Tenebrae

On Good Friday evening, our church has a time of reflection called "Tenebrae", which means "The Shadows" in Latin. It is an ancient and simple service of prayer, hymns and Scripture readings that help us reflect on the suffering of Christ and look forward to his resurrection. The service begins with singing, prayer and confession of faith, and then moves through a series of readings with a hymn following each as a response. It is a simple and meaningful service:

The Shadow of Betrayal: Matthew 26:20-25
The Shadow of Desertion: Matthew 26:31-35
The Shadow of Agony of the Spirit: Luke 22:39-46
The Shadow of Accusation: Matthew 27:11-26
The Shadow of Crucifixion: John 19:17-24
The Shadow of Death: John 19:28-37
The Shadow of Burial: John 19:38-42

As night falls outside and we proceed through the readings, the lights inside are dimmed. We end in near-darkness with a reading of Isaiah 53, and leave in silence to wait for Resurrection Sunday.