Good Friday words

Pastor Quinn, my ministry partner, came down with a bad flu a week ago. He was to speak at the Edmonton Outdoor Way of the Cross yesterday, but was still feeling pretty tough. With his help to hurriedly write a reflection (he's got the gift of speaking off the cuff -- I don't), I subbed in for him.

With the help of Mike Campbell, an amazing friend from the Sanctuary of Peace Community, who proclaimed the reading from Isaiah, and our previous associate pastor, Jim Gurnett, who closed with prayer, we shared the following with those who attended the 46th Annual Outdoor Way of the Cross. 

* * * * * * *

From the 58^th chapter of Isaiah, verses 6-9:

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
    and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
    and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;

    you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

God’s words in these verses from the prophet Isaiah tell us what our fasting as God’s people should look like. Fasting is not so much about giving up chocolate or coffee for the forty days of Lent as it is about doing justice all the time – lifting oppression, breaking barriers between ourselves and others, giving from our abundance to those whose lives should be as abundant as our own, and remembering that we are all siblings in God’s family – all the time.

Early one winter morning before our Sunday Service, Pastor Quinn arrived to find a young woman huddled under a piece of cardboard, shivering because she had lost much of her clothing in a state of drugged confusion. Quinn gave her a blanket to wrap herself in, invited her inside, and turned her over to me to help her get dressed in clothing odds and ends that had been donated to us. We gave her a sweet, hot cup of coffee as soon as it was ready, a bit of food, and she stayed with us, sleeping through much of that Sunday service, finally warm.

This young woman was one of many people who live on our streets, people whose lives have not turned out as they had hoped for any number of reasons. Our affluent Alberta society expects us all to live in a certain way and be a certain kind of citizen, but the young woman on our doorstep had clearly been judged by human beings and found wanting some time before we met her. She was turned away from the kinds of assistance that would have given her the abundant life God dreams for all of us.

There are those who would say, "how and why did she end up almost naked under a piece of cardboard on a winter’s night? Clearly, she made some bad choices, going out alone, using drugs, being homeless." Some people might say that she was getting what she deserved. Keep in mind, though, that no one wants – or deserves – to live on our streets in -40 windchill. And in the heart of God, who is unconditional love, do the poor choices people make really matter? 

Not in the least. God knows the complexities of their stories, sees their hearts, and calls them beloved children. They are every bit as beloved as you and I no matter what their lives look like.

In a province and country as well off as ours, there is no excuse for anyone to be hungry, naked, or homeless. When we remember that all lives are holy and valuable to our Creator, when we share our food with the hungry and provide the poor wanderer with shelter, when we clothe the naked, and stand with the struggling people of this city whom we often forget are our own flesh and blood, our sisters and brothers, our siblings in one family -- when we remember and do these things, God’s light, healing and justice pour through us.

Ensuring that all people have enough of what they need to live in dignity and freedom is the fasting that God desires from all of us not only during Lent, but all year long.

We close with a prayer from the Iona Community:

 

Creator and Kin, as near as breath,

and yet far beyond our understanding,

holy is your name.

Your new reality come,

your justice be done, here and now.

May we feed each other, as you feed us.

You hold us in grace when we don’t ‘get it’. 

May we hold others in grace too.

May we resist complacency,

and strive for justice and peace,

for all people, and all times. 

+Amen

    you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

Good Friday 2024

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, this is a busy week for me. And the two things shared below are a big part of that busyness. I highly recommend setting aside your usual Good Friday practices and joining us!

The first is a good ecumenical reflection on where Christ is being crucified in our world today. The second is a beautiful, musical and meditative prayer (with the music of the Taizé community in France) that invites us all to center ourselves in prayer for the world. Neither of them are your typical Good Friday church experience -- but if we are followers of Jesus, we can take our faith to the streets and pray with people of all faith backgrounds. After all, he included all of us.

I will be attending both events. If you're in the Edmonton area, it would be lovely to see you there!

If you're in the neighbourhood...

Please consider this an invitation to join us for these two in-person Good Friday events, the first since the pandemic began: 

The Outdoor Way of the Cross is an ecumenical prayer event marking the suffering and death of Jesus. It is a time to reflect on how the gospel values of Jesus apply to individual and public life today. This year's theme is based on Micah 6:8 -- "And what does God require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." 

People of all faith traditions are welcome. The 2 km walk is reasonable for most ages and ability levels. Free street parking is available near the start location. Light refreshments will be provided at Hope Mission after the final station. 

For more information, search "Good Friday Outdoor Way of the Cross Edmonton," or use this link.

Good Friday Prayer Around the Cross is an ecumenical and musical evening of meditation with scripture, silence, and the songs of the Taizé Community, much like what happens in the Church of Reconciliation in Taizé, France, every Friday evening. It's an opportunity to allow beautiful, meditative music to wash over us and bring us to peace, to remember that Christ knows what it is to be human, and to understand that God accompanies each of us in our own struggles as we look forward to resurrection for ourselves and all of creation.

See https://www.facebook.com/events/1329978891255015

These are two of my favourite events of the year. I hope you can join us! Bring friends.

Special Good Friday observances during a pandemic

This second Holy Week during pandemic times seems a bit more organized than last year's. The world community has a better sense of how the corona virus spreads, and with vaccinations becoming more available, it feels like we are moving one step at a time toward the bright end of the tunnel. But we still can't gather together for Easter events like we used to, and I don't think AHS will allow anyone in our churches to sing the Exsultet Proclamation -- the wonderful song exulting in Christ's triumph over death. Not yet, especially with variant cases on the rise.

But I fully intend to sing and celebrate this weekend, even if it's only at home. And I invite you to join me in the two usual ecumenical Good Friday opportunities I like to share each year.

The first is the 41st Annual Edmonton Outdoor Way of the Cross, my favourite ecumenical event of the year. Last year, it was hurriedly switched from outdoor walk to video format when health restrictions came into effect. The organizing committee learned many things about making socially distanced videos on busy streets in the inner city, not least of which was that the video camera microphone picked up city noise more easily than the voices of the presenters! 

This year, aware that our ecumenical community still wouldn't be able to gather for the traditional inner city walk, the committee had a bit more time to plan a different approach toward sharing social justice topics of concern and the ways that Christ walks in solidarity with us as we work for change. The 2021 video will premiere at 10 am on Good Friday morning, and its theme is "From Fear and Fatigue to Hope and Action: Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me." It will also be available to watch on the Good Friday Outdoor Way of the Cross Edmonton website and on the Facebook Page, but the video below should work at 10 am on Friday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo8IhrqjSkE

The second event is the Ecumenical Good Friday Prayer Around the Cross, a musical and meditative space that will feature scripture, silence, and the songs of the Taizé community. When we were able to gather, this was my other favourite ecumenical event of the year, usually held in the lovely chapel at Providence Renewal Centre with a good-sized crowd. This year's comes to you from my home -- I am very grateful that the Brothers of the Community of Taizé have given me permission to broadcast their music and style of prayer to those who have prayed with our Taizé musicians' group here in Edmonton in the past. The prayer begins at 7 pm April 2nd and will last about an hour. It can be found on the Taizé Prayer in Edmonton and Area Facebook Page, and if you click this link, it should take you directly to the event livestream itself:

 

https://www.facebook.com/events/492609458420002. 

For those unable to participate during the livestream, a video will be made available on the Facebook Page for viewing when the livestream concludes.

All are welcome to both online events, and the beauty of it all is that people with internet access can join us from almost anywhere that internet access is available, so it's not just us locals who get to enjoy them. Feel free to share this post with others and spread the word.

Come, sing and pray with me... and have a blessed Easter!

My antidote for a post-election hangover

My post-election hangover isn't because of alcohol -- it's from concern about what our future premier might do to social services, education, LGBTQ2S+ rights, and our already struggling environment. His arrival at his election speech in his big blue Dodge Ram pickup truck was a symbolic gesture, I know, but it only demonstrates how tone-deaf he is to the serious issues of climate change and poverty. His emphasis on the economy might not leave a lot of room for the needs of marginalized community members and the environment, so the best antidote is to be vigilant and active in standing up for and with them.

If you're feeling the kind of concern that I am, prayer is always a helpful tool to keep us grounded. And this Easter weekend, there are plenty of opportunities. As usual for this time of year, I'll just highlight my two favourites on Good Friday.

The Outdoor Way of the Cross begins at 10 am at Immigration Hall (10534 100 St), and is a beautiful reflection on many of the most important issues humanity faces. It lasts approximately two hours, and takes participants on a 2 km route through the inner city before ending at Hope Mission for lunch.

And Friday evening at 7 pm in the beautiful Providence Renewal Centre main chapel (3005 119 St) is Ecumenical Prayer Around the Cross, with scripture, silence and song from the Taizé community. Why not bring your friends and neighbours of different denominations to pray with us for peace, unity and reconciliation, the very things that Jesus came to share with us? All are welcome at both events, and they offer just the right balance to all the politics of the past weeks, in my humble opinion. Hope to see you there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Wm_hjF_PO8

Two ecumenical ways to have a good Good Friday

I remember dreading Good Friday when I was a kid. Such a heavy, heavy day, with that long story of Jesus' ordeal before he died, and that sad song asking, "Were you there?" To me, it was overwhelmingly sad that a good man had to die, supposedly to atone for my sins. I think it was the guilt complex that came with Good Friday that made it so difficult. I mean, was the fact that I fought with my sisters really why Jesus had to die?

But I was missing the point. Jesus came to show us how to live, even in the most impossible circumstances. He was all about love and forgiveness, right to his death, when he said, Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34). 

Even so, I'm still not a huge fan of the traditional three o'clock Good Friday service. That's why I offer alternative possibilities for Good Friday observance in these moodlings every year -- ones that are focused less on the reading of the Gospel narrative of the passion, and more on the hope that Jesus gives all people by the way he surrenders himself to God. His deep trust in God and his solidarity with us in the most difficult of human struggles is meant to give us hope and courage. So for the last several years, I have been attending two different Good Friday events that offer slightly different slants on Christ's death. If you've been following my moodlings for a while, you know where I'm going with this...

The first event is the Edmonton Outdoor Way of the Cross. It's an ecumenical event that begins at 10 am outside of Immigration Hall on the corner of 100th Street and 105th Ave. If the weather holds (the present forecast indicates snow and cool weather, so it's important to dress for it), we will walk an easy two-kilometer route, ending a block from where we began. There will be several stations where the crowd will gather to listen to reflections on the theme of "Speaking Truth to Power." As we follow the cross through the inner city, we are challenged to become Christ's hands and feet on the day we remember that his were nailed to the cross -- we are all called to act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly like he did.

The second event is Ecumenical Prayer Around the Cross in the style of Taizé at the beautiful main chapel in Providence Renewal Centre (3005 119 Street) at 7 p.m. It's a little longer than an hour of meditative reflection with silence, a short passage from the Gospel, prayers of the gathered community, and a lot of beautiful music that calms and quiets the soul so that God can be heard.

Both events are free, though donations to Hope Mission are welcomed after the Way of the Cross. The free-will offering collected at the evening Ecumenical Prayer will be divided between Wings of Providence Women's Shelter and the Anawim Food Bank -- two charities associated with the Sisters of Providence, who are hosting the evening prayer.

However you choose to observe Good Friday, I hope it is a deeply meaningful day for you, one that is sad, yes, but also hopeful, motivating us all toward justice and peace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL1_IhVTJmk

Good Friday, again

I can't believe how quickly time goes. Here we are, at the end of Holy Week. As always, if you are in the Edmonton area, I invite you to join in two beautiful ecumenical events...

The cross at the top of Mount Tzouhalem
near Cowichan Bay, BC

The first is the 36th Annual Outdoor Way of the Cross, which begins at George Spady Centre (10015 105A Avenue) at ten a.m on Good Friday. I love this way to mark the day because has a strong social justice component, it attracts people of all ages and Christian denominations, and there's just something really amazing about being together and walking with our inner city sisters and brothers for two hours in an atmosphere of prayer and song. This year's theme is "Transformation -- Ourselves and Our World," and will include reflection on the UN's sustainable development goals.

The second is the Good Friday Taizé Prayer Around the Cross, 7 p.m. at Providence Renewal Centre (3005 119 Street). It's a contemplative prayer with music, scripture and silence, and a different way to be open to God's presence in our hustle-bustle world. I prefer it over Good Friday services, because it's a reflective space without so many words. In the community of Taizé, France, you can bet that the young people present will sing and pray well past midnight, but our prayer will run a little over an hour.

All are welcome to both events. Join your fellow Christians to pray and reflect on God's deep love for all God's children. And if you're not in the Edmonton area, have a beautiful Good Friday wherever you may be.

Triduum starts here

The cross from Taize

It's Thursday of Holy Week, one of my favourite weeks of the year. I'm finding, though, that my whole understanding of Jesus' death has changed. It's not so much about him saving us from our sins. I mean, what kind of God would demand an atrocity -- the death of one of his and her children -- to atone for other atrocities known as sin?

No, I think this weekend is about Jesus being with us in our struggles and our human suffering. He went through a most horrific end in solidarity with his human brothers and sisters all over the world who experience oppression, injustice, and personal disaster. It's as if he's saying to us, "See, I am with you. Don't be afraid. Love wins in the end."

So this weekend is not about the institution of the priesthood, or salvific death, or the "happy fault" and "necessary sin of Adam that won for us so great a redeemer." It's about getting through the struggles of life, with God's help, and reaching paradise with our brother who showed us the way. It's a weekend to remind us that God is all about mercy, justice, and love, not vengeance. It's a reminder of the resurrection of each one of us to a life of joy and celebration -- the now and the not yet. It's an opportunity to remember those embroiled in their own struggles, and to be in solidarity with them through prayer and action.

If you're looking for a special ways to mark this Easter Triduum, I invite you to join me tomorrow at 2 different events:

1) The Outdoor Way of the Cross. Participants will meet at 10 a.m. at Immigration Hall, 10035 105 A Avenue and walk an outdoor route with stops for reflection along the way. I find this to be particularly meaningful, as the messages given at each station often put us in touch with the struggles of our inner city brothers and sisters, and communities working against injustice in other parts of the world. Afterward there are refreshments with the inner city community.

2) Good Friday Taize Prayer Around the Cross, 7 p.m. at Providence Renewal Centre Chapel (3005 119 Street). An opportunity to pray for the world with Christians of all denominations, using song and silence at the foot of the cross. It's always very beautiful.

And Saturday evening, I'll celebrate the resurrection at Easter Vigil with my family. I hope you, my readers, will find special ways to celebrate the fact that life does not end -- our God loves us too much for that!

Happy Triduum!

Holy time

We're coming to one of my favourite weekends of the year, that of Easter. I love it because it is a time of story, ritual, and community, and because Christ chose solidarity with all those who suffer in order to show us what it means to really live. His actions call us to do the same in our lives.

The entire weekend is a grace-filled time in my books, but two ecumenical events stand out for me. The first is the 34th Annual Good Friday Outdoor Way of the Cross that begins at Hope Mission at 10 a.m. Christians from all over will come to be with our inner city brothers and sisters and reflect on the theme, "Be Not Afraid -- Love drives out fear." (1 Jn 4:18). It's threatening to be rainy this year, so I guess we'll be carrying umbrellas on the 1.8 km walk.

The other event is Good Friday Taizé Prayer Around the Cross at 7 p.m. at Providence Renewal Centre (3005 119 St). I love the chapel there, and the meditative music fits the day so well. Praying around the cross with other Christians underlines the importance of Christ's s life for us all no matter our denomination.

Of course, the Easter experience also includes Holy Thursday (today), Saturday's Vigil celebration of the Resurrection, and a whole lot of alleluias on Sunday. Lest you think I'm nothing but a religious nut, I will say that there will also be the fun of egg colouring, a search for chocolate bunnies, and a delicious family barbecue. A blessed Holy time to you all! Here's a lovely footwashing video... Enjoy!

For a good Good Friday 2012

This Sunday, I'm thinking about Friday. Last year, I recommended as much silence as possible for Good Friday. It's still a good plan to have a quiet day (we have a no computers/TV rule), but this year, I'd like to invite you to participate in my favourite Good Friday reflections.

Invitation #1: At 10 a.m., you're invited to gather with a good-sized crowd, rain or shine, outside of Hope Mission (9908-106 Avenue) to participate in the 32nd Annual Outdoor Way of the Cross. It's an ecumenical prayer event commemorating the suffering and death of Jesus, that offers time to notice how the gospel values of Jesus are important to individual and social life today (I'm plagiarizing from the advertizing and throwing in my own comments as well, but I suspect this is a case where the organizers won't mind being plagiarized). People of all faith traditions are warmly welcome. The walk begins and ends at the same location, and participants are advised to dress for the weather (I'll add a few exclamation marks to that last statement)!!! It's not a strenuous walk, as our L'Arche Edmonton community, including those in wheelchairs, participate every year -- the picture above shows one of my L'Arche friends closest to the camera. This year, we're particularly excited because we get to present Station 5, which focuses on Homelessness. I'm looking forward to participating in the music group, too.

The full walk takes about two hours, and there is fellowship with refreshments after the final station. Donations of non-perishable food and toiletry items are welcomed. As much as I appreciate church services on Good Friday, I appreciate this even more, because there's something really powerful about walking in the inner city in solidarity with the brothers and sisters there, reflecting on what we are called to  as Christians, and re-enacting Christ's walk to Calvary. Many of our inner-city brothers and sisters join us as we reflect on Christ's words in the 25th chapter of Matthew's Gospel, bringing his words to life:

" Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you? Or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?"

And the King will answer them, "Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of my brothers and sisters, you did it to me." 

Invitation #2: You're invited to Good Friday Taizé Prayer Around the Cross, at 7:30 p.m. at Providence Renewal Centre (3005-119 Street). It's a beautiful hour of meditative scripture-based song that centers on a simple wooden cross.

If you're in the neighbourhood, please come to either or both of these events. The reason I love them so much is because they gather Christians from every denomination together to remember what is common to us all... Jesus, who set us free by leading us to new life! Laudate omnes gentes, laudate Dominum! Sing praises, all you peoples, sing praises to the Lord!

If you're nowhere near Edmonton, I'd love to hear about your own meaningful ways to mark Good Friday wherever you are.

Have a blessed Holy Week.