurn me not!
3 What language shall I borrow
to thank you, dearest Friend,
for this, your dying sorrow,
your pity without end?
O make me yours forever,
and keep me strong and true;
Lord, let me never, never
outlive my love for you.
4 Lord, be my consolation,
my shield when I must die;
remind me of your passion
when my last hour draws nigh.
My eyes will then behold you,
upon your cross will dwell;
my heart will then enfold you—
who dies in faith dies well!
Text: attr. Bernard of Clairvaux, 1091–1153, abr.; German version, Paul Gerhardt, 1607–1676; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: OneLicense no. 717826
SERMON
Please Stand
CONFESSION OF FAITH Apostles' Creed ~150 AD
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Be Seated
OFFERING PRESENTED BEFORE THE ALTAR
Please Stand
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
O Christ, hear us.
God, the Father in heaven, have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Be gracious to us. Spare us, good Lord.
Be gracious to us. Help us, good Lord.
From every sin,
from every error,
from every evil,
from the devil’s lies and cunning,
from eternal death, deliver us, good Lord.
By the mystery of the holy incarnation,
by your holy birth,
by your baptism, fasting and temptation,
by your agony and bloody sweat,
by your cross and suffering,
by your death and burial,
by your resurrection and ascension,
by the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Counselor,
in all times of trouble,
in all times of prosperity,
in the hour of death, help us, good Lord.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, hear us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; grant us your peace.
Amen.
O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made the instrument of shameful death to be the means of life and peace for us. Grant that we glory in the cross of Christ, and gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of Jesus Christ, your Son our Lord.
Amen.
Text: Reprinted from Praying with the Readings: … Year A, copyright © 2022, 2023 Paul C. Stratman. Used with permission.
LORD'S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.
Be Seated
HYMN 430 Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted
1 Stricken, smitten, and afflicted,
see him dying on the tree!
’Tis the Christ, by man rejected;
yes, my soul, ’tis he, ’tis he.
’Tis the long-expected Prophet,
David’s son, yet David’s Lord;
proofs I see sufficient of it:
’tis the true and faithful Word.
2 Tell me, as you hear him groaning,
was there ever grief like his,
friends through fear his cause disowning,
foes insulting his distress?
Many hands were raised to wound him,
none would intervene to save;
but the deepest stroke that pierced him
was the stroke that justice gave.
3 If you think of sin but lightly
nor suppose the evil great,
here you see its nature rightly,
here its guilt may estimate.
Mark the sacrifice appointed,
see who bears the awful load;
’tis the Word, the Lord’s anointed,
Son of Man and Son of God.
4 Here we have a firm foundation,
here the refuge of the lost:
Christ, the rock of our salvation,
is the name of which we boast;
Lamb of God, for sinners wounded,
sacrifice to cancel guilt!
None shall ever be confounded
who on him their hope have built.
Text: Thomas Kelly, 1769–1855, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please Stand
PRAYER
O Lord God, our heavenly Father, pour out the Holy Spirit on your faithful people. Keep us strong in your grace and truth, protect and comfort us in all temptation, and bestow on us your saving peace, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
BLESSING
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look on you with favor and T give you peace.
Amen.
Be Seated
CLOSING HYMN 423 The Power of the Cross sts. 1, Ref , 2–4, Final Refrain
1 Oh, to see the dawn
of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
torn and beaten, then
nailed to a cross of wood. (Refrain)
Ref This the pow’r of the cross:
Christ became sin for us.
Took the blame, bore the wrath;
we stand forgiven at the cross.
2 Oh, to see the pain
written on your face,
bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Ev’ry bitter thought,
ev’ry evil deed
crowning your bloodstained brow. (Refrain)
3 Now the daylight flees;
now the ground beneath
quakes as its maker bows his head.
Curtain torn in two,
dead are raised to life;
“Finished!” the vict’ry cry. (Refrain)
4 Oh, to see my name
written in the wounds,
for through your suff’ring I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
life is mine to live,
won through your selfless love! (Final Refrain)
Ref This the pow’r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love, what a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.
Text: Keith Getty, b. 1974; Stuart Townend, b. 1963
Text: © 2005 Thankyou Music, admin. CapitolCMGPublishing,com. Used by permission: OneLicense no. 717826
A loud sound may now be heard in the sanctuary. Known as the Strepitus, this sound represents the rending of Jesus' tomb.
The minister exits in silence.
Worshipers may remain for prayer and meditation before dispersing quietly.
T T T
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Thank you—to all who participated in our service today.
Musicians—Owen Hoppe
Preacher & Presider—Pastor William Dunn
Easter Sunday—Join us for Easter on Sunday! We will have our services at their regular times of 9 am in English and 11:30 am Spanish bilingual. After each service we will have an Easter Egg hunt. If you would like to bring some filled eggs to hide for the kids, you are welcome to do so! We will also have our potluck Easter breakfast at 10 am in between the services. Bring a dish to share if you would like. God’s Blessings on your Easter celebrations.
New Member Welcome (new date)—If you are interested in becoming a new member at St. Peter, we are planning to have our next new member welcome on Sunday, May 3rd during both services. Schedule the new member classes at stpeter.link/meet or talk to Pastor Dunn.
Christ-St. Peter News—Save the date! On Friday May 1, Tapas Night is back! Come support our school at the Historic Tripoli Shrine Center. Tickets are on sale now at stpeter.link/tapas!
Special prayers—Please speak with Pastor Dunn about any special prayer requests, fill out the prayer request card, or go to stpeter.link/prayer: Linda Buchanan, Rodrigo Concha, Roy Gutierrez, Jesús, Kevin, y Gabriel Luna, Ron Metoxen, Jorge Olivera Tapia, Junior Ramirez, Pastor Martin Schoell, Randy Tiutczenko, Carol Tousignant.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Upcoming Meetings: Council—5/5 at 6:30 pm; Voter’s—6/2 at 6:30 pm; CSP ECCE—4/13 at 6:30 pm.
Next Food & Clothing Pantry—Friday, April 17 at 4 pm and Saturday, April 18 at 10 am.
Next Youth Night (confirmed youth-high school)—March 29, 5:30-7:30 pm
Next Fellowship Event—St. Peter Night Out - Friday, April 17
Next Wednesday Worship Night—Wednesday, April 15 at 6 pm—Midweek Lent Service
Next Evening Compline—April TBD.
Next Combined Service—Sunday, April 26 at 10:30 am—Confirmation Service
EASTER SUNDAY AT ST. PETER—April 5
9:00 am—English Worship w/ Communion
10-11:30 am—Easter Breakfast
11:30 am—Bilingual Worship w/ Communion
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.TM Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Spanish translations are from the Nueva Versión Internacional, NVI. Software distributed in partnership with Northwestern Publishing House.