Good morning! Do we actually say; “Happy Good Friday”  or is it more appropriate to simply give a blessing greeting? I’m not sure —- the events we recall that bring us Good Friday are horrendous at best. However, without those events, the event s of Easter Sunday could not have occurred. So, it’s dealer’s choice I guess. 

Good Friday is the day that we Christians commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Tradition tells us that he was nailed to the cross at around 9:00 am and hung there suffering until approximately 3:00 pm. Most crucified prisoners would linger there sometimes for days but they had not been beaten to within an inch of their lives prior to the crucifixion. Jesus listed for six hours before declaring “It is Finished” and brewing his last breath. Due to the rapidly approaching Sabbath his mourners had to take him down quickly from the cross if he were not to hang there for another 24 plus hours. Unfortunately they had no where to place his body, but as always, God intervened and a friendly Pharisee named Joseph of the town of Arimathea spoke up and obtained permission from Pilate to assume responsibility for the body and they placed Jesus temporarily in a grave belonging to Joseph. None of them knew just how temporary his stay would actually be. But —- that is another sermon for another day.

We had a wonderful Maundy Thursday service last evening. It was a combined parish event and was really well attended. We celebrated Holy Communion and also did a Tenebrae reading. All of the readers did a great job. It was also first communion for our two confirmation graduates and marks their first event as full members of the church. 

Now I look forward to Sunday. We’ll start the day with a “Sunrise service” and our parish choir doing an Easter Cantata. The choir has worked really hard and they are well prepared. The cantata is entitled “The Cross”. 

I did get much of my outside work done yesterday and today I really need to sty inside and finish up that sermon. 

If I don’t write tomorrow, I wish you a very blessed Easter. If you are a member of the Christian Faith —— this is the day that defines our very reason for our belief. I urge you to attend your house of worship and give God praise. Peace.