Tenabrae Service

This is a common service in the Lutheran church I go to. We do it on Good Friday. When the service starts the church is dark except for the eight or nine candles that are lit for the readings and the big white Christ candle. They also have a lot of black fabric drped on the altar and pulpits. There can be communion at this service as well if the pastors desire. After each reading one of the candles is extinguished. When the Christ candle is left Psaml 22 is read and then it is extinguished. This leaves the church in darkness. At this point at my church there is a loud niose made off to the side to signify the closing of Christ's tomb. This is a very deeply spiritual service and very serious. It is one of the most serious services you will go to. It touches me very deeply every year I get to go to it. I always leave feeling closer to God. Please let us know how you like the service after you have gone.

It seems as if I've heard of it before. The word itself sounds familiar. In the Lutheran church, thursday night before Easter is Maundy Thursday. In the Catholic church it is Holy Thursday and a reminder of the Last Supper with a foot washing ceremony like Jesus did for the disciples. Then on Good Friday, there is a service reminding us of Jesus' crucifixion. We sing a song called "Behold the Cross" and all file past a rough, wooden cross to touch and remind us of what Jesus did for us. Then we have an Easter Vigil service on Saturday night when new people join the church and then of course Easter Sunday. This is the most spiritual and moving week in the entire church year.

I've never heard of a Tenabrae Service, but it sounds like something worth going to. I'd be interested in a report of how it was.

No sorry I have never attended a Tenabrae Service and never heard of this before in my church. It does sound a very spiritual experience and I wish I could of attended something like this please tell us more about it after you have been there I would like to hear more.

Hello faith,well i just got back from my 3 days of being out of town ,this is the 4th day,its good to be home...No i have never heard of a tenabrae service.I have been to many kinds of services at my church,and it might be that we had one but under a different name.It sounds as though it will be very good and uplifting.It sounds like it will be very good and maybe a real blessing.All the types of these services i have ever attended at my church always brought a real spiritual blessing.By all means go and enjoy the company of your christian friends,we all need that fellowship.let us know all about it...God Bless!

We also do a Maundy Thursday service. This is where we commemorate the institution of the Lord's Supper or communion. We have communion at this service and the at the very end of the service, some of the church members clear the altars and pulpits of everything on them. These stay clear until Easter Sunday except for the black cloth used for Good Friday. This signifies Christ's loss of everything during His trial and crucifixtion. It is another very touching service and rather serious as well.

I have not heard of a Tenabrae Service but it sounds interesting. I would like more details on the service after you attend. It may be something for our church to try.

I have never attended one. I bet it is a very Spiritual experience. I hope you have a wonderful spiritual day. Share it with me when you return.Isnt it great, the wonderful sacrafice that The Savior made for us!

Tenebrae services include other psalms, readings, prayers, hymns, and choral works, but never Holy Communion. Texts used within the service usually include the book of Lamentations. Lighting is gradually reduced throughout the service, initially being fully lit (often including candles), extinguishing and reduction of light occurring throughout, and eventually ending in total darkness (thus the name of the service). In our place use of a "great noise" is included as part of the service. The service is not considered to have finished until after everyone has left the place of worship. Anyway it rare, and i have never attended one but i have heard of it.

I have never heard of this Tenabrae Service yet. Our church doesn't have this kind of services. From what I can decipher, Tenabrae coincide with the last supper of Jesus Christ with His disciples. Afterwards, He was arrested and crucified. Our Church offered prayers and thanksgiving as well as share some light snacks and grape juice after the sermon. :)

I know I am late in replying to this but this is the first time in a month I have been on I believe. I have been working 12 plus hours days at the office on a BIG project! I have not heard of a Tenabrae service but thanks for the insightful discussion you started. I wish our church would do something like that. Although, a point to remember it can be good to show emotions but it also has to have a life change with it.