I has a similar human/divine battle tonight at Good Friday services. Here are the stats:
Human:
- it was LOOONNGG
- it was loud
- it was chaotic
- it was overly incensed
Divine:
- it was beautiful
- it was powerful
- it was highly participative
- it was holy
It was a typical Good Friday with the Passion reading from John. It was done a bit differently with the congregation singing a verse from "Where you there" at different parts of the reading. This was nice! Things took a turn to the dramatic and powerful at the veneration of the Cross.
When we walked into the Narthex before the services we were invited to write on a small piece of pink paper something we would like the Lord to heal in us. When it was time to venerate the Cross and instead of filing up the center isle to kiss the cross, we were invited to bring our paper up to the cross and nail it to the cross.
It was a slice of pandemonium - no less than four hammers hammering away non-stop for close to a half hour. People seemed to be streaming down via every available isle and there was music sung and reading read amid the clanging of hammer and nail.
I was in a pew close to the front, so I was one of the first to secure my need to the Cross of Christ. Then it was back to my pew to wait and this is where things got good.
As I sat there taking in all the images, sounds and scents that were washing over my senses I centered in on the hammering and the lines of people waiting to hammer their need for healing to the Cross of Christ and I just got overwhelmed at all the need and all the pain and all the reaching out for Jesus and his Cross.
I relaxed and let all the stimuli do it's work in me. I listened and looked and smelled my faith, my community, my Church, my God.
Yes, in the middle of the long, loud, smelly chaos -
It was beautiful.
It was powerful.
It was active.
It was holy
It was a good Friday
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| Need for Healing join to the Cross of Christ. |
