Shanghai Community Church held the Tenebrae on Good Friday, April 19.
Tenebrae is a Latin word for darkness, which could be dated back to Middle Ages. It now refers to the service of darkness, and also the ceremony for Christians to experience the sufferings of Jesus (Mark 15:33). In Tenebrae, Christians snuff out a candle when they finish a holly poet or words from Bible till they snuff out all the candles and the church is totally dark. The bell is tolled seven times to symbolize the salvation of human when the Tenebrae comes to the end. Then everyone prays in silence in weak light and leave the church. They come back to church again in Easter.
During the Tenebrae in Community Church in Shanghai, they read Isaiah, 52:13 and 53:12 from the Old Testament, and Hebrews, 4:14-6, 5:7-9 from the New Testament. The prophecy in Isaiah and scriptures on Jesus, a high priest, in Hebrews, remind the congregation of Jesus's suffering to death for our sins and sacrifice for our salvation.
Choir for evening prayer of the Community Church sang in the Tenebrae. Before each song, they read scriptures of Bible about Lord's supper, prophecy of suffer, prayer in Gethsemane, betrayal, Jesus on trial, and crucifixion. The holly words and music led everyone into contemplation of the suffer that Jesus Christ experienced.
- Translated by Lin Changfeng
