Tenebrae, which is a Latin word meaning "shadows," has been observed in the church of Jesus Christ since the fourth century. On this Good Friday we remember the death of Jesus and recall his seven last words on the cross. As we remember the last words, we extinguish the candles on the communion table, one by one. The gradual extinguishing of the candles is accompanied by prayers, hymns, choral anthems, and readings from Scripture. Following the final hymn, the Christ candle is removed briefly from the sanctuary to signify Christ's death. After a moment of silence, the Christ candle is brought back as a symbol of the resurrection hope that we will celebrate on Easter.