Service of Tenebrae

The Good Friday service will be a video-led service this year, but it is our prayer that your home worship experience will be Spirit-filled and meaningful in its own way. The word “Tenebrae” is Latin for “shadows” or “darkness.” The purpose of the Tenebrae service is to re-create the emotional aspects of the Passion story, through the reading of the Passion narrative and the sequential extinguishing of candles. As you prepare for this service, we might recommend that you find or collect seven candles of your own to use in the service. Light seven candles at the start of the service, and then dim the lights in your room. As the service progresses, you will be invited to extinguish one candle at a time, until you end in darkness.

Good Friday worship is actually the second part of the worship service that began on Maundy Thursday and that will conclude with Easter. The entire three-part service is known as the ”triduum.”  

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