Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.
Today is Good Friday, and our church had an evening service called Tenebrae, which is Italian for shadows or darkness. Tenebrae has been in practice since medieval times, and consists of meditation on Christ's sufferings, and after every song or reading, a light is turned out, until the entire building is almost dark. At the end, in the dark, a sweet teenager sang in a high voice "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord." Of course I wasn't, bit it felt just a bit like it.
“The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great Light, and those
who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, upon them a Light dawned.”
15 comments:
I love Tenebrae Services. I have been to LOTS of them through the years. I always think of them as being opposite from a Candleight Service at Christmas... The Tenebrae starts with light and ends in darkness... The Candlight starts in darkness and ends in light (with all of the candles lit). Neat services---both of them.. Glad you went. It's very very moving.
Happy Easter.
Hugs,
Betsy
My Goodness that song is on my blog post today! What a sweet tradition your Church has. When That young lady sand there must not have been a dry eye in the Church...I can only imagine.
Blessings, Joanne
We use to have those services in Sweden too. Happy Easter!!
Wanted to stop by and wish you Peace and Joy on the celebration of our Lord and Saviour...what amazing Love he had for us!
Oh I bet it was a beautiful service!
Happy Easter to you!!
hughugs
You have beautifully described the service, Ginny. I hope you and Phil have a wonderful Easter holiday. Hugs and blessings...Mary
I love that song and have not heard it for 40 years. i will go find it on youtube.. Happy Easter and enjoy your week end...
Beautiful service Ginny. I never have been to one but you make me want to go to one. Love to you and yours and have a wonderful Easter.
Sounds like a very meaningful service. Blessings for a wonderful Resurrection Day.
Those are such beautiful and deeply meaningful services - Tenebrae and Candlelight. Jesus Christ is the Light of the World. Though the world tried to extinguish His Light - they had no idea why He came, and died, and then rose again, ascending to the Father, only to return again when the Father deems - He is our Guiding Light. Pass it on! Blessings for a meaningful Easter!
I have never attended a service like that but it sounds like it would be very meaningful.
Well we had to have a dark Friday so Easter would be bright. Have a blessed Easter tomorrow. Sandie
I attended Tenebrae services a couple of times when I lived in Alaska. It is very moving.
I've never heard the word Tenebrae before but it sounds kind of similar to some Good Friday services I've been to in the past. (This year I did not go to any Easter service yet. Might possibly go to an 'Emmaus' service on Monday.)
What a meaningful service. I love that song. No, i wasn't there either, but my sins past, present and future were there as my Savour took my punishment. What a gift of unconditional love.
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