Okay, so that journal title is highly inappropriate. Last night our Good Friday worship service was a Tenebrae worship service. The Good Friday worship service is the most somber service of the year, as it “celebrate” Jesus’ crucifixion.

Both the Maundy Thursday service and the Good Friday service combined the congregations of the churches of the “holy block”. The First United Methodist Church, The First Baptist Church, The First Presbyterian Church, The Central Christian Church, and the Grace Episcopal Church.

The Maundy Thursday service was held at the Presbyterian Church. I thought I had been in that church before, but once I got in there, it was obvious I haven’t. The orientation of the sanctuary is the exact opposite of what I expected and I did spend a fair amount of the worship service trying to wrap my head around it. It made me do a list of all the local churches in Boone to try to figure out how many I haven’t been in. I think the only ones I haven’t been in are the Boone Church of the Nazarene, Church of God of Prophecy, Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the Berean Baptist Church. However, I’m pretty sure the Berean Baptist Church wouldn’t let me in their doors. And the Jehovah Witnesses have been at my house enough that I think I should be able to count as having been there. The one I’m wishy-washy on is Stonebridge. I think I’ve been there, but I can’t quite place a reason why I might have been there. I’ve been to their affiliate church in Ames and regretted that though. Also, I don’t know if I count Assembly of God as a Boone church. It is outside the city limits. So I don’t.

The way we took communion on Thursday night was out there for me. Now remember, I have been pretty comfortable worshiping in a ton of different environments for worshipping with Southern Baptists, Amish, and too many different ways to count on mission trips. It didn’t make me uncomfortable. It was just strange. It involved passing everything around the congregation on a plate. It took forever. What can I say. When I’m there for the body and blood of Christ, I want a well-oiled machine.

Good Friday service was a little off as well. But that was mostly because the sound system produced a near constant hum of feedback for parts of the service. Must be what is was like to see Jimi Hendrix.

I took my camera to the Good Friday service because I thought that it was going to be photogenic, with the 15 candles and it getting gradually dimmer. But there were lights on the entire time and the candles were tiny. But I took pictures any ways.

On to Easter!