Dear Grace Community,
Every year Grace holds a Good Friday Prayer Vigil, and every year I ask myself, “Do I want to sign up?’”
The vigil begins at 12:30 pm at the end of our Good Friday worship service, and it ends at midnight. The time of the vigil is symbolic of the time of Jesus’ trial, beating, crucifixion, and death. Good Friday is a holy and hard day, and it is all too easy to skip over it, but spending time focusing on Good Friday is an important part of Christianity.
I know all of this, and yet I still ask myself, “Do I want to sign up for the vigil?” It may surprise you to hear your pastor say this but praying in the chapel for 45 minutes on Good Friday isn’t the easiest thing for me. Long periods of extended prayer at an assigned time are not my greatest spiritual gift. So last year at the vigil I tried something else.
After about ten minutes of prayer I picked up the Bible and read through Jesus’ betrayal, trial, and crucifixion in each gospel. These stories are found in Matthew 26-27, Mark 14-15, Luke 22-23, and John 18-19. Verse after verse, gospel after gospel, I was deeply moved by the scripture. Before I knew it my vigil time was complete, but I wasn’t ready to leave. On that holy day, reading those holy words, I experienced Good Friday in a new and powerful way.
As we approach Good Friday and Easter I encourage you to find a way to experience all of it. Come to Good Friday worship. Attend the vigil. And if you can’t do either of those things, sit down at home and read the gospel accounts of that day. Witnessing to the depth of sorrow and pain Jesus knew that day makes Easter Sunday all the more powerful. And do come celebrate with us on Easter.
In Christ,
Catherine
ShareMAR