TIn Between
he season of Lent is upon us. Having recognized our collective mortality on Ash Wednesday, we now set out on the slow and steady path toward the cross, where death is destroyed, and love reigns victorious. Our challenge is to stay the course, to avoid a rush toward Easter resolution, to be present to the Lenten journey, to accept our place in the crucible of this season.
Throughout Lent, the Chancel Choir will sing of the ways in which the journey can be trying and complicated: our tendency toward waywardness in Wilberg's Come Thou Fount, longing and anguish in Howells' Like as the Hart and Brahms' How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place, the hardening of heart in the face of despair in Hagenberg's You Do Not Walk Alone, the prospect of debilitating darkness in Paulus' Pilgrims' Hymn
As we voice the turbulence of our humanity, we seek stillness and calm in the midst of it. Beginning March 30, Centenary artists will present an exhibit - Lenten Expressions: Glimpses of Grace - which will call us into an awareness beyond our own limitations. During Holy Week, we will be invited to travel the path of a labyrinth in our sanctuary nave, an experience which invites us into contemplation, creates distance from the distractions of the outside world, and quiets the mind.
Blessed are we, somewhere unnameable, fully present to our reality.
Tracking it, with all its subtle gradations and colors and contrasts, the sweetness and the struggle, the stuck and the not-quite-fitting. Authentic to it, mapping the full strangeness of the new emergent landscape.
Blessed are we , dear ones, not calling it too soon. Not settling for the neat and buttoned-up, the too-tied-up, the not-quite-true. Bless all of it, the way we might widen our gaze to encompass it and embrace it.
And bless you, moving into the unknown, waiting, daring to hope.
In this season of Lent, we are called to take up residence in the space of turmoil, of unrest, of in-between. Kate Bowler, Duke Divinity professor and author, knows this space well and frames it as a place of blessedness in her A Blessing for the In-Between:
In these forty days, may we find blessing and hope in this in-between, a place where our questions are not yet answered, our wounds are not yet healed, our thirst is not yet quenched, our mortality is not yet transformed by Resurrection.
- Jonathan Emmons, Director of Music Ministries
Good Friday at Centenary: THE
SERVICE OF TENEBRAE
Holy Week traditions at Centenary have been many and varied. However, one service has held its place for more than half a century – the Service of Tenebrae –presented on Good Friday evening. This service is one of the most moving services of the church year.
Our Service of Tenebrae is adapted from an ancient ritual of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The word “Tenebrae” is from the Latin for “darkness” and represents the period Jesus hung on the cross. The service is designed to create an atmosphere of somber contemplation and pensive reflection. It should be a very personal experience as The Word from the Holy Book is read and sung. There is no interpretation from the pulpit; the interpretation comes from within each of our hearts.
The service’s narration consists of passages from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible. These readings were carefully chosen by the late Reverend Dr. T. Ray Branton, who served as the Minister of Music at Centenary from 1961 until his retirement in 1992. With few exceptions, the script has remained unchanged.
The music often used in this service is The Seven Last Words of Christ by Théodore Dubois. Overtly dramatic in character, the work brings to life the story of Jesus’ Passion and death. Many will vividly remember the phrases “He is death-guilty! Take
Worship at a Glance
March 23 • Third Sunday of Lent Carillonneurs in Worship 11:00 AM
March 30 • Fourth Sunday of Lent Winston-Salem Choral Academy in Worship 11:00 AM
April 13 • Palm Sunday Children in Worship 11:00 AM
April 18 • Good Friday Service of Tenebrae
More information on the facing page 7:00 PM
April 20 • Easter Sunday Brass in Worship 11:00 AM
him!”; and “Vah! Thou wouldst fain destroy the temple!”; and the power of the “earthquake and storm” that follows Jesus’ death. First performed at Centenary in 1932, the Dubois Seven Last Words was regularly performed from 1968 to 2014 as part of the Tenebrae service. This year on Good Friday evening, the Chancel Choir will offer us an opportunity to experience this moving piece in the Service of Tenebrae. What can the congregation expect as the service unfolds?
Upon entering the Sanctuary for the Service of Tenebrae, worshippers are acutely aware that something is different. During the Service of Holy Communion the previous evening, the chancel was stripped of the visible symbols of our faith, serving as a stark reminder of what is to come and as a symbol of the desolation, abandonment and darkness of Jesus’ Passion. Congregants see a central candle, representing the One who comes as light into our world of darkness, in front of a wooden cross. From this light of Christ, the candles representing the “seven words from the cross” are lit. After the narration directly preceding the crucifixion, each word is read, then sung, and a candle is extinguished. At the conclusion, the light of Christ is taken from the sanctuary, leaving us in darkness – the Tenebrae. After a few moments, the lighted candle is returned as a symbol of our hope for the Easter Resurrection. The cross is then draped in black, and the crown of thorns is placed upon it. The service ends, leaving those gathered with a sense of hope, as the Choir sings, “Christ, we do all adore Thee.”
I cordially invite everyone to come and be part of this most special of services as Centenary looks forward to the Easter Resurrection!
Art in the Atrium is proud to feature the works of Centenary’s Faith & Artistry class. We invite you to experience this special exhibit during the month of April.
March 30 - April 30, 2025
Atrium & 4 1/2 St. Galleries
Opening Reception Sunday, March 30 at 12:00 PM
The photos above were taken at the Service of Tenebrae on Good Friday in 2014.
- Alan Keely, Centenary Archivist and Chancel Choir Member
Lenten Noontime Music Series
Tuesdays • March 11 – April 15
12:00 – 12:30 PM • Sanctuary
Join us in the Sanctuary each Tuesday of Lent at noon for a 30-minute musical presentation. Each week will feature a different musician or ensemble. We hope you will attend as we prepare our hearts during this season of reflection and contemplation
July 14-17, 2025 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Ages 4 - Rising 5th Graders
Offerings include singing, handbells, handchimes, creative movement, art, Kindermusik, Orff and more!
Snack is provided daily. The week ends with a camper-led worship service on Thursday at 12:30 PM followed by refreshments.
Don’t miss out on this fun-filled week of celebrating “the most wonderful time of the year!”
To register, scan this code:
WINTER AT CENTENARY
