INTRODUCTION
TO THE TRIDUUM
The enormous significance of
Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection has always been the central focus
of Christian worship. Prior to the
fourth century, Easter Day itself included all three emphases, but thereafter
they were distributed over three days of special observance, which Augustine
called “the most holy Triduum of the
crucified, buried, and risen Lord.”
These days have long been understood as the climax of the Church’s year.
Since the last half of the 20th
century, Lutherans have been rediscovering the richness of the ancient Triduum (pronounced TRIH-doo-um) and
adapting the traditional services associated with it for use in
Evangelical-Lutheran worship. In keeping
with their origins, the Triduum
services are closely connected with one another. We observe the Triduum as a single service that extends over the “three holy
days.”
The theme of Maundy Thursday, best expressed
by the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to St. John , is the novum mandatum or “new command” of Jesus that his disciples “love
one another.” The institution of the
Lord’s Supper sets forth the depth of Jesus’ love and gives power to the Church
to live out his command. For the Triduum, Maundy Thursday marks the end
of Lent proper. The service begins with
the sermon and an exhortation
regarding the end of Lent. This unusual
arrangement allows the minister to explain the meaning of the Sacrament and the
liturgical actions that are to take place so that they may proceed uninterruptedly
and vividly from this evening through Good Friday to the Easter Vigil. The action of ceremonially stripping the
altar prepares the chancel and the congregation for Good Friday.
GOOD
FRIDAY: THE
SERVICE OF THE CROSS
As the middle service of the Triduum, Good Friday is prepared for by
Maundy Thursday. In turn, it leads into
the Easter Vigil. The absence of a
benediction the previous evening and again on Good Friday underscores the
connectedness of the Triduum
service. Good Friday is not a “funeral”
for Jesus, but an austere celebration of the Lamb and his sacrifice. The bare altar, symbolic of Christ, is the
focus along with a large, rough finished wood cross. The Service of the Cross consists of two
parts: I. The Word and II. The Meditation on the Cross. The service is highly meditative in nature
and is celebrated simply and not hurried.
The Service of the Cross is intended as the primary Good Friday service
and his historically been observed sometime during the “hours of the cross,”
between noon and three o’clock. It may
also be used in place of the Service of Darkness (Tenebrae) as an evening service, as is the case at Good Shepherd.
EASTER
VIGIL
The climax of the Triduum comes in the Vigil of Easter, a
service of watching and waiting which utilizes prayer, Scripture, and
hymns. The Vigil is composed of four
parts.
The Greek word "NIKA" means victory. |
II.
The Service of Lessons uses Old Testament texts that foreshadowed
our deliverance and rescue by Jesus.
III.
The Service of Holy Baptism emphasizes our baptismal connection to the
crucified and risen Christ.
IV. The Service of Holy Communion proclaims the risen Savior and our blessed reconciliation to God.
IV. The Service of Holy Communion proclaims the risen Savior and our blessed reconciliation to God.
In the ancient Church, the Vigil
began on Saturday and continued through to Easter Dawn. It was at dawn that the cry rang out: “Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!”
We honor the spirit of the Vigil, beginning our Easter Vigil at an early
hour on Easter Sunday. With the service
of Easter Dawn, we conclude the Triduum. Our Festival celebration is held at our
regular hour of Divine Service, at 10:00 AM.
May the Lord bless us as
we observe these “three holy days,” the Triduum.
Thank you for your good explanation of the Triduum. May I used parts of this for our church newsletter?
ReplyDeleteYou are most welcome to use anything here as you see fit! It all belongs to the Church.
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