A question from one who is fasting - should Lent end on Good Friday? Arguably, it should, for the life we are attempting to emulate ended on Good Friday. But, alas, it does not. Whether one takes Sundays as celebrations, a break from obligation, or one practices from Ash Wednesday uninterrupted, the day after Good Friday must be a day of observance, for it is not yet Easter.
A recalled Holy Week worship calls for a remembrance of revelation. Indeed, Lent and Easter stories cannot be told without revelation. Whether it be an exhilarating rush of knowing, a release from pain, worry and doubt, or a gradual awakening to the mysteries of faith, each story is worth telling and even more worth hearing.
Traditions regarding Good Friday vary, but may include such things as covering crosses or at least draping black cloth on them, concerns tucked into a cross fashioned from brambles or wire, and special worship opportunities. A personal favorite of the last variety is commemoration of the last seven "words" of Jesus Christ, sentences or phrases uttered from the cross as recorded in the Gospels. Each may be considered in turn, with an accompanying reflection, music and poetry. Traditionally, it spans noon to mid-afternoon, in remembrance of the hours Christ hung on the cross and is the perfect opportunity for an ecumenical service, for if the denominations cannot agree on the death and resurrection of Jesus, what hope is there for reconciliation? In many communities, there is a wealth of oratorical talent that can be a Lenten offering to all, even if many are too busy to avail themselves of it. Alas, even traditions must evolve and change, and this one is now but a treasured memory, replaced by a more active, public display recalling the events of that first Good Friday.
The seven words:
- "Father, forgive them. They do not know what they are doing."
- "Today you will be with me in paradise."
- "Mother, there is your son."
- "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
- "I am thirsty."
- "It is finished."
- "Into thy hands I commend my spirit."
From past meditations, a few gathered thoughts:
*** Salvation is not an event. It is a relationship. *** (Attribution uncertain, but quite possibly Pastor Mandara - http://www.allsaintslutheran.ca/reflections/reflect_11_28.html)
The opening of this thought seems less remarkable than the conclusion. Which is not to say that any of it is uncontroversial, because for many, Christ's sacrifice defines salvation and applies to all humankind. Many others invoke a need for belief, which is not an event, but a state of relationship. Wiser people recognize this conundrum as one of the mysteries of faith. But succinctly identifying relationship as the alternative to event emphasizes the personal, dynamic, ongoing nature of whatever initially starts the believer on the journey. This is especially important during Lent, where an observance may be the process, but the goal is a saving connection, a relational salvation.
*** Jesus' response is to "open up the circle of agony and invite John in." *** (Rev. Gareth Evans)
As is so often true, Jesus' responds quite unlike typical humanity. Suffering on the cross, in pain and agony, it is astonishing that Jesus could be so aware of the needs of others. It may seem reasonable for Jesus to be thinking about his mother's long-term survival, but Jesus had brothers and possibly sisters, so why not admonish them? The answer is almost unbelievable - widening the family to include John makes it stronger. Jesus' family was under assault, His mother suffering the unthinkable, the death of her firstborn, and many of the others probably worried the authorities would be looking for them. Besides, they had been given no choice in the matter, indicted by birth, in pain through no fault of their own. John had been chosen and trained and had been thoroughly warned, as prepared as any for the numbing events of that week. So including John gives each family member additional support and resources through which to thrive. If tradition is correct, Jesus' insight allowed His mother to live out her life peacefully under John's protection.
*** Having overcome the sin of the world, death will be a small obstacle. *** (Stages on the Way, (c) 1998 WGRG, Iona Community, Glasgow G51 3UU Scotland)
Indeed, measured in any number of ways, Christ clearly conquered death. His battle against each person's separation from God, though, is seemingly eternal - witness just the Lenten struggles treated in these posts, for example. But our faith ensures that even this has already been overcome.
*** I'm not afraid of death, I just don't want to be there when it happens. *** (Woody Allen)
Even on a day of remembered sorrow and tears, there should be room for humor.
A prayer for today:
Lord Jesus, remember us
when you come into your kingdom.
Remember us,
not for our impressive resume,
nor for the things
which we hope will appear in our obituaries.
Remember us,
not for the virtues we occasionally display
or for any credit
we think we have in our moral account.
Remember us,
as one of the criminal community
who hung at your side,
and if life will not let us be in paradise
with you today,
keep a place for us.
Amen.
May you find the place in God's heart that He keeps for you.
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