Showing posts with label Good Friday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Good Friday. Show all posts

Friday, April 18, 2025

A fatal ride


After Mark 11:1-11
 

He rode into the city,

accompanied by the praises,

the songs, the hallelujahs, 

the palms cast before him. 

He rode knowing he was

riding to what has been

ordained, that the praises

would turn to cruses and

taunts, the palms would turn

into thorns, the songs

to chants for death.

He knew, and still

he rode. 

 

It’s easy to shout

hosannas and amens until

the realization that 

to be called 

by this king was, and is, 

to be called to come

and die.

 

“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” – Dietrick Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship.

 

Photograph by Tim Mossholder via Unsplash. Used with permission.


Some Friday Readings

 

Gethsemane – poem by Mary Oliver at Kingdom Poets (D.S. Martin).

 

The Quiet Revival Breaks Spiritual Stillness in the United Kingdom – John Stevens at The Gospel Coalition.

 

The Precious Blood – Chris Martin at FYI. 

 

Transplanted – Seth Lewis.

 

Lent with Van Gogh, Part 7 – Megan Willome, 

 

Holy Week – A Poem Trilogy – Jody Lee Collins at Poetry & Made Things.

Friday, March 29, 2024

He leads the humble


After Psalm 25:9, 119:81
 

He leads the humble

in doing what is right,

and teaches the humble

his way.

 

The soul of the humble

longs for his salvation;

the soul of the humble

hopes in his word.

 

He leads the humble,

in the way they should go.

He leads the humble

from the cross. 

 

Photograph by Arno Smit via Unsplash. Used with permission.


Some Friday Readings

 

The Cross – poem by George Herbert at Kingdom Poets (D.S. Martin).

 

The End of Religious Liberty – Jason Duesing at For the Church.

 

Two Poems for Holy Week –Jody L. Collins at Poetry & Made Things.

 

Good Friday at St. Bartholomew’s – Spitalfields Life.

 

Covenant Prayer – sonnet by Michael Stalcup at Rabbit Room Poetry.

 

Fairy Tales and Holy Week – Daniel McInerry at The Imaginative Conservative.

 

Love Song – poem by Paul Wittenberger.

 

And Ran Away Naked, sonnet by Maryann Corbett – Sally Thomas at Poems Ancient and Modern.

Friday, April 7, 2023

I wave my palm


After John 12:12-19
 

I wave my palm,

I lay down my cloak,

to welcome the king

of Jerusalem.

 

I see the colt,

I am the crowds

to welcome the king

into Zion.

 

I stand and wait,

I cheer the king,

who rides the colt

into Jerusalem.

 

And in four days,

I’ll stand and shout,

Crucify the king

of Jerusalem.

 

Photograph by Andrew Anderson via Unsplash Used with permission.

Friday, April 10, 2020

The darkness


After Mark 15

The day that begins 
in darkness
and ends in darkness,
the day of arrest,
the day of trials,
the day of beatings,
the day of ridicule,
the day of mocking,
the day of scourging,
the day of jeering,
the day of carrying
a cross through crowds,
the day of spikes 
driven through hands,
the day of thirst,
that terrible thirst,
the day the father
who loves him
turns away,
the death of death.

The sky cracks open,
the earth shakes,
the darkness engulfs,
the curtain tears.

It is done.

Photograph by Jason Blackeye via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Friday, April 6, 2012

A priest testifies


The darkness started
at the sixth hour a heaviness
we lit the lamps
to gloom hovered, oppressive,
within the courts, almost
stifling, confusing the day
there were murmurs
about the man crucified

The ninth hour, the sound
the tearing, awful, like
a soul ripping apart,
the curtain torn like flimsy
cloth, the holy of holies laid
bare, priests shouting,
screaming, cries of who
did this, the Lord is leaving
his house, our house, leaving
his people – don’t strike me
again I am telling only what
I saw and heard then the earth
shaking we ran to the courts
outside fearing the temple
would crash upon our heads
heard the cries and screams
in the streets, people huddling
end of time end of time.

I saw no dead walking but
others said the graves opened
but that curtain torn
no man could do that
only YHWH


Painting: Curtain by Harold Sikkema at NSITU.ca.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Friday: The Violence


Manhandled, shoved
humiliated, judged
expediently condemned
hands washed
thorned beaten whipped
scourged
blood
dragged,
hauled to the hill
nailed torn to the wood
spiked skin ripped
tendons, bone
blood
filth, sweat-blood
pierced
pain unendurable
the turning away
the worst
pain the worst
blackness
finished.

Photograph: Jesus Christ on the cross, scene from The Passion, produced and directed by Mel Gibson.