Pasadena’s Historic 1874 Methodist Church Plans Tenebrae Service for Holy Week

First United Methodist Church of Pasadena will hold four public worship services during Holy Week, beginning with Palm Sunday on March 29 and culminating in Easter on April 5, according to a press release from the church. The schedule includes a Good Friday Tenebrae service — an ancient liturgy of shadows — set to music from the Taizé tradition.

The church, founded in 1874 and one of the oldest congregations in the city, will hold the services in its neo-gothic sanctuary at 500 E. Colorado Blvd. in the Playhouse District. All services are free and open to the community.

Tenebrae, from the Latin word for “darkness,” is a centuries-old Christian liturgical practice in which candles are gradually extinguished during scripture readings, leaving the church in darkness to mark the solemnity of Christ’s crucifixion, according to the United Methodist Church. At First United Methodist, the Good Friday service on April 3 at 7:00 p.m. will pair the Tenebrae liturgy with music from the Taizé Community, an ecumenical monastic order in France known for meditative, repetitive chants sung in multiple languages.

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday on March 29. Worshippers are invited to gather at 9:30 a.m. on the Colorado Patio in front of the church for the proclamation of the Gospel, then process into the sanctuary while waving palms. Worship begins at 10:00 a.m.

Maundy Thursday, April 2, marks the first of three days of solemn observance. The 7:00 p.m. service is centered on the Communion table, according to the church’s website.

Easter Sunday worship on April 5 begins at 10:00 a.m. and will feature the church’s choirs, organ and a brass ensemble. The sanctuary houses an E. M. Skinner pipe organ with 3,400 speaking pipes, installed when the building was dedicated in 1924, according to the church’s website.

Following Easter worship, the church will host an Easter Luncheon in Fellowship Hall, open to all attendees. A children’s Easter Egg Hunt begins at 11:30 a.m. on the church campus. Attendees are invited to bring flowers to decorate the church’s flower cross, a congregation tradition.

First United Methodist Church is at 500 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101. For more information, contact Ashley Slade, communications director, at 626-796-0157 or Ashleys@fumcpasadena.org. Details are also available at fumcpasadena.org/holyweek.

Rev. Amy Aitken, who has served as pastor since 2021, leads the congregation. The church describes itself as welcoming all persons regardless of background and is a member of the Reconciling Ministries Network, according to its website.

“We are committed to being a part of creating a diverse congregation in a diverse community where all people are loved, welcomed and cherished,” Aitken has said, according to a previous Pasadena Now report.