Tenebrae (a service of shadows) - Wednesday, 31 March 2021

One of the highlights of holy week for me is this service. Sadly Covid restriction mean that it's streamed and held in the church building this year.

Viewer Alert: Often seems to attract dust that irritates the eyes and make them run!

For those interested, you'll find most of our services on YouTube (St Francis church, Leyfields)

Journal: What an amazing week

Holy Week has to be one of the most challenging and blessed weeks of my year as it provides the chance to reflect on the passion of the Christ. This year has been made better by the fact that although the diary is rammed solid, it has space to reflect and ensure that everything is done in slow time - and that makes such a difference.

So today had space to get out to meet and enjoy people, take Communion out, double check the remaining services and do the second stations service of the week. Next up is the tenebrae - always a moving experience.

The rest of the week becomes more crowded and frenetic as the we remember a new commandment  and a Passover meal; and then Good Friday itself is so full on with all that the is.

Lord, have I mentioned how much I love You and the life I have?
I thank You for our family - back together for Easter.
I thank You for the Church family who continually bless and challenge me.
Help me to be the person I need to be for all before me.
To make the right decisions and to never avoid doing what is right.
To recognise the moments when I am wrong and resist, or repair, rather than wound.
Strengthen my resolve and my commitment - helping me to do what I should and not what I can.

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You 

because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.

Tenebrae: A service of shadows

"What is it?"

In a nutshell, the word means 'darkness' or 'shadows' and it's a service we do in the Christian tradition during 'Holy Week' - the week with Good Friday in it (which means: This Week!).

Someone recently told me that they weren't into 'new fangled' services, which is good because this service dates back to mediaeval times. The service reflects on the passion of Jesus, the Christ and as we pass along the journey to the cross, at various junctures, candles are extinguished and the shadows lengthen.

As the mood darkens, so too do the church building, until eventually we leave in darkness and silence.

It's high drama of the sort that Church used to provide before the wind u gramophone and steam radio came a long. So, even if you can't make it to our service (St Francis' Church B79 8JB) I'm sure you can find one somewhere near to you.

Why not have a look see and experience something amazing in the run up to Easter?

Holy Week 2016 @ St Francis', Leyfields

So how was your Easter?

The answer to this question was: Brilliant!

During the run-in to Easter I have been engaged with an absolutely great lent course which used the excellent Mustardseed stories to enthuse and encourage those who attended to look at what others are doing in terms of being missional and then, having realised it was something they could do, they got to thinking about how they could do it too. This is something that I wouldrecommend to every church in their journey towards developing a missional congregation:

Then Holy Week arrived and it got even better as:

Monday saw our little church do a wonderfully moving and challenging stations of the Cross service

Tuesday saw us engage in a most amazing Tenebrae service

Wednesday brought us together as a Parish and a Seder meal

Thursday brought the washing of feet and an amazingly gentle communion service

Friday saw something around 500 people turn out for the town centre act of witness 

Followed by a watch service and a sublime musical journey through the Passion in the shape of 'Lift High The Cross':

Saturday didn't exist but

Sunday did as Easter started with a dawn communion service followed by bacon roll and hot drinks 

and then the 10:30 Communion service (which, as ever, saw those present staying on for ages afterwards as we enjoyed each other's company - and as ever, the biscuits for the children (they get them when they come up for a blessing) had an Easter 'He is risen - the tomb is empty') theme.

All in all,  a great Easter

He is risen!

Tenebrae

Tenebrae - a service of shadows

This has to be one of the most moving and sensory rich piece of liturgy that we have in the Church today as readings, music and sound conspire to take us another step forward along the road to the cross.

In the same way that contractions get closer and more intense as the end is reached - so too does Holy Week bring this into the experience of those who seek to take the final steps with jesus, the Christ, as we engage with the lengthening shadows as the drama of the Passion unfolds.

The word 'tenebrae' is Latin for 'shadows' and it it the lengthening shadows of Jesus last days leading to the crucifixion that this service makes more real for us.

Traditionally this service would have taken place on Good Friday, or for some Maundy Thursday, but where we are we have a full Holy Week and so it has moved to Tuesday this year.

As readings are done a candle is extinguished until we find but one candle remains - the Christ light - and then, this too is hidden from us and (like Maundy Thursday) the people exit silently in darkness.

Tenebrae - A service that touches deeper . . .

Than so much else that I encounter during the course of the year.

Lock and load - it's begun

This evening our little church gathered for a tenebrae service and with it we enter the final stages of passiontide and holy week begins to bite.

Maundy Thursday with its cathedral service, stripping the altar and agape. Good Friday and the witness and watch and the Easter Sunday sunrise service (and breakfast afterwards) followed by the family Eucharist all make for a very special time.

For those who regularly read this blog can I take this opportunity to thank you for coming on the journey with me. For those who stumble onto this blog - thanks for visiting.

May God bless you and give you His peace and life.

Pax