Our Collect for today begins, Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family.
What beautiful imagery and supplication, that God is graciously beholding us - St. James, on this day, in this moment. We gather today in this solemn time and sit in a church where the altar has been stripped; a day we sit in darkness. A day that is a stark reminder of the penalty of our sins.
We begin by asking God to graciously behold us. It reminds me of the birth of our children, the moment that we first lay eyes on them, full of anticipation and hope, relief and fulfillment. And a love that makes our heart seem as if it may burst.
“To behold someone graciously” is hopefully something we all have done. Graciousness involves compassion and love, being kind, polite, generous maybe to someone of a lower position. Someone who may be more vulnerable than we are or in a lower social or environmental condition. So we begin with the supplication for God to graciously behold us, an image of gentleness and love.
We are familiar with the story of Good Friday.
Good Friday is the day that we commemorate and remember the crucifixion of Jesus and His death at Calvary. From noon on Good Friday, through Easter Sunday morning, it is the Christian passover.
After being betrayed by Judas, one of his disciples, Jesus was arrested by Roman soldiers and put on trial for claiming to be the king of the Jews. He was then denied by Peter, his friend and disciple.
Being betrayed by others is some of the deepest pain we sometimes feel as humans. When someone closest to us betrays us, we feel raw and exposed and alone. If you can’t trust and depend on those closest to you, on whom can you depend? Jesus felt this hurt, the pain of having his disciples, the people closest to him betray him.
Some of us have felt this pain. It can make you bitter or it can cause you to turn toward God, God who is the same yesterday, today and forever, is one on whom we can depend. The only One on whom we are always assured will never leave us nor forsake us, even in times of uncertainty.
The words of Hebrews spoke to me on this Good Friday.
Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another,
In the midst of pain and betrayal, of uncertainty, we have something to hold on to. “…Hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering. For he who has promised is faithful”. God has promised to be faithful to us and we are told to “hold fast to the confession of our hope.” We have no need to deny or slink away or be ashamed. We need to hold fast. Dark times may come. They come for all. They came for Jesus and the disciples.
But we hold fast and “let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together…”
Provoking one another to love and good deeds. How can we encourage those around us, those within our sphere of influence, those around us in church, those in our families - how can we encourage each other to grow in our love and good deeds?
We need each other. That is what community is about. That is what church is about and our parish. People often wonder why they feel alone or cut-off or numb inside, with little joy… it may be because they have cut themselves off.
The words of Hebrews reminds us to encourage each other. Jesus died on this day that we remember every Good Friday to reconcile us to Him and to the world around us. It is through His sacrifice that we are given the gift of eternal life. It is through His sacrifice that we have new life.
As we ask for God to behold us graciously, may we also be reminded to hold each other graciously. Encouraging one other. Lifting each other up.
It was for this grace that Christ died. It is through this grace that the Christ’s love is made known to the world.
Christ died for us. May our lives reflect his sacrifice. Amen.
What beautiful imagery and supplication, that God is graciously beholding us - St. James, on this day, in this moment. We gather today in this solemn time and sit in a church where the altar has been stripped; a day we sit in darkness. A day that is a stark reminder of the penalty of our sins.
We begin by asking God to graciously behold us. It reminds me of the birth of our children, the moment that we first lay eyes on them, full of anticipation and hope, relief and fulfillment. And a love that makes our heart seem as if it may burst.
“To behold someone graciously” is hopefully something we all have done. Graciousness involves compassion and love, being kind, polite, generous maybe to someone of a lower position. Someone who may be more vulnerable than we are or in a lower social or environmental condition. So we begin with the supplication for God to graciously behold us, an image of gentleness and love.
We are familiar with the story of Good Friday.
Good Friday is the day that we commemorate and remember the crucifixion of Jesus and His death at Calvary. From noon on Good Friday, through Easter Sunday morning, it is the Christian passover.
After being betrayed by Judas, one of his disciples, Jesus was arrested by Roman soldiers and put on trial for claiming to be the king of the Jews. He was then denied by Peter, his friend and disciple.
Being betrayed by others is some of the deepest pain we sometimes feel as humans. When someone closest to us betrays us, we feel raw and exposed and alone. If you can’t trust and depend on those closest to you, on whom can you depend? Jesus felt this hurt, the pain of having his disciples, the people closest to him betray him.
Some of us have felt this pain. It can make you bitter or it can cause you to turn toward God, God who is the same yesterday, today and forever, is one on whom we can depend. The only One on whom we are always assured will never leave us nor forsake us, even in times of uncertainty.
The words of Hebrews spoke to me on this Good Friday.
Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another,
In the midst of pain and betrayal, of uncertainty, we have something to hold on to. “…Hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering. For he who has promised is faithful”. God has promised to be faithful to us and we are told to “hold fast to the confession of our hope.” We have no need to deny or slink away or be ashamed. We need to hold fast. Dark times may come. They come for all. They came for Jesus and the disciples.
But we hold fast and “let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together…”
Provoking one another to love and good deeds. How can we encourage those around us, those within our sphere of influence, those around us in church, those in our families - how can we encourage each other to grow in our love and good deeds?
We need each other. That is what community is about. That is what church is about and our parish. People often wonder why they feel alone or cut-off or numb inside, with little joy… it may be because they have cut themselves off.
The words of Hebrews reminds us to encourage each other. Jesus died on this day that we remember every Good Friday to reconcile us to Him and to the world around us. It is through His sacrifice that we are given the gift of eternal life. It is through His sacrifice that we have new life.
As we ask for God to behold us graciously, may we also be reminded to hold each other graciously. Encouraging one other. Lifting each other up.
It was for this grace that Christ died. It is through this grace that the Christ’s love is made known to the world.
Christ died for us. May our lives reflect his sacrifice. Amen.