"Candles of Grace" A Service for Tenebrae - 2:00 pm
All Church Sun City Campus
The Worship Place Choir and Orchestra present
"Candles of Grace" by Joseph M. Martin and Brad Nix
2:00 and 4:00 pm
Directed by John Bell, Minister of Music Sun City Campus
What Is a Tenebrae Service?
A Tenebrae is a special service for Holy Week that can be conducted on Maundy Thursday or on Good Friday. "Tenebrae" comes from the Latin meaning "shadows" or "darkness," so it is a service of shadows. The service makes use of gradually diminishing light through the extinguishing of candles to symbolize the events of Holy Week from the triumphant Palm Sunday entry through Jesus' burial.
This increasing darkness symbolizes the approaching darkness of Jesus' death and of hopelessness in the world without God. The service concludes in darkness, with a final candle, the Christ candle, extinguished symbolizing the death of Jesus. A loud noise (strepitus) will sound signifying the closing of Jesus' tomb. The worshipers leave in silence to ponder the death and await the coming Resurrection.
Please exit in silence.