Tenebrae literally means “shadows”. The use of shadows in Tenebrae worship depicts approaching darkness. Through a Tenebrae experience, Jesus’ followers remember the events surrounding his last days, commonly referred to as His Passion. This is not a happy topic, but without His death, there would be no resurrection. The passion of Jesus precedes the joy of Easter.  We begin the journey on Thursday in the Upper Room with Jesus and his disciples as he shares words of grace about His Body and Blood.  This service is based on the Good Friday "Tenebrae" services that date back to early church history. There are seven "shadows" that represent seven stages of the Good Friday events. They are as follows:
The shadow of Betrayal,
The shadow of Denial,
The shadow of Aloneness,
The shadow of Accusation,
The shadow of Suffering,
The shadow of Crucifixion,
The shadow of Death.
At each stage, there will be some scripture read, some thoughts shared, a time of silent prayer, and then a selected verse for us to sing. The scriptures will consist of an Old Testament prophetic scripture, a New Testament scripture, and the gospel narrative that describes one of Good Friday’s events. A candle will be extinguished, after each stage signifying the approaching doom. The sanctuary will grow darker and darker after each shadow. The service ends with a hymn of triumph as a witness that Light overcomes darkness.

Join us on Thursday, April 13th at Wesley UMC  
​7:30 pm