Good Friday 2015

TODAY … is Good Friday.  I could never really understand the origin of that name.  I realize that what was accomplished that day was very good . . for US.  But I cannot imagine ANYONE on that day smiling and saying it was good.  Even Jesus, on the cross, said ‘It is finished.’  And God turned his face away.

TODAY … I was thinking back to when I was very young – junior/senior high, then part of the working world.  Every Good Friday our church would have services from Noon until 3pm.  Area churches would join with us, and their ministers would share thoughts on the seven statements that Jesus said when He was on the cross.

In between the devotions, we would sing the old, favorite hymns, like ‘In the Garden (My dad’s favorite) or ‘The Old Rugged Cross’.  Then there would be special music by the Heavenairs, church choirs, or soloists, duets, and quartets.  We always looked forward to ‘Our Minister In Song’ – Raldo Cook – bringing us closer to the cross.  Some people stayed for the entire three hours.  We usually stayed for about an hour.  Once I became employed, I would take my lunch hour and drive up to the church on the hill to be part of that very profound service.

TODAY … I grabbed a lunch of frozen waffles and a diet Pepsi on the run, and spent the day handling work issues and catching up the boss’s emails and correspondence.  There are no ‘darkest hour’ services at noon any more, no gathering of sister churches, no seven words offered.  But TODAY, I thought about all of that, and what Good Friday is, and why – ultimately – it WAS and IS good.

And I said thanks.