WORSHIP & MUSIC
Traditional & Contemporary Worship
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Come experiences a traditional, liturgical style of worship which is held in our historic sanctuary. The music in this service, led by our adult choir and organ, includes traditional and contemporary hymns .
Our relaxed atmosphere encourages the participation of worshipers, including our children who have their own special time during the service. Our historic sanctuary has been serving it's congregation since 1742. |
A Word About Worship
- by the Worship Committee
Question: "What is Tenebrae? What is a Tenebrae service?"
The word Tenebrae is Latin for "shadows" or "darkness." It can also be translated as "night" or "death." The purpose of this service is to remember the somber events that occurred in Jesus’ life from the exuberant entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday through the night of Jesus’ burial on Good Friday.
The service of Tenebrae has been practiced by the church since medieval times. Originally, the service was only for the monastic community but Tenebrae later became an important part of the worship of the common people during Holy Week. The service was originally designed for Good Friday, but it can be used for Maundy Thursday as well.
Tenebrae is a prolonged meditation on Christ's suffering. The purpose of the service is to recreate the betrayal, abandonment, and agony of the events. During a full Tenebrae service, the readings trace the story of Christ's passion, music portrays his suffering, and the power of silence and darkness suggests the drama of the event. As lights are extinguished, the congregation is left to ponder the depth of Christ's suffering and death. Through the return of the small but persistent flame of the Christ candle at the end of the service, Christians can anticipate the joy of ultimate victory. The service is left in silence – unfinished - because the story isn’t over until Easter Day. You can’t experience the full joy of Easter, though, until you have witnessed the despair that had happened previously.
This is the good news of our faith: However dark our world may get, the light of Christ conquers
the darkness and leads us all to Eternal Life.
Question: "What is Tenebrae? What is a Tenebrae service?"
The word Tenebrae is Latin for "shadows" or "darkness." It can also be translated as "night" or "death." The purpose of this service is to remember the somber events that occurred in Jesus’ life from the exuberant entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday through the night of Jesus’ burial on Good Friday.
The service of Tenebrae has been practiced by the church since medieval times. Originally, the service was only for the monastic community but Tenebrae later became an important part of the worship of the common people during Holy Week. The service was originally designed for Good Friday, but it can be used for Maundy Thursday as well.
Tenebrae is a prolonged meditation on Christ's suffering. The purpose of the service is to recreate the betrayal, abandonment, and agony of the events. During a full Tenebrae service, the readings trace the story of Christ's passion, music portrays his suffering, and the power of silence and darkness suggests the drama of the event. As lights are extinguished, the congregation is left to ponder the depth of Christ's suffering and death. Through the return of the small but persistent flame of the Christ candle at the end of the service, Christians can anticipate the joy of ultimate victory. The service is left in silence – unfinished - because the story isn’t over until Easter Day. You can’t experience the full joy of Easter, though, until you have witnessed the despair that had happened previously.
This is the good news of our faith: However dark our world may get, the light of Christ conquers
the darkness and leads us all to Eternal Life.
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