Last year St. Paul's suggested to our neighbours at Trinity United that we come together for our Good Friday worship and they graciously agreed. By the time the service happened the folk at St. Andrew's Presbyterian were on board too.. It went so well that we extended the invitation to St. John's Anglican congregation. They accepted, and after on open invitation to the local ministerial the Salvation Army corp asked to join us. In the end people from two of the Christian Reform congregations decided to come along as well.
The service this year was at St. Paul's and on a lovely morning more than two hundred Christians gathered to ponder the crucifixion and all it means for us as Christians. We had participants in the liturgy from all the congregations, we heard the powerful story of God's redeeming love on the cross, we sang hymns both old and new.
At the door many commented on how the service touched them. Probably half of those in attendance were from St. Paul's, which meant that Good Friday services in the other congregations would have been small on their own. Many of the comments were about singing the grand old Good Friday hymns with that many voicees, and it was true. People sang with gusto.
There is an old expression "it's an ill wind that blows no good." We could apply that to Good Friday itself as an unfair execution becomes the power of forgiveness and sacrificial love. But it also could describe what has happened in the different expressions of our Christian faith realizing the importance of coming together as one. In another day we could live smugly in our own little camps. In our increasingly secularized society we need mutual support and a common witness.
Were you in attendance yesterday? What do you think about joining together in this way? Is it about time we smartened up?
We definitely were... It was a great service! I was so impressed to see so many from other traditions come together. I would absolutely encourage Christians to open their arms to eachother to pray together. We are all one in Christ.
ReplyDeleteI was in attendance, and the house was packed. At the end of the service, it was like getting out of the Air Canada Centre after a Leaf game. Well, that's a slight exaggeration, but the pews were so packed, I was virtually sitting on my neighbour's lap.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the service, and it was great to have the congregations together.
I did notice that the Good Friday service was not so somber as in the past. Yes, we had some of the same sad hymns as past Good Fridays, but it didn't quite feel the same.
I may be in the minority, but I have always liked the emotional, funerial feel to the Good Friday service(including minimizing the talking after the service), contrasted by the joyful Sunday service. I liked feeling depressed after a Good Friday service!
Roger I do see what you mean however those were the feelings I had after our Palm Sunday service and leaving in silence. For me the week leading up to Good Friday was somber. The service yesterday was somewhat somber but maybe we all are now anticipating the joy of Easter Sunday and with our friends in Christ we felt we could celebrate that.
ReplyDeleteI was there and enjoyed being a part of the bigger faith family with all the other churches. The singing sounded heartful and was quite moving. I think it is wonderful that we can come together as one.
ReplyDeleteSorry I missed it. I went to an outdoor Good Friday service. It was for all faiths/no faiths. It was a beautiful service with thought provoking messages in this day and age. Different from what I have done in past Good Friday services, but it was what was needed for me this year. Maybe for lots of people. Lots of interaction after the service and it seem to move lots of people. It was a moving morning for lots of us. The cross was carried between two churches and then mounted on Pendle Hill.
ReplyDeleteTomorrow, Christ has Risen!
Happy Easter!
I was there and enjoyed it so much. There was a great sense of unity and togetherness, despite not recognizing all of the "regular" Sunday faces. I hope that we can continue to participate in future unions in our community.
ReplyDeleteI particularly appreciated the messages that were delivered from each separate congregation, with representation from the youth as well! It added a wonderful flavour. As I was leaving, I spoke to a more senior member who was joining us from the Salvation Army. She commented (somewhat sadly) that 'they' were disappearing and had very few young members in their congregation. She was very encouraged to see such an active representation of youth from St. Paul's. I told her that the young people she was seeing in attendance, were but a small percentage of those who would normally be there on a Sunday and she just shook her head in disbelief. It was but another reminder to me, of how precious their inclusion is to me.