March 25, 2016 - Holy Week - Good Friday - Tenebrae

Maudy Thursday closed with singing repeatedly "My God, my God, O why have you abandoned me?" from Marty Haugen's My God, My God.

In the Gathering Rite of Good Friday the congregation sang "Hold us in your mercy" repeatedly, led by Crag, Janice, Robert and Shirley as cantors from the Cooney / Daigle piece Hold Us in Your Mercy.

There was a power and continuity to be experienced with this opening.  They are very interesting prayers when juxtaposed with one another.  The congregation was then invited to meditate on the divine mystery - God comes to us in the most unexpected way.  In the midst of suffering and death.

Trish, the Assisting Minister, and Pastor Michelle led the Bidding Prayer. There was a solemness and dignity with the bids and conclusions and the congregation sealed each with an Amen until the conclusion where we prayed The Lord's Prayer.

Next came the depth of the Tenebrae.  The word "tenebrae" comes from the Latin meaning "darkness." The Tenebrae is an ancient Christian Good Friday service that makes use of gradually diminishing light through the extinguishing of candles to symbolize the events of that week from the triumphant Palm Sunday entry through Jesus' burial.

After each reading another candle was extinguished and there would be a sung response, either from the congregation or the choir.  The women in the choir sang See Him There.  The men sang Midnight in the Middle of the Day.  The choir sang a heartfelt Behold The Lamb and Greg Lindstrom gave a passionate solo with the choir on The Day He Wore My Crown.

As the candles were extinguished, the increasing "darkness" symbolized the approaching darkness of Jesus' death and of hopelessness in the world without God.

When the Paschal candle was extinguished there was The Adoration of the Cross of Christ.  Pastor Michelle began each adoration with the words Behold, the life-giving cross on which was hung the Savior of the whole world.  The life-giving cross.  How that adoration is true is one path to understanding the power of the Christian vision and faith.

The service concluded in darkness and the Christ candle, carried out of the sanctuary, symbolizing the death of Jesus. Pastor Michelle ended with a startlingly loud snap of The Closing of the Book which symbolized the closing of Jesus' tomb.

Worshipers then left in silence to ponder the impact of Christ's death and await the coming Resurrection.  It felt like we were participating in an ancient ritual that honored the impact of why we were gathered and reminded us that we were not alone in honoring that impact.