Cross-Fit - Good Friday

+Good Friday+

“But nobody wants to know him,


They can see that he’s just a fool,


And he never gives an answer,

But the fool on the hill


Sees the sun going down,


And the eyes in his head,


See the world spinning around.”

Fool On the Hill  by Lennon/McCartney

Peter loves to sing songs written by The Beatles.  More info HERE.

Whenever he sings this song or "All you need is Love” (neither one of which is in most Denominational hymnbooks- although if I had a vote they would be included) I think of Good Friday. For today is about the foolishness of the cross and of course, the foolishness of love, and thank God for that!

Today’s devo contains a couple of helpful resources for you. First of all, take a trip to the National Gallery in London. This link will get you started on a lovely altarpiece on which you can mediate.

Next there is a great app from the Church of England that can help you download Morning Prayer or Evening Prayer services which have all sorts of lovely lessons and prayers each day. Check out today’s prayer:

  

Blessed are you, Lord God of our salvation,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
As we behold your Son, enthroned on the cross,
stir up in us the fire of your love,
that we may be cleansed from all our sins,
and walk with you in newness of life
singing the praise of him who died
for us and our salvation.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Blessed be God for ever. Amen.  (Source:  HERE)  

 A few weeks ago as part of our First Communion seminar for 3rd graders and their parents I asked the participants to write down a sin on a post-it note. In the event that parents needed more paper, I offered them extra post-it notes. If the children could not spell their sin, I told them to draw it. Then I collected the sins (without looking at them). I put them on a big stake (nail) which we then took into the courtyard and hammered into a large cross. 

The stack of sins was then lit on fire. As the fire moved through the sins the paper “morphed” into the shape of a rose and then it simply disintegrated. You could have heard a pin drop. Now, in some quarters of the faithful this activity has become passé. However, I think it provides a graphic example of how God’s sin took on to himself what was ours and through the pain and fire of death on the cross reduces all the times we’ve missed the mark and forgives us.

I pray for you today- may you feel forgiven and free.

One more Beatle song:  God wants “to hold your hand”

Peace,

rtg