Tenebrae Service
For centuries, believers gathered as the sun set on Good Friday. They gathered to recall those hours of darkness that covered the world at the crucifixion of the Son of God. This worship service, called Tenebrae from the Latin word for darkness, was a time of quiet reflection. Light came into the world in the person of Jesus Christ, only to be scorned, rejected, scourged and crucified. And so, the service was marked by the use of many candles, which were gradually extinguished as the story of His coming and His cross was retold.Those gathering, of course, believed in the resurrection. They knew that Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day. And yet, they found tremendous comfort and deep worship in the simple service of reading Scripture as the room around them slowly grew darker and darker. The tradition was that the service should end as the final moments on the cross were remembered, and then the last candle extinguished. In silence, the worshippers would leave the church building, not saying a word until they had returned through the front doors of their homes.
We invite you to rediscover the depth of meaning and blessing of such an evening brings. Like the ancient Tenebrae service, this is not an evening of spectacular effects or exhilarating songs of praise. The music and the readings, like the evening, are simple. In that simplicity, though, the story we all know so well, of a babe in a manger and a man on a cross, touches something deep inside each of us.1
1Tom Lawson and John E. Coates, Foreword, Tenebrae, Jesus, Light of the World, 2003.
