Guest Post by Joanna Tidei

Holy Week 2019:  
Reflections Following Tenebrae at Lindsey Wilson College

My main impression from the Tenebrae service was recalling the pain and loneliness Jesus went through leading up to His death.  I got the impression that the service was meant to convey the darkness and suffering that Jesus had to go through as He traversed Holy Week.  The entire service felt holy in a way that I've not often experienced before.  I found myself pondering deeply the events that Jesus went through, and reflecting heavily on what my role would have been, had I been present there in Jerusalem.  Would I have believed in Jesus? Stayed faithful to Him?  Deserted Him in His hour of affliction?  It made an impression on me that I still carry as I dwell, this Good Friday, on the events leading up to Jesus's death. 

There were many details of this service that resonated with me and made me feel the weight of the moment.  The extinguishing of the candles was a very symbolic thing, which made an impact on me as I saw the light extinguished and the darkness winning out.  Also, the specific request that there be no applause between songs struck me.  It made me realize that this concert was truly all about Jesus, not about the beautiful music.  It helped me to focus and prioritize. 

Another detail that struck me was the reading through of Scripture and the pairing of songs with the events we were reading about.  It helped me to reflect on the things that happened during Holy Week, and to understand that Jesus carried a burden and hurt far beyond anything I could ever comprehend.  I was also affected by the reverence of those directing the service, because there was no flippancy or casualness, it was all meaningful.  A final detail that struck me was the way the service ended with the covering of the cross and the silent exit of the service officials.  When the Singers and the ministers all left without any sort of farewell or dismissal, it truly drove home the message that these events were holy and somber, and not to be observed lightly.  

Of course, I can't speak for all college students, but Tenebrae certainly held meaning for me and those I discussed it with!  It's the only service of its kind that I've ever been involved with that so focused on the events of Holy Week, emphasizing the crucifixion.  We tend to forget about the terrible price Jesus paid for our sins.  That is why Tenebrae was so meaningful to me.  I was confronted with the sheer weight of Jesus's suffering and abandonment; the realness and rawness of Holy Week.  

Isaiah 53:5  "He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."