Good Friday

Because we are moving house, this has been a less holy week than usual, as regards our formal observance. There has been so much else to do.  It couldn't be helped, really - and all the snow certainly hasn't assisted our plans - but I'm sad because the solemnity of Holy Week when fully kept has, over the years, been terrifically important to me as a Christian and as a minister.  And within the journey of this week, Good Friday itself has been a stark and necessary reminder of the true meaning of love and the true cost of sin.

In one of my previous parishes we developed a system of keeping the week that included a special table, at the back of church, upon which palms were laid on Palm Sunday, and the various other things through the week (this varied a bit year by year, depending on the theme of our daily services;  for example, one year each service focused on a different 'bit player', if you like, in the Passion Narrative, and another year on particular words of importance within the story).  On Maundy Thursday the sacrament was brought to this table (and then used on Good Friday), and the table became the focus for the vigil of prayer that was kept after the Maundy Eucharist and washing of the feet.  A chalice and paten remained part of the collection of items, to represent the Supper given by our Lord.

On Good Friday a purple robe, crown of thorns, and nails were laid on the table, and three crosses were erected there.  I should say that an inventive array of different sized boxes on the otherwise very ordinary table, which were then covered over with white sheets, allowed it to represent the Hill of Calvary.  On Holy Saturday the Easter Garden was created on the front section of the table, and of course on Easter Sunday morning the stone was rolled aside, and the grave clothes and an angel placed in position, as prayers of dedication were said.

Any professional liturgists or experts in ritual reading this will probably throw up their hands in horror, because no doubt we "didn't do it properly".  All I can say, though, is that it worked for us, and I'd love to be doing it that way still.  In fact, it didn't seem to translate into any of the places in which I served since those days, or at least, not as the entire process.