Maundy(Tenebrae) Thursday Service FBC Medfield

The word ‘tenebrae’ is Latin for
shadows. The purpose of the Tenebrae service is to recreate the emotional
aspects of the passion story, so this is not supposed to be a happy service,
because the occasion is not happy.

There are as
many candles as there are readings, plus a white Christ candle. The readers go
up one at a time, read their assigned selections, and extinguish one of the
candles, until only the Christ candle remains. Then someone reads the first
part of Psalm 22, which Jesus quoted on the cross. Then the Christ candle is
put out, leaving the congregation in near total darkness—and near total
devastation. At this point, the service ends. There is no benediction and the
people leave in silence. (The lights are turned up but remain dim so that
people can see their way out.)

The purpose of the service is to
recreate the betrayal, abandonment, and agony of the events, and it is left
unfinished, because the story isn’t over until Easter Day.