Good Friday Five

It’s been a while since I posted, partially due to being out of town with no internet access and partially because it’s just an odd time for me – Spring Break and Holy Week combined are just weird. There’s a blog post in there somewhere but I’m going to let it go for now. Anyway, at the least we have an interesting Friday Five today from RevGals:

As a child the designation "good" for today confused me. How could we call such a somber day, good? Holy, yes. Blessed, yes. But, good?

As an adult I understand the meaning of good for this day. It is a solemn day of remembrance but it is also a time for us to stop and recall the great gift of love that we received this day. And that is most certainly good.

Our worship today will differ from place to place. Some services will focus on the great litany of prayers. Others will use the seven last words of Jesus. Some of us will walk the stations of the cross. Others will participate in a Tennebrae service of shadows and light.

I hope that this Friday Five will be a meaningful part of your Good Friday. God's blessings to you on your journey.

1. Our prayer concerns are as varied as we are this day. For whom would you like us to pray?

First, for the people of Iraq. Five years and little peace in sight – regardless of support or protest of the war, no one wants the people of this country to suffer any more.

For the church, that we might reclaim a prophetic voice for the healing of the whole world, not merely the parts which concern American citizens.

For those who do see government service as a means to provide every person with the possibility of meaningful life.

2. Are there things you have done or will do today to help the young ones understand this important day in our lives?

Today, no. Our little one is at that perfect age of distraction with regard to worship: old enough to walk and make noise, not old enough to sit quietly and take in the somber experience today. So I think Beloved and I are going to tag team worship today, so that we each can worship without distraction. Unfortunately, it means we do it separately, but we need to do it, nevertheless.

3. Music plays an important part in sharing the story of this day. Is there a hymn or piece of music that you have found particularly meaningful to your celebrations of Good Friday?

“O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” has always brought me into mindfulness of this day. Another is “Jesus, In Thy Dying Woes,” which my campus pastor used as the structure for a Seven Last Words service for years. I’d be doing it myself here if we weren’t on Spring Break at present, and I’ll definitely do it next year.

4. As you hear the passion narrative, is there a character that you particularly resonate with?

Peter – always Peter. I, too, am impetuous, overbearing, passionate and prone to large, glaring mistakes. But I love my Savior and would serve him in whatever way possible. Thus I find a spiritual kinship with Peter more than any other passion character.

5. Where have you seen the gracious God of love at work lately?

Hmmm – most powerfully in my own family, and for that I’m deeply thankful. In our new home, with a mortgage and considerably less income than before, things are really tight, yet we’re doing well as a family and finding new ways to enjoy each other’s company. It’s a special time for us, and I’m profoundly aware of the blessings I enjoy through no deserving of my own.