Tonight, for Maundy Thursday, Charlie and Valerie had a Tenebrae service in their living room. I'm really glad they did. I learned some new things too -- first I always wondered what on earth "Maundy" meant -- it is from the Latin "mandatum novum" meaning the "new commandment" because Jesus commanded his disciples to love one another. "Tenebrae" is the Latin word for "darkness" or "shadows" and was a service held by the early Christians. As we read through the stories of the hours leading up to the crucifixion the sky got darker and the candles were blown out one by one. We all left in the darkness and in silence -- a helpful preperation for the rememberence of Christ's death and resurrection .
1 comment:
We wish we could have joined you, but 350 miles prevented it. However, we did go to a Tenebrae service at Jenny's church in Holland that was also very moving.
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