A Good Friday Benediction

The brutal scourge,

the thorny crown,

the cruel cross,

the intense pain,

the deep agony,

the merciless dying,

the horrific death,

the dark tomb,

the numbing shock,

the stunned silence.

Now we wait.

Though our hearts ache, we are not without hope.

But now . . . we wait.

We do not despair, for we have the promise.

But now . . . we wait.

The cross has spoken . . .

but the cross does not have the final word.

Death has spoken . . .

But death does not have the final word.

The tomb has made its decree . . .

but the tomb does not have the final word.

The final word belongs to Him who is the Resurrection and the Life.

And He will soon speak.

But now . . . we wait.

We go from this place, reflecting on the Cross, but anticipating the Resurrection, where death will be swallowed up in victory.

Now may the God of peace

who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,

the great shepherd of the sheep,

by the blood of the eternal covenant,

equip you with everything good that you may do his will,

working in us that which is pleasing in his sight,

through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

- Hebrews 13:20-21

GOOD FRIDAY - 2013

Scripture:

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John 19:28-30

Reflection:

"It is finished!" It has been said that these are the greatest words ever uttered, by the greatest man who ever lived. These words were spoken by Jesus on the cross, just moments before he died. This was the moment for which he came. This was the moment that would atone for all sins of every person who ever lived or would ever live. This was the moment that would promise mankind's reconciliation to the God from whom they had been estranged. This was the moment that meant that we could now be forgiven and find peace with God. Nothing else had to be done. Nothing else could be added. The work of securing salvation for all who believe was complete. The job was done. The goal was achieved. The price was paid in full. The mission was accomplished. "It is finished!"

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, your work on the cross was complete. May we never think that we need to do something more to add to it in order to be forgiven, accepted, or saved by you. You paid it all and left us with zero balance. Give us the faith needed to simply receive what you paid for. May our whole lives humbly say, "Thank you, Lord." Amen.

WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK - 2013

 Scripture:

The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10

Reflection:

As Holy Week (or Passion Week) nears the end, Jesus' purpose for coming into this world is about to be fulfilled. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Though he was a great teacher, he did not come to give us great volumes of profound teachings. Though he was the King of kings, his purpose was not to set up and reign in an earthly kingdom. He was born with one mission, one goal, one destination. He lived his whole life with singleness of purpose. He knew why he came; he kept that in focus. The cross. The cross was why he came. He came to pay the penalty for mankind's sins by his death on the cross. He came to seek and save the lost.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, you came with one purpose in mind: to seek and save the lost. That is who we were: the lost. We thank you that because of your sacrifice, we who have put our trust in you can say "were lost" in the past tense. We were lost in sin, but found by you. We were separated from God, but you drew us near. We were your enemies, but you made us your friends. We are eternally grateful for what you did for us. Amen.

Good Friday Prayer

On this Good Friday, the following Apochryphal canticle was part of my morning reading and prayer. What a great prayer for today's occasion or for any other time of confession and repentance.

14 A Song of Penitence, Kyrie Pantokrator
Prayer of Manasseh 1-2, 4, 6-7, 11-15

O Lord and Ruler of the hosts of heaven,
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
and of all their righteous offspring:

You made the heavens and the earth,
with all their vast array.

All things quake with fear at your presence;
they tremble because of your power.

But your merciful promise is beyond all measure;
it surpasses all that our minds can fathom.

O Lord, you are full of compassion,
long-suffering, and abounding in mercy.

You hold back your hand;
you do not punish as we deserve.

In your great goodness, Lord,
you have promised forgiveness to sinners,
that they may repent of their sin and be saved.

And now, O Lord, I bend the knee of my heart,
and make my appeal, sure of your gracious goodness.

I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned,
and I know my wickedness only too well.

Therefore I make this prayer to you:
Forgive me, Lord, forgive me.

Do not let me perish in my sin,
nor condemn me to the depths of the earth.

For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent,
and in me you will show forth your goodness.

Unworthy as I am, you will save me,
in accordance with your great mercy,
and I will praise you without ceasing all the days of my life.

For all the powers of heaven sing your praises,
and yours is the glory to ages of ages. Amen.


IT'S FRIDAY, BUT SUNDAY'S COMING!

Stations of the Cross Video

Looking forward to Holy Week I had planned on posting a specific video based on the Stations of the Cross. When I went to retrieve it for the posting I discovered that the embedding had been removed, which simply means, I am unable to post the actual video here. I will, however, post the link. Please click on it and check it out.

This is from a church in California called Storyteller Church. This church (and there are several in California) is geared toward reaching the artist community. They are made up of actors, dancers, singers, musicians, storytellers, performers of all kinds, as well as painters and sketch artists, etc. If you are an artistic type you would feel at home here. It sounds like a great idea.

In the video, you will see a sketch artist's rendition of the Passion of Christ. Though done simply with pencil or charcoal, the pictures are very moving with Selah's "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" playing in the background. I hope you are blessed by it as you enter Holy Week and approach Good Friday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzPBqQeNFb8