A Psalm/Tenebrae Service

The Tenebrae service that features the extinguishing of lights to represent the fading life of Jesus may take many forms. The Tenebrae service that follows is reading or singing of the Psalms.

Order of Worship (People enter in silence) Procession Psalm 69 Cantor: Zeal for your house has consumed me; the insults of those who insult you have fallen upon me. People: (read in unison Psalm 69) Cantor: Zeal for your house has consumed me; the insults of those who insult you have fallen upon me. Silence and Extinguishing of Candles Psalm 70 Cantor: Let those be put to shame and confusion who delight in my misfortune. People: (chant in unison Psalm 70) Cantor: Let those be put to shame and confusion who delight in my misfortune. Silence and Extinguishing of Candles Psalm 74 Cantor: Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the clutches of the unjust and cruel. People: "O God, Why Have You Cast Us All Away" (a metrical setting of Psalm 74 as found in the Psalter Hymnal [Grand Rapids: CRC Publications, 1987]) Cantor: Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the clutches of the unjust and cruel. Silence and Extinguishing of Candles Lamentations 1:1–5 Response Cantor: Jerusalem, Jerusalem, return to the Lord your God! Reader: On the Mount of Olives Jesus prayed: People: My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Reader: Watch and pray, that you may not enter temptation. People: The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Lamentations 1:6–9 Response Cantor: Jerusalem, Jerusalem, return to the Lord your God! Reader: My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; People: Remain here, and watch with me. Now you shall see the crowd who will surround me; you will flee, and I will go to be offered up for you. Reader: Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. People: You will flee, and I will go to be offered up for you. Lamentations 1:10–14 Response Cantor: Jerusalem, Jerusalem, return to the Lord your God! Reader: Lo, we have seen him without beauty or majesty. People: Nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He bore our sins and grieved for us, he was wounded for our transgressions, and by his scourging we are healed. Reader: Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows: People: And by his scourging we are healed. Psalm 63 Cantor: God did not spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all. People: (Psalm 63, sung to chant setting in The Celebration Psalter [St. Louis: Cathedral Music Press)]) Cantor: God did not spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all. Silence and Extinguishing of Candles Psalm 90 Cantor: Like a lamb led to slaughter, he opened not his mouth. People: "Lord, You Have Been Our Dwelling Place" (a metrical setting of Psalm 90, from the Presbyterian Hymnal [Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1990]) Cantor: Like a lamb led to slaughter, he opened not his mouth. Silence and Extinguishing of Candles Psalm 143 Cantor: They shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only child; for the Lord, who is without sin, is slain. People: (chanted in unison Psalm 143) Cantor: They shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only child; for the Lord, who is without sin, is slain. Silence and Extinguishing of Candles Canticle of Hezekiah (Isaiah 38:10–20) Cantor: From the gates of hell, O Lord, deliver my soul. People: (read Isaiah 38:10–20) Cantor: From the gates of hell, O Lord, deliver my soul. Silence and Extinguishing of Candles Psalm 150 Cantor: O Death, I will be your death; O Grave, I will be your destruction. Reader: (Psalm 150) Cantor: O Death, I will be your death; O Grave, I will be your destruction Silence and Extinguishing of Candles Canticle of Zechariah (Luke 1:68–79) Cantor: Now the women sitting at the tomb made lamentation, weeping for the Lord. People: (Canticles S190–95 chanted in unison (from Hymnal 1982, New York: Church Hymnal Corporation, 1982) Cantor: Now the women sitting at the tomb made lamentation, weeping for the Lord. Psalm 51 Prayer Leader: Almighty God, behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross. (Silence) The Strepitus (People leave in silence) Additional Psalm Readings for Refrains Ps. 2: The kings of the earth rise up in revolt, and the princes plot together, against the Lord and against his Anointed. Ps. 22: They divide my garments among them; they cast lots for my clothing. Ps. 27: False witnesses have risen up against me, and also those who speak malice. Ps. 54: God is my helper; it is the Lord who sustains my life. Ps. 76: At Salem in his tabernacle, and his dwelling is in Zion. Ps. 88: I have become like one who has no strength, lost among the dead. Commentary The Psalter. As worshipers enter, the Tenebrae candles should be lit. The traditional arrangement would include fifteen taper candles in a triangular candle stand. Alternatively, fifteen thick candles may be arranged asymmetrically on stands in the front of the worship space. In either case, the fourteen candles that will be extinguished may be purple and the fifteenth may be white, symbolizing the light of Christ. The sanctuary may be darkened. Purple and black fabrics that recall the overarching themes of Lent and Holy Week may be displayed in the sanctuary. The several Psalms and canticles in this service may be read or sung. Whether read or sung, the antiphon (or refrain) should be prominent, because it indicates the significance of a given Psalm or canticle for Holy Week meditation. When the Psalms or canticles are read, they may be read in unison, responsively, or by a solo reader or group of readers. When the Psalms and canticles are sung, they may be chanted or sung to a metrical setting by a choir, soloist, or the congregation. This sample service uses several of these styles. This sample service features the prominent use of a cantor whose only role it is to sing or read the antiphon for each Psalm or canticle and the recurring injunction following each lesson from Lamentations. Whether the Psalms or canticles are sung or read, whether they are offered by the choir, single reader, or the whole congregation, only the lone voice of the cantor offers the various refrains, calling attention to these important words. In this sample service, the cantor sings each antiphon both before and after each Psalm or canticle, using the same tone for each antiphon, but varying the pitch according to the key of the music in which the Psalm is sung. A moment of silence should precede and follow each singing of the antiphon to allow each to be heard as a separate musical entity and to heighten the drama of these poignant texts. The cantor may be stationed near the rear of the sanctuary or in a balcony. Alternatively, the congregation may read each antiphon, leaving the reading and singing of the Psalms to the choir or solo voices. In any case, the alternation between the people and a leader calls attention to the antiphon. Priority should always be given to the participation of the congregation and the interpretive significance of the indicated refrain. Psalm tones for the singing of any of the Psalms and antiphons can be found in Hal H. Hopson's Psalm Refrains and Tones (Carol Stream, Ill.: Hope Publishing, 1987). The worship leaders process to their places in silence. A cross may go before them in procession. The refrains that accompany each Psalm are based on a verse within the Psalm itself that is essential to the interpretation of the Psalm itself and its appropriation for its use during Holy Week. The refrains used in this service should be adapted to correspond with the nuances found in the given version of the Bible that a congregation is using. Appropriate musical settings of Psalm 69 include "Save Me, O God; I Sink in Floods" (Psalter Hymnal, 1987) and "When Waters Cover Me" (Psalms for Today [London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1989]). Periods of silence may be added throughout the service. This early reprise of the opening silence establishes the meditative character of the service and allows time for meditation on the words of the opening reading. During each period of silence, a member of the congregation, perhaps a dancer moves to the candles at the front of the sanctuary, and extinguishes one or two candles. The number of candles extinguished each time will depend on the number of readings used. Psalm tone for chanting from Hal H. Hopson, Psalm Tones and Refrains, p. 42, no. 1. Other appropriate musical settings of Psalm 70 include "Come Quickly, Lord, to Rescue Me" (Psalter Hymnal, 1987) and "Come Quickly, Lord" (Psalms for Today). Alternatively, the Psalm may be read antiphonally or chanted in unison. Lessons. These lessons may be read by one voice from the lectern or may be read by several voices from within the congregation. The complete, traditional Tenebrae service continues here with Psalms 2, 22, and 27, followed by lessons from Isaiah 52–53 and Psalms 54, 76, and 88, followed by lessons from Hebrews 4, 5, and 9. The complete service, then, includes three sets of Psalms and lessons, followed by the final set of Psalms and canticles. This derives from the origins of this service as a three-day observance. This sample service only includes the first of these three sets, followed by the concluding Psalms and canticles. The refrains for the Psalms not included in this sample service are found in the appendix to this service. These additional Psalms may be used as alternatives to the first three Psalms of this service. Psalms/Canticles. Appropriate musical settings of Psalm 63 include "My Soul Is Longing" (Psalms for the Church Year, vol. 4, GIA Publications), "Your Love Is Finer Than Life" (Psalms for the Church Year, vol. 1; GIA Publications), "O God Eternal, You Are My God" (Trinity Hymnal [Atlanta: Great Commission Publications, 1990]), and "O God, You Are My God" (two settings in Presbyterian Hymnal [Louisville: Westminster-John Knox, 1990]). Appropriate musical settings of Psalm 90 include a responsorial setting found in The Celebration Psalter, the familiar hymn "O God Our Help in Ages Past," and "Lord You Have Been Our Dwelling Place" (Psalter Hymnal, 1987). Other appropriate musical settings of Psalm 143 include "When Morning Lights the Eastern Skies" (Presbyterian Hymnal, 1990), and "Lord Hear My Prayer, My Supplication" (Psalter Hymnal, 1987). As the refrain indicates, Psalm 143 brings a note of hope to the service. Any musical setting used must do justice to both the injunction of praise found in the Psalm and the evident solemnity of the service. It may be most appropriate to save a common musical setting of the Psalm for Eastertide, allowing only a single voice to read the Psalm in Tenebrae. Other appropriate musical settings of Zechariah are found in the Lutheran Book of Worship, Songs of Rejoicing, (Accord, N.Y.: Selah Publications, 1989), Presbyterian Hymnal, (1990), United Methodist Hymnal (Nashville: Abingdon, 1989), Psalter Hymnal, (1991), and most other hymnals. During the final antiphon the final candle, symbolizing the light of Christ, is removed from the sanctuary. All other sources of light should be extinguished. It may be carried by any member of the congregation, including a liturgical dancer, who may lift the candle high above his or her head and encircle the people before exiting the worship space. Psalm 51 should be read quietly, but urgently, perhaps by a group of voices. The silence is broken with a loud, resounding noise (strepitus). The noise may be one striking sound, such as that made by clapping two boards together or—perhaps more effectively—an extended peal of sound that begins quietly and continues to increase in volume until it overwhelms the worshiper, such as that made by a firm roll on a suspended cymbal. This sound signifies the earthquake on Good Friday or may remind the worshipers more generally of the cataclysmic nature of Christ's sacrifice, without reference to the specific earthquake. Finally, the single candle may be brought back into the sanctuary. Alternatively, the candle may be brought back into the sanctuary on an Easter service, most appropriately at the Easter vigil.