I first came across the Tenebrae service when I attended one led by Maggi Dawn in Cambridge in 2005. In 2008 I attempted my own version and then in 2012 I wrote another version. This year I have tried another one, but which tried to be appropriate to all ages. So we used only one song and we acted out the story shadow by shadow.
All-Age Tenebrae : a service of shadows and sadness
We have 7 candles.
As we remember what happened to Jesus,
We will blow them out one by one.
Until none of them are lit.
Jesus prays in garden
Jesus went to pray in a garden called Gethsemane
Jesus was feeling sad and troubled.
His friends Peter, James and John were with him,
and Jesus asked them to stay awake with him.
Jesus prayed to God,
‘Father, there must be another way. But I will do what you want.’
Jesus knew that he was going to suffer.
Jesus’ friends fell asleep, just when Jesus needed them the most, which made he more sad.
We blow out a candle for sadness and sorrow
Jesus is betrayed by Judas
Into the garden came some soldiers to arrest Jesus.
It was dark in the garden and they didn’t know which person was Jesus
but with the soldiers was one of Jesus’ friends Judas.
Judas had decided to hurt Jesus by telling the soldiers where he was.
Judas said to the soldiers, the one I hug is the one you need to arrest.
Judas hugged Jesus and the soldiers grabbed Jesus and led him away.
All Jesus’ friends ran away.
We blow out a candle for betrayal.
Jesus is put trial
The soldiers led Jesus to the house of the High Priest of the Temple.
He and other chief priests were important leaders in the city of Jerusalem.
They did not like what Jesus had been saying and doing
And they wanted to kill him.
They found people to say untrue things about Jesus.
Jesus stood silent before them.
Finally the High Priest asked Jesus, are you God’s Special One, the Son of God?
Jesus said, ‘I am.’
This made the High Priest angry
because he believed Jesus had offended God
for no human being could be God.
He tore his robes
and so all the Chief priests said that he should be killed.
We blow out a candle for dishonesty.
Jesus is disowned by Peter
One of Jesus’ friends had followed at a distance,
to the home of the High Priest where Jesus was taken.
He waited outside in the courtyard, while Jesus was inside.
A girl saw him and said to him, ‘You are one of Jesus’ friends’
‘No I’m not’ said Peter.
A little later the girl said to others in the courtyard,
‘This is one of Jesus’ friends.’
‘No I’m not’ said Peter.
Then the others said, ‘surely you are one of Jesus’ friends?’
And Peter said, ‘I don’t know Jesus.’
A cock crowed
and when Peter realised what he had done,
He cried and wept.
He had let Jesus down again, just when he needed him the most.
We blow out a candle for being let down
Jesus is condemned by Pilate
The High Priest took Jesus to Pontius Pilate.
Pilate was the person in charge of Jerusalem.
He was from Rome.
Pilate had the power to decide if someone lived or died.
The High Priest said to Pilate
That Jesus had broken their laws and so must die.
Pilate spoke to Jesus, but Jesus kept silent.
Pilate decided to let the people decide.
So he said to the crowd that had gathered,
Do you want me to set Jesus free or do you want me to set free Barabbas?
(Barabbas was in prison for murder)
The crowd shouted, ‘Free Barabbas!’
And shouted ‘Crucify Jesus’
Pilate knew that Jesus had done nothing wrong,
He knew it was not fair, but
Pilate did as the people asked
And Jesus was handed over to be crucified.
We blow out a candle for unfairness.
Jesus is crowned
The soldiers led Jesus away.
They put a purple robe on him.
And put a crown on his heads,
But it was a crown made of sharp thorns.
And they said, ‘Hail King of the Jews’
And laughed at him.
They hit Jesus and hurt him,
Then they took off the purple robe and led him out to crucify him.
We blow out a candle for being laughed at.
Jesus is crucified and buried
Jesus was led outside the city to a place called Golgotha.
There the soldiers crucified him on a wooden cross.
This was the way they killed people.
It was very painful.
People watching him said nasty things and laughed at him.
After three hours,
the sky grew very dark,
and Jesus gave a loud cry and then breathed his last.
He was dead.
A man called Joseph took Jesus’ body and put it in a tomb.
A stone was rolled in front.
We blow out a candle for death.
Today is a sad day as we remembered what happened to Jesus.
How his friends let him all alone.
How people hurt him and how he died.
But we also remember that Jesus did this
To show that whatever we might do to him,
He never stops loving us.
His love is stronger than all ways Jesus was hurt.
And so we call this day Good Friday.
And today we say thank you Jesus.
For dying for us.
For loving us.
For letting the bad in the world, in us,
come to an absolute end in his death.
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